Command Reference
MagnaTran 7.1 User’s Manual
Description
MN-003-1600-00
Brooks Automation
8-2
Revision 2.2
Description
The Brooks Automation MagnaTran 7 provides a command set that allows complete
control of all robot functions. These commands provide a broad range of command
options, including a number of sophisticated integrated command sequences.
This chapter provides the control software communications between the host control-
ler and the MagnaTran 7. The normal, and more flexible, method of communications
uses standard serial communications protocols from the host controller to access
robot software commands. The other method of communications uses discrete I/O
ports to provide direct control of the standard robot functions and is described in
crete I/O Control (DIO) on page 6-45
Robot Operation
The MagnaTran 7 2-Axis robot is controlled in the R (Radial) axis and the T (Rota-
tional) axis of movement to allow wafer transfer to modules. Additionally, the 3-Axis
robot provides Z (Vertical) axis movement to allow pick and place operations.
Command Flows
The basic MagnaTran 7 software command sequence consists of an interplay between
Commands from the Host Controller to the robot and Responses from the robot to the
Host over the serial communications line. Software communications may be config-
ured in one of three modes of interaction, Sequential, Background and Background
Plus. In Sequential Mode, the software commands and responses occur one at a time.
In the Background Modes, certain types of commands may proceed in the “back-
ground” while other types of commands may be processed in the “foreground”.
Sequential Mode
In sequential mode, the MagnaTran 7 executes the command completely
before returning a READY signal indicating that the robot is ready for another
command. This mode allows execution of only one command at a time. A typ-
ical sequence of communications in Sequential Mode appears below.
•
The Host sends a command string to the robot.
•
The robot responds with information if the command was a Request, or
with an Error string if the command is incorrect or an error occurs dur-
ing processing.
•
The robot sends a READY string to the Host, regardless of whether an
error has occurred.
