S-Lab
Salient Motion's software development tool
S-Lab is Salient Motion's premiere software design and test tool. Packed with a rich feature set for debugging and analysis, S-Lab is your one-stop-shop for all things motor control. Access S-Lab at https://app.salientmotion.com/.
Initial Setup
The motor controller does not accept power over USB-C, so you will need to power it up over the main power rails.
Dust Devil and Cyclone have an 18V Under-voltage lockout. Ensure you are giving it more than 18V when bringing-up the unit.
When the motor controller is first powered up and plugged in, hit the "pair" button. Once paired, you will see the following
Once you are paired, you will have to create a new motor configuration. A motor configuration is how you create a "profile" for your motor so even if you switch motors, you can easily reapply the configuration. We'll now walk through creating a Motor Configuration.
Step 1 - Motor Details: Once you hit "New", you will be directed to the configuration page. From here, fill out the information on your motor details.
Step 2 - Parameter Detection: Next, you will be guided to run parameter detection. Parameter Detection uses a patented technique to back out relevant motor-specific values which get utilized by the motor controller to spin. Note: for best performance, it is highly recommended that you run Parameter Detection with your motor unloaded.
WARNING: When Parameter Detection is run, it will spin your motor. Ensure you have a setup that will allow for the motor to safely spin.
Note: The Automated Parameter Detection technique is not compatible with certain motor topologies, such as air-core motors. For these devices, Manual Parameter Input is available. Please contact support for guidance before using Manual Parameter Input.
Step 3 - Throttle Settings: Next, you will be asked to program your throttle settings.
Input Mode:
You can choose between
CAN: use CAN bus to send the motor controller throttle messages.
Servo: Use analog PWM to send the controller throttle messages.
USB: Use the throttle built into S-Lab to send throttle messages.
We recommend when first configuring a motor to set the Input Mode to "USB". This is the fastest and most reliable way to test your motor. You may change the Input Mode at any time.
Max Speed (rpm):
Set the motor's max speed.
Pole Pair Count:
Provide the number of pole pairs (# of poles / 2) for your motor.
If you don't know your pole pair count, set the value to 1. Note, this will mean that your telemetry will be reported as electrical radians per second (erad) rather than rotations per minute (rpm).
Control Mode:
Salient Motion controllers currently only support voltage and torque control. Voltage can be thought of as pseudo-speed control while torque control will maintain constant torque.
Position Lock:
The Position Lock feature will lock the motor from moving from it's previously held position. This feature is useful when you don't want the motor to move when not being commanded.
Input Mapping:
The input mapping allows you to choose the bounds of commands that spin the motor. It is common to set the "Lower" to 1000, "Center" to 1500 and "Upper" to 2000. This means that any command between the lower and center limits will have the motor spin counterclockwise and any command from the center to the upper limit will have the motor spin clockwise.
Step 4 - Hardware Limits
The hardware limits on the controller allow you to set safety bounds on operation. These numbers are set to protect the motor, motor controller and connected battery.
Motor Current Limits: The maximum allowable current limit for each product is highlighted below:
Dust Devil: 50A
Cyclone: 300A
The overtemperature threshold will determine the temperature at which the controller will start to throttle the motor current. Once the overtemperature threshold is set, the controller with throttle the motor current linearly to 0 until it reaches 125C.
Using the Dashboard
Once you have created a motor configuration and have hit "apply", you may proceed to the dashboard. If you have configured your controller for "USB" input mode, you will see the following:
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