KINGSTAR 3.6 is Now Live: What You Need to Know

by Skylar Levey | Feb 12, 2019

We’re pleased to announce that our latest release, KINGSTAR 3.6, is now available. KINGSTAR 3.6 includes powerful new features for Windows-based Realtime Soft Motion and EtherCAT, as well as updates, bug fixes, and support for new hardware.

We’re most excited about the new features in KINGSTAR Soft Motion and that this release sets the foundation for Machine Automation that can support world-wide Industry 4.0 initiatives. For example, KINGSTAR offers native language support such as Chinese. In addition, KINGSTAR PLC now supports Symbolic constants, in the size of Array/Matrix variables and has an improved sample program. We have also added COM Port over EtherCAT support and a diagnosis interface window to the KINGSTAR Analysis Console.

KINGSTAR 3.6 also resolves more than 20 known issues.

Read the full product release notes below for all the details, and as always, get in touch with any questions.

General Availability Release Date: February 1, 2019

Product Overview

KINGSTAR is an all-software, complete “plug-and-play” PC-based Machine Automation platform for IoT and Industry 4.0. Key pre-tested and pre-integrated industrial machine components include software-based motion control, machine vision, programmable logic controller (PLC) and the industry’s only plug-and-play EtherCAT master that auto-discovers any vendor’s EtherCAT drive, IO or device and auto-configures the EtherCAT environment at startup. Built on the EtherCAT standard and supported by a real-time 64-bit Windows operating-system (RTOS) from IntervalZero, KINGSTAR empowers engineers to design, develop and integrate machine control applications or a system of controllers on a single Industrial PC. The KINGSTAR platform can replace all hardware with software-only motion controllers and machine vision positioning systems, quickly and cost effectively

There are two product lines: KINGSTAR Soft Motion and KINGSTAR Fieldbus powered by EtherCAT.

KINGSTAR Motion replaces hardware motion cards with an all-software solution that creates PC-based machine controllers for premium precision and performance.

KINGSTAR Fieldbus powered by EtherCAT offers support for CANopen over EtherCAT and simplifies configuration of EtherCAT networks with its unique plug-and-play approach.

KINGSTAR Soft Motion

New Features

Adds Chinese to the display languages of KINGSTAR Tools: LogicLab, Tuning Console and Control Panel. [KS-793] [KS-902]
Adds a PLC sample program to LogicLab. [KS-999]
LogicLab now supports Symbolic constants, in the size of Array/Matrix variables. [KS-983]
Adds COM Port over EtherCAT support. [KS-109]
Adds a diagnosis interface window to the KINGSTAR Analysis Console. [KS-1088]

Updates and Resolved Issues

Adds EC_ReadStringParameter and EC_WriteStringParameter function blocks to the SDO Object in LogicLab. [KS-969]
Adds support for a String .NET SDO class to support string access: ReadStringParameter, WriteStringParameter. [KS-924]
Supports locking of devices in LogicLab. [KS-841]
Improves the process of aborting GroupInch and GroupJog. [KS-852]
Allows users to select the slave homing mode to use in LogicLab and the Tuning Console. [KS-928]
Adds the variable ksInitializeAxes to LogicLab to allow for initializing axes manually. [KS-970]
Adds support for a profile velocity mode. [KS-972]
Improves when IO-Link logic is used in KINGSTAR so it is only called for known IO-Link masters. [KS-973]
Improves usability of motion settings in the KINGSTAR Demo and adds a Cancel button. [KS-974][KS-1041]
Resolves an issue in LogicLab regarding the viewing of changing values in the code when running ST code in the live-debug mode. [KS-983]
Improves the acceleration profile for MC_MoveContinuousAbsolute and MC_MoveContinuousRelative. [KS-991]
Adds logic to monitor the following error status for a drive to support notification of an axis state change to ErrorStop and servo off the drive. [KS-1034]
MC_GroupJog and MC_GroupInch can now be used only in the GroupStandby [KS1112]
Resolves issues regarding some motion commands not being reset when motion errors occur. [KS-810]
Resolves an issue regarding an axis not being controlled correctly through GroupInch when the initial distance is set to zero. [KS-962]
Resolves an issue regarding ConfigLinkedDevices not working properly in the .NET Class. [KS-965]
Resolves an issue regarding MC_MoveContinuousAbsolute and MC_MoveContinuousRelative over shooting the target. [KS-993]
Resolves an issue regarding the use of improper deceleration profiles for MC_MoveContinuousAbsolute and MC_MoveContinuousRelative. [KS-997]
Resolves an issue regarding MC_MoveVelocity being unable to get the velocity if the assigned velocity is larger than the application maximum velocity. [KS-1017]
Resolves an issue regarding MC_Stop not decelerating an axis right away if the previous motion command is in acceleration. [KS-1022]
Resolves an issue regarding not monitoring the Target Reached and Internal Limit Active bits in CiA 402 status word properly. [KS-1033]
Resolves an issue regarding an incorrect CiA 402 related status in the Win32 API, .NET API, and .NET Class interfaces. [KS-1157]
Resolves an error that occurs when KINGSTAR PLC is turned on in the Control Panel but fails to ping the Virtual NIC. [KS-1079]
Resolves an issue regarding the .NET API, Log not recording multiple axes values. [KS-1080]
Improves logging functionality by increasing recording time to 10 minutes and adding the ability to record IO variables. [KS-1089]
Resolves an issue regarding some servos not moving when synchronized control mode is enabled. [KS-1138]
Resolves an issue regarding MC_MoveAbsolute not being able to complete a motion and repeatedly move the axis back and forth. [KS-1144]
Resolves an issue regarding the target position being calculated twice in the same cycle if the MC_BufferMode of queued motion commands is set to mcBuffered, causing the target position value to become large, leading to a surge in actual velocity. [KS-1150]
Resolves an issue regarding the final velocity of MC_MoveContinuousAbsolute and MC_MoveContinuousRelative being aligned with EndVelocity when possible. [KS-1151]
Resolves and issue regarding an axis not being able to move after auto-restart if the control mode is different from the access mode. [KS-1173]
Resolves an issue regarding the axis state staying in the Stopping state after MC_Stop execute has been reset. [KS-1176]
Resolves an issue regarding unstable switching between CST and CSP modes. [KS-1200]

