Understanding Programs Understanding Programs Your Omron Adept controller will not perform any useful work until you "run" a program. This is a two-step process: First you LOAD a disk file that contains the eV+ program, then you EXECUTE or COMMAND one of the programs that is contained in the file. When the ACE interface is used, the Process Manager automates much of the programming and program/file management through a point-and-click interface. For those who wish to access the eV+ system directly, the Controller Development Tools are used for program/file management and direct V+ monitor prompt operations.
These tools are accessed from the Controller Development Tools ( ) icon on the ACE toolbar. For more details, see the topic Controller Development Tools in the ACE User's Guide . The remainder of this topic describes the operations when accessing the V+ system directly through the Monitor window. Disk Files A disk file may contain either or both of two different types of programs: Monitor command programs and executable eV+ programs. NOTE : Because they are handled the same way, files stored on a Secure Digital (SD) card are referred to as disk files.
Monitor command programs perform system-level functions such as loading files, changing the default path, and starting executable eV+ programs. These programs are similar to MS- DOS batch programs or UNIX scripts. The commands detailed in the rest of this manual can be put into Monitor command programs. The section Command Programs on page 60 provides details on writing basic Monitor command programs. Executable eV+ programs contain the logic, motion control, and vision instructions that actually control a workcell. Creating and modifying executable eV+ programs is covered in the eV+ Language User's Guide and eV+ Language Reference Guide .
The documentation for program files delivered by Omron Adept specifies which program in a disk file is the main program, and whether the main program is a Monitor command program or an executable eV+ program. The documentation for program files supplied by third parties should include this same information. You can see what type of programs a disk file contains by entering the command: FLIST file_specification ↵ The contents of the file will scroll up the Monitor window. Use the Scroll Lock key to pause scrolling. If a program is a Monitor command program, all the lines in the program will be preceded with "MC" (or ";", which indicates a comment).
Remember, a disk file can contain many programs, including both Monitor command and executable eV+programs. eV+Operating System User's Guide, v2.x, 18320-000 Rev A Page 47