FPGA Controlled Laser Assembly
Project Dec03-07 October 8, 2003
Client Team Members
National Instruments Raymond Baker
Adam Pritz
Faculty Advisors Jeremy Booher
Joel Schneider
Professor Mani Mina
Professor Diane Rover
Presentation Outline
Initial materials
Introductory materials
Project activity description
Resources and schedules
Closing materials
Acknowledgment
National Instruments for providing the
FPGA hardware and software and also the
LabVIEW software.
Professor Mani Mina for providing the
stages and stepper motor apparatus.
Problem Statement
General Problem Statement - A procedure must be controlled using
the LabVIEW FPGA module. This procedure must not only simply
control the motion of an object, but it must also get feedback from
the object to control another aspect of the movement. The
movement needs to be precise to a standard agreed upon by the
group. The FPGA module will control an array of stages and
stepper motors that will allow movement on three axes.
General Solution-Approach Statement - The LabVIEW FPGA
module will be used to control the laser. The first control loop will
control the motion of the laser. The position of the laser in space will
be controlled. The limits of the stages will be monitored. The inputs
and outputs will be controlled and monitored simultaneously.
Operating Environment
The operating environment of the finished
product will be in a lab environment. The
lab will be clean and kept at a steady
normal temperature. The end product will
not be easily portable and would have to
be disassembled to be moved.
Intended Users and Uses
Intended Users – The users of this product
will need to be familiar with LabVIEW
since the interface to the product will be in
this language.
Intended Uses - As a demonstration of
FPGA for National Instruments to show
their customers.
Assumptions
The stages and stepper motors are
functional
All necessary hardware will be provided by
National Instruments or another provider.
There will be no bugs in the LabVIEW or
FPGA parts and they will be compatible
with each other
National Instruments will provide us with
the necessary support if needed
Limitations
FPGA is not capable of floating point
calculations
It is a new product and can not implement
all the functionality of LabVIEW
Time span that product is to be
implemented in
End Product and Other
Deliverables
The end product will be a laser mounted
on a three dimensional motion device that
will be controlled by the LabVIEW FPGA
apparatus.
Present Accomplishments
Stages within budget
Familiarity with
LabVIEW FPGA
Great relationships
with NI
On track to provide
high-quality demo
Approaches Considered
NI Motion software
with data monitoring
Control motors
directly in hardware
2nd approach chosen
Why?
Project Definition Activities
Defining project - impossible until now
Definition: Control stages deterministically in
hardware using LV FPGA
Group goal: Pioneer control demo for NI
Research Activities
FPGA’s
Motion solution
Hardware interface of
motor drives
Control algorithms:
Arc, 3-axes
simultaneously
Design Activities
Modifying control
algorithm to match
our hardware
interface
Control algorithm
from scratch
Rapid prototyping –
very beneficial
Implementation Activities
Product Testing Activities
Hardware Verification
Determine that motors are working
properly without FPGA software
Determine motor input and output signals
Product Testing Activities
Software Testing
Send single pulses to motors to verify
connections to all motor input pins
Send signal to motor to contact limit to test
motor feedback
Program full images and send to motor
Personnel Efforts
160
140
120
100
Hours
Estimated
80
To-Date
60
40
20
0
Adam Joel Raymond Jeremy
Other Resource Requirements
Cost to group: $95
Poster
Laser
Wires
Financial Requirements
Financial Requirements (without labor) Financial Requirements (with labor)
Poster
Poster
Laser
Laser
Wires
Wires
LabView FPGA
LabView FPGA
LabView
LabView
NI PXI
NI PXI
PK-3 Motor Drive (3)
PK-3 Motor Drive (3)
Linear Sliding Stage
Linear Sliding Stage (3)
(3) Labor
Schedule
ID Task Name Jan 03 Feb 03 Mar 03 Apr 03 May 03 Jun 03 Jul 03 Aug 03 Sep 03 Oct 03 Nov 03 Dec 03
1 Project Definition 1
2 Project Definition Completion 2
3 End Users End Uses 3
4 Constraint Identification 4
5 Technology Considerations 5
6 Identification of Technologies 6
7 Identification of Criteria 7
8 Technology Research 8
9 Technology Selection 9
10 End-Product Design 10
11 Identification of Requirements 11
12 Design Process 12
13 Document Design 13
14 Prototype Implementation 14
15 Identification of Limitations 15
16 Implementation of Prototype 16
17 End-Product Testing 17
18 Test Planning 18
19 Actual Testing 19
20 Results Evaluation 20
21 End-Product Documentation 21
22 End-User Documentation 22
23 Maintenance Documentation 23
24 End-Product Demonstration 24
25 Demonstration Planning 25
26 Faculty Advisors Demonstration 26
27 Industrial Review Panel Demo 27
28 Project Reporting 28
29 Project Plan 29
30 Project Poster 30
31 Design Report 31
32 Final Report 32
33 Weekly Email Reporting 33
Spring 2003 Schedule Fall 2003 Schedule
Project Evaluation
Milestones Status
Milestone 1:
Finding appropriate control algorithm Fully Met
Milestone 2:
Implement control algorithm in LV FPGA Software In Progress
Milestone 3:
Control motors using LabVIEW FPGA hardware In Progress
Milestone 4:
Deterministically control motion device In Planning
Milestone 5:
Adding other control variables (optional) In Planning
Commercialization
Is commercialization possible for this project?
Yes, if the application was more complex and robust.
1. What might be the cost to produce the product?
$7000
2. What might be the street selling price of the product?
$10,000
3. What might be the potential market for the product?
Precise controlled motion applications
Recommendations for Additional
Work
Possibilities for Additional Work
● An enhanced prototype version of the product
Create an application that requires a more precise design.
Create an application that requires more stringent timing.
● A redesign of the product
Make a non-FPGA based LabVIEW application without the determinism and
parallel I/O of the FPGA. This would hit a different segment of the market
and would cost less to create.
Lessons Learned
1. What went well?
Group work and problem solving
2. What did not go well?
Delay in receiving Software
Inability to acquire hardware in a timely manner
3. What technical knowledge was gained?
Programming using FPGA hardware capabilities
Real Time programming
4. What non-technical knowledge was gained?
Project management
Overcoming shortcomings
5. What would be done differently if the project was to be done again?
Obtain hardware and software during the first month
Risk and Risk Management
1. The anticipated potential risks and planned management thereof?
We anticipated the risk of hardware and software did not operate as
assumed.
We anticipated a lack of money and time to create a robust application.
2. The anticipated risks encountered and the success in management thereof?
We were not able to obtain a laser capable of cutting or engraving a surface,
so we adapted our design to create a trace.
3. The unanticipated risks encountered and the attempts to manage that were used?
We did not receive the software within the timeframe we assumed, so we
managed around it by finding other parts of the project to tackle.
We did not receive the hardware we assumed NI was offering, so Professor
Mina offered the use of motors and stages ISU had.
4. The resultant changes in risk management that were made as a result of
encountering the unanticipated risks?
We have learned to assume all risks as possible. Now we always plan a
second option if the first is unavailable.
Closing Summary
The Problem
Control a motion device using LabVIEW FPGA
The Approach
Create a 2-axis motion application that controls a laser that reliably
traces a pre-set pattern
The Solution
Use NI’s PXI Controller with LabVIEW FPGA hardware and software
to control Parker stepper motors and stages in a 2-D plane. The
digital output from the FPGA interface with the stepper motors while
it digital inputs gather feedback data from the stages.