'MultiInstance' can be used to run two or more instances of SAMLight on the same PC.

Figure 408: Illustration of a MultiInstance construction

Requirements:

•1 PC

•2 or more USC cards (each card require a SAMLight license)

It is important that the license is on the card. The license for the instance of SAMLight is selected from the card. USB dongles are ignored.

If you would like to use 'MultiInstance', your PC need more computing power, due to doubled use of SAMLight.

Instances can not be launched at the same time. Since REL_4_1_5_20220203_0005 the next instance will be opened after the previous has been opened.

For a system with two card, initially two settings files are required. The file sc_light_settings.sam is copied twice and renamed to MultiInstance_0.sam and MultiInstance_1.sam. Then, two shortcuts of SAMLight must be generated, SAMLight MultiInstance 0 and SAMLight MultiInstance 1.

To differentiate between the two shortcuts, each shortcut needs its own settings and its assigned card. This is done using command line parameters. These can be assigned under properties of the respective shortcut.

For SAMLight MultiInstance 0 you will need the following command line parameter:
..\sam_light.exe /MultiInstance /ActiveCard=0 /Settingsfile=MultiInstance_0.sam

For SAMLight MultiInstance 1 you will need the following command line parameter:
..\sam_light.exe /MultiInstance /ActiveCard=1 /Settingsfile=MultiInstance