Operation
Last updated
Last updated
Once the Pendant and Spikemark are communicating you are ready to go. Before you Make It Move! let's take a look at the Pendant buttons, levers and knobs:
Ensure that all cables are connected to the Pendant and Adapter
Flip the power switch so the "I" is depressed to begin the Startup Process (~60 seconds)
Flip the power switch so the "o" is depressed to begin the Shutdown Process (~20 seconds)
All network cables must be connected prior to powering on the Pendant. If it does not sense network capability on startup, the Pendant will fail to initialze the configuration screen and you will be left with only the cursor on a black background.
If your Pendant doesn't load the configuration screen:
Power off the Pendant
Plug in the network cable to the same system as Spikemark
Power on the Pedant
Configure
IP Address and Port configuration
Get Pendant Log
Downloads the log to your PC
Update Pendant Firmware
Firmware updates are executed from here
Reboot Pendant
The preferred reboot method
Shutdown Pendant
The preferred shut down method
Enable Pendant
Enabling the Pendant in Spikemark
To shut down the Pendant, select Shutdown Pendant from Spikemark. Once the Pendant display is blank, it is safe to unplug the Pendant.
Occasionally, the Pendant will need to be rebooted. Select Reboot Pendant from Spikemark. Once rebooted, reconnect from the Pendant display.
IMPORTANT NOTE If the Pendant is unresponsive, you will need to restart it, by turning off and back on again. This method requires the Pendant turned for approximately 45 seconds before it will restart.
When updated firmware is released, it can be installed from Spikemark by clicking Update Pendant Firmware.
If you encounter issues while using the Pendant, select Get Pendant Log and follow the prompts. Once downloaded to your computer, email the Pendant log along with the current show file, the last three Spikemark logs, and a description of the issues you are facing to support@creativeconners.com.
The Pendant screen displays a wealth of information to the operator and is easy to navigate with the touch of your finger. Let’s take a look at the typical screen layout.
The Axis Selection area will be populated with any Stagehands or Motion Groups in your show file. If your show only has one axis, you will only see one motor displayed. If you are working with more than 12 axes or 12 groups, you can scroll down with the scroll bar or slide the axes up to see additional units.
Each axis is populated in the order which Spikemark connected to them. This means that each time you connect the Pendant, the display order of axes could be different. The easiest solution is to disconnect all motors from within Spikemark, then connect in the order you would like displayed.
Each Axis has several status icons which identify the connection state as well as the soft limits, initial and ultimate hard limit states.
Circle - Connection Status Left Arrow - REV Limit Status U - ULT Limit Status Right Arrow - FWD Pointing Status
With Spikemark and the Pendant communicating and an understanding of the interface under your belt, it’s time to Make It Move! Let’s take a look at the options available to move real machines.
The Pendant is able to manually jog any single or grouped axis with the Paddle or the Jog Wheel. You can also dive into a Group to manually nudge a single motor as needed. See the images below for details.
No matter the manual jog method, the ENABLE button must be pressed and held in order to allow motion.
Jogging with the Paddle is the quickest way to move the selected axis or group. The Paddle offers proportional control of the selected axis - the further you move the paddle the faster the axis will go. This is really helpful when moving scenery on stage for spacing and placement. As with the Showstopper 3 Consolette and the Spikemark on-screen jog slider, the Paddle has a non-linear jog profile, making jog movements smooth through the full range of motion. Here’s how to jog with the paddle:
Select the axis or group
Select Jog Mode then select Paddle
Press and hold the green Enable Button
Move the jog paddle forward or reverse to move the selected axis in that direction
When jogging a single axis, you should notice the position change in both the Axis Display, Selected Axis Display, and your machines on stage
Jogging with the Jog Wheel works the same way on the Pendant as it does with the Showstopper 3 Consolette. Depending on the setting, one click of the wheel will move the selected axis one scaled unit or 1/10th of one scaled unit. This means if you are jogging a Pushstick with a scaled position in inches, one click of the jog wheel will move the Pushstick 1” when Coarse is selected, or 0.1” when Fine is selected. Here’s how to jog with the Jog Wheel:
Select the axis or group
Select Jog Mode then select Coarse or Fine
Press and hold the green Enable Button
Turn the jog wheel Clockwise to move forward and Counterclockwise to move reverse
The status will show the move distance
Jogging a group works the same as jogging an individual axis. To manually jog a group, simply select the group in the axis selection area and the screen will change to show details about the group. Then jog your group the same way you jog a single axis; follow the same instructions as a single axis explained above.
If you need to jog an individual motor in a group you can do that as well. Click on the group to drill down into the group to show all the single axes in that group. Once the group is open, move and jog the with the paddle or wheel just like a single axis. However, different from the single axis jog, the group jog will display a different screen showing the current position for each axis within the group.
You can also change group motion speed parameters the same way as the single axis that is explained above.
If you double tap on a single axis inside a group, you can activate and deactivate an axis inside a group. Or if you have drilled down to the Axis Details page inside a group, you can activate and deactivate an axis inside a group by tapping on Toggle Activate. You also can reset your position from this screen by tapping on the Reset Position button.
In addition to manual jog capabilities, the Pendant also allows jogging to a Spike that you have specified in Spikemark. If the selected axis doesn't have any spikes set, or if you have a Group selected, no spikes will be available. Keep in mind that jogging to a Spike utilizes the Default Speed and Acceleration values in Spikemark for that axis.
To jog to a Spike:
Select the axis
Select the Spike to move to - it will highlight RED
Press and hold the Enable button - motion will begin
The selected Spike will highlight GREEN
When the move is complete the Spike will highlight BLUE
Jogging to a Spike is only supported on individual axes
If the Spike displays an Exclamation Point inside a Triangle it means that specific Spike is targeting a position outside the soft limits set in Spikemark. You will still be able to move to a Spike, but the motion will stop at the designated SOFT LIMIT, not the Spike target.
If the Enable button is released during a jog to spike move the cue will decelerate to a stop.
The Spikes section displays the state of the spikes.
SPIKES DISPLAY PARTS | SPIKES HIGHLIGHT COLORS |
Jogging to a Spike outside the soft limits will only jog to the programmed soft limit. | Spikes can be updated from the Pendant or in Spikemark |
The Pendant allows you to update a Spike value while out and about on the stage. Spike creation is done from Spikemark. To update an existing Spike, simply Jog your motor to its new location and tap Update followed by tapping the Spike you want to update. Notice how the Spike’s position is updated on the Pendant and in Spikemark.
To access the Axis Detail Screen, double tap on the name of the axis you want to see more information about. In the Axis Detail Screen, you can activate or deactivate your motor, reset the position, and change speed, acceleration, and position values. You can also run your motors in Spike Mode or Jog Mode from the Axis Detail Screen.
Axis Selection |
Axis Detail Screen |
Speed: The speed at which the motor runs in Spike Mode
Accel: The acceleration and deceleration at which the motor runs in Spike Mode
Min Jog: The minimum speed percentage an axis will jog at
Max Jog: The maximum speed percentage an axis will jog at
Min Rev: Soft Reverse Limit
Max Fwd: Soft Forward Limit