KINGSTAR Fieldbus powered by EtherCAT

New Features

Implements the Diagnosis standard interface defined by ETG, which uses the MDP profile in the Master Object Dictionary. [KS-1048]

Updates and Resolved Issues

Adds support for large IO mapping in the auto-configuration. [KS-966]
Resolves an issue regarding the incorrect Physic type in an ESI file caused KINGSTAR to crash. KINGSTAR now warns the user by providing an error message when an incorrect Physics types is provided. [KS-968]
Resolves an issue regarding RtEcatRestartMaster function doing nothing after being invoked. [KS-964]
Resolves an issue regarding the cyclic frame logging causing unacceptable delays when large frames appear. [KS-967]
Resolves an issue regarding an alarm occurring on Panasonic drives when the EtherCAT link was established. [KS-994]
Resolves an issue regarding TDE Macno drives not linking to the KINGSTAR Fieldbus powered by EtherCAT network in KINGSTAR 3.5. [KS1030]
Resolves an issue regarding the function GetSlaveById providing an incorrect value for a slave state. [KS-1064]
Resolves an issue regarding FoE commands not being sent after FoE APIs are invoked in a non-boot state. [KS-1075]

Hardware Support

Servo drives

ABB MicroFlex e190 [KS-1071]
ICPDAS ECAT-2055-32 [KS-1134]
Panasonic Minas A6BE [KS-1058]
Panasonic Minas A6BF [KS-1046]
RS Automation CSD7_01BN1 [KS-1070]
Sinamics S120 via Robox module [KS-875]
TPM SVR-K112 [KS-1087]

Stepper drives

Leadshine DM3E-556, DM3E-870 [KS-1129]
MOONS’ STF06-EC [KS-1007]

EtherCAT I/O modules

Beckhoff EL6001 serial interface RS232 [KS-530]
Beckhoff EL6021 serial interface RS422/RS485 [KS-531]
Beckhoff EL7342 [KS-1156]
Toshiba 4-axis SCARA robot controllers TS3000 and TSL3000 [KS-1155]

Availability

KINGSTAR 3.6 Soft Motion and KINGSTAR Fieldbus powered by EtherCAT are available beginning February 1, 2019 through Partners and by contacting Sales: KINGSTARSales@KINGSTAR.com or (781) 209-2810. Evaluation Downloads can also be requested here.

We look forward to comments and feedback. If you have any recommendations or wish to suggest any product enhancements, please contact Product Management at: KINGSTARSales@KINGSTAR.com.

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Terri Hawker heads IntervalZero’s Product Management initiatives and chairs the company’s Development Committee (DevCom), which guides overall product development strategy and approves the roadmap for the company’s flagship hard real-time software products, RTX64 and RTX. Terri establishes the product requirements for each release of RTX64 and RTX by carefully assessing market trends and forces; by considering customers’ product enhancement requests and their product feedback; and by consulting regularly with the customers’ senior leadership as well as sales and R&D executives. She shepherds the feature set through the agile product development process all the way through product delivery from engineering to manufacturing.