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DMC-1700/1800 Chapter 6 Programming Motion • 113
Figure 6.5 – Three Storage Scopes
Contour Mode
The DMC-1700/1800 also provides a contouring mode. This mode allows any arbitrary position curve to be
prescribed for 1 to 8 axes. This is ideal for following computer generated paths such as parabolic, spherical or user-
defined profiles. The path is not limited to straight line and arc segments and the path length may be infinite.
Specifying Contour Segments
The Contour Mode is specified with the command, CM. For example, CMXZ specifies contouring on the X and Z
axes. Any axes that are not being used in the contouring mode may be operated in other modes.
A contour is described by position increments which are described with the command, CD x,y,z,w over a time
interval, DT n. The parameter, n, specifies the time interval. The time interval is defined as 2
n
ms, where n is a
number between 1 and 8. The controller performs linear interpolation between the specified increments, where one
point is generated for each millisecond.
Consider, for example, the trajectory shown in Fig. 6.6. The position X may be described by the
points:
Point 1 X=0 at T=0ms
Point 2 X=48 at T=4ms
Point 3 X=288 at T=12ms
Point 4 X=336 at T=28ms
The same trajectory may be represented by the increments
Increment 1 DX=48 Time=4 DT=2
Increment 2 DX=240 Time=8 DT=3
Increment 3 DX=48 Time=16 DT=4