Adapter connections
Connecting adapters
Adapters are very useful to easily assemble components together to build a layout. But most of all, while building the layout the adapter creates a meaningful connection between the assembled components.
The following connections can be created
| Type | Description | Between | And |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | To connect a child resource to a parent resource to move the child along with its parent. | Kinematic resource | Kinematic resource |
| Electrical | A communication link to control the resource activities or to control another controller. | Controller | Resource or controller |
| Flow | To define the transport of a workpiece from one resource to another resource. | Transport resource | Transport resource |
| Transport | To move a workpiece in a rigid, stationary resource. Or to allow automated target recognition. | Kinematic resource | Workpiece |
A proper connection can only be made between two matching adapters: same type and socket-plug combination. Other combinations will be rejected.
The socket-plug connection of the adapters also defines the direction of dependency. Once connected, the socket adapter becomes a parent and therefore has the controlling role within the connection.
Mechanical connections
The center sphere of the manipulator only supports a select & drag operation. While pressing the left mouse button down, the Manipulator can be dragged to any location in the 3D View, but of course parallel to the screen. Its position is based on the mouse position on screen and the coordinates are calculated accordingly. During the dragging, the Manipulator graphic changes to a simple coordinate system graphic, represented by three colored axes.
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Snapping a socket adapter onto a plug adapter is also supported. In this case the parent component is positioned onto the child component.
Disconnecting the connection can be done by picking the child component and dragging it away from the parent component out of reach of the connection beam.
A mechanical connection between two resources extends the kinematic chain of the parent resource to the connected child resource(s). Any motion of the parent resource will automatically move the child resource accordingly.
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Electrical connections
An electrical connection is made when dragging an electrical adapter to another adapter. The software tries to find a proper match of socket-plug adapters by searching for a counter part within a certain 3D range of the dragged adapter. When a match is found a connection beam is shown to indicate the match. Releasing or dropping the adapter will then create this electrical connection and the connection wire remains visible.
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An electrical connection builds the communication between the controller and a resource(s) or another controller. It defines the signals and their value mapping that are used for simulation purpose.
Disconnecting an electrical connection can only be done with the Disconnect command of in the adapter Pie menu.
