rsiconfig

Table of Contents

• 🔹 What is rsiconfig?
• 🔹 What are XML configuration files for the RMP?
• 🔹 Why use the rsiconfig utility?
• 🔹 Usage
• 🔹 Use Cases
  • Generate XML configuration files
  • Restore from XML configuration files
  • Generate ENI file
  • Check RMP serial number
  • Check RMP license

A command-line utility that allows XML configuration, ENI generation, and more.

🔹 What is rsiconfig?

rsiconfig is a command-line utility that allows you to generate XML configuration files, restore settings from XML configuration files, generate ENI files, check the RMP serial number, and check the RMP license.

🔹 What are XML configuration files for the RMP?

The RMP Motion Controller is software-based and does not have flash memory, nor are its configurations stored in a file.

XML configurations give your application the most flexibility for configuring the RMP as needed at runtime. This is better than using hard-coded values in your RapidCode application. Is also useful when upgrading to a new RMP version.

There are two types of XML configuration files:

• rsiconfig settings XML: Contains the RMP settings, such as:
  • SampleRate
  • Expected EtherCAT node count
  • Expected EtherCAT node types
  • Object counts (Axis, Motion, UserLimit, Recorder, Compensator, MathBlock)
• Axis XML: Contains the Axis settings, such as:
  • default trajectory values
  • hardware/software limit configuration
  • settling criteria
  • SDO values

🔹 Why use the rsiconfig utility?

Using the rsiconfig utility will help guarantee that your RMP is correctly configured and ready to run before your RapidCode application starts. It allows you to keep hard-coded constants out of your source code. It also can help you generate XML configurations for your current settings, get the serial number, check the RMP license and generate ENI files.

🔹 Usage

rsiconfig /?
Description:
  rsiconfig is a utility to get or restore RMP settings to or from XML files, generate an ENI file, check the RMP serial number and whether RMP is
  licensed.
 
Usage:
  rsiconfig <settings file> [command] [options]
 
Arguments:
  <settings file>  The filename or path\filename of the XML settings file whose values will be restored to the RMP.
 
Options:
  -nonetwork, --no-network         to generate XML or set from XML without attempting to start the network (mainly used for software testing).
                                   [default: False]
  --cpu-affinity <cpu-affinity>    Linux: Set the CPU affinity for the process.
  --primary-nic <primary-nic>      Set the primary NIC name for the RMPNetwork process.
  --secondary-nic <secondary-nic>  Set the secondary NIC name for the RMPNetwork process.
  --verbose                        Verbose output.
  --version                        Show version information
  -?, -h, --help                   Show help and usage information
 
 
Commands:
  -generate <settings file>  The filename or path\filename where your RMP settings will be written to XML. [default: settings.xml]
  -example                   Outputs example.xml as an example of how you can create your own settings file by hand.
  -get-serial                Returns the serial number. 0 indicates the firmware is not running and the paths should be checked. Use --verbose to see
                             errors.
  -check-license             Returns whether or not the license (located at .\ rsi.lic) is valid for this system. Use --verbose to see errors.
  -eni                       Generate ENI file (EtherCAT.xml). This will overwrite any existing file. The network will be probed for nodes if the
                             network is not running. If the network is running, the ENI file will still be generated.

🔹 Use Cases

Generate XML configuration files

After the EtherCAT network is running and all Axis settings configured, use:

• Windows

  rsiconfig -generate settings.xml

• Linux

  Note

  In Linux, you must specify the CPU affinity (for the RMP) --cpu-affinity and the Primary NIC (for RMP network) --primary-nic. See MotionController CreationParameters.

  sudo rsiconfig -generate settings.xml --cpu-affinity {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} --primary-nic {YOUR_NIC_NAME}

  Where {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} should be replaced with the CPU core index where RMP should run and {YOUR_NIC_NAME} should be replaced with the NIC name for your EtherCAT network.

Which will generate the file, settings.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="IBM437"?>
<XMLSettings xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <ExpectedNodeCount>4</ExpectedNodeCount>
  <ExpectedNodeTypes>
    <RSINodeType>RSINodeTypeKOLLMORGEN_AKD</RSINodeType>
    <RSINodeType>RSINodeTypeBECKHOFF_EK1100</RSINodeType>
    <RSINodeType>RSINodeTypeUNKNOWN</RSINodeType>
    <RSINodeType>RSINodeTypeUNKNOWN</RSINodeType>
  </ExpectedNodeTypes>
  <NetworkStartTimeoutMilliseconds>30000</NetworkStartTimeoutMilliseconds>
  <SampleRate>1000</SampleRate>
  <AxisCount>1</AxisCount>
  <MotionCount>1</MotionCount>
  <UserLimitCount>0</UserLimitCount>
  <RecorderCount>0</RecorderCount>
  <RecorderBufferSize />
  <CompensatorCount>0</CompensatorCount>
  <CompensatorPointCount />
  <AxisFrameBufferSize>
    <int>1024</int>
  </AxisFrameBufferSize>
  <MathBlockCount>0</MathBlockCount>
  <XMLFiles>
    <AxisXML>
      <AxisNumber>0</AxisNumber>
      <XMLFile>Axis 0.xml</XMLFile>
    </AxisXML>
  </XMLFiles>
</XMLSettings>

This file, settings.xml, can be used to apply configurations to a freshly-started RMP in the future. It also creates the Axis XML files, such as Axis 0.xml.

Restore from XML configuration files

To initialize the RMP, its network and restore from XML files, use

• Windows

  rsiconfig settings.xml

• Linux

  Note

  In Linux, you must specify the CPU affinity (for the RMP) --cpu-affinity and the Primary NIC (for RMP network) --primary-nic. See MotionController CreationParameters.

  sudo rsiconfig settings.xml --cpu-affinity {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} --primary-nic {YOUR_NIC_NAME}

  Where {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} should be replaced with the CPU core index where RMP should run and {YOUR_NIC_NAME} should be replaced with the NIC name for your EtherCAT network.

which should produce output similar to:

Settings file: settings.xml
Probing network...
Expected 4 nodes and found 4 nodes.
Node 0 Expected RSINodeTypeKOLLMORGEN_AKD and found RSINodeTypeKOLLMORGEN_AKD
Node 1 Expected RSINodeTypeBECKHOFF_EK1100 and found RSINodeTypeBECKHOFF_EK1100
Node 2 Expected RSINodeTypeUNKNOWN and found RSINodeTypeUNKNOWN
Node 3 Expected RSINodeTypeUNKNOWN and found RSINodeTypeUNKNOWN
Starting network...
Current Axis Count: 0
Setting Axis Count to 1
Current Motion Count: 1
Current UserLimit Count: 0
Current Recorder Count: 0
Current Compensator Count: 0
Current Axis 0 Frame Buffer Size: 1024
Current MathBlock Count: 0
Writing Axis 0.xml to Axis 0

The order of operations:

• RMP MotionController is created
• RMP sample rate is set
• EtherCAT network is discovered
• EtherCAT node count is checked
• EtherCAT node types are checked
• RMP EtherCAT network is started
• RMP object counts are set
• Axis settings are restored from Axis XML

Note

Use --no-network if you are testing software and do not want to start the network.

rsiconfig will return non-zero if there are unexpected nodes or an error restoring configurations.

Generate ENI file

To generate the ENI file, EtherCAT.xml, use

• Windows

  rsiconfig -eni

• Linux

  Note

  In Linux, you must specify the CPU affinity (for the RMP) --cpu-affinity and the Primary NIC (for RMP network) --primary-nic. See MotionController CreationParameters.

  sudo rsiconfig -eni --cpu-affinity {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} --primary-nic {YOUR_NIC_NAME}

  Where {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} should be replaced with the CPU core index where RMP should run and {YOUR_NIC_NAME} should be replaced with the NIC name for your EtherCAT network.

This will first attempt to discover EtherCAT nodes on the network. If it finds any, it will (using the ESI files) generate the ENI file, EtherCAT.xml. If you have added any ESI files to the ESI directory, you may need to delete the ESICache.xml file to force a refresh.

Check RMP serial number

To check the RMP serial number, use:

• Windows

  rsiconfig -get-serial

• Linux

  Note

  In Linux, you must specify the CPU affinity (for the RMP) --cpu-affinity and the Primary NIC (for RMP network) --primary-nic. See MotionController CreationParameters.

  sudo rsiconfig -get-serial --cpu-affinity {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} --primary-nic {YOUR_NIC_NAME}

  Where {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} should be replaced with the CPU core index where RMP should run and {YOUR_NIC_NAME} should be replaced with the NIC name for your EtherCAT network.

If 0 is returned, the serial number cannot be found.

Note

If your RMP is not licensed, optionally use --verbose to see errors, which will help you identify the unlicensed RMP serial number.

Check RMP license

To check the RMP license, use:

• Windows

  rsiconfig -check-license

• Linux

  Note

  In Linux, you must specify the CPU affinity (for the RMP) --cpu-affinity and the Primary NIC (for RMP network) --primary-nic. See MotionController CreationParameters.

  sudo rsiconfig -check-license --cpu-affinity {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} --primary-nic {YOUR_NIC_NAME}

  Where {YOUR_CPU_INDEX} should be replaced with the CPU core index where RMP should run and {YOUR_NIC_NAME} should be replaced with the NIC name for your EtherCAT network.

Returns True if the license is valid, False if not.

Note

optionally use --verbose to see errors.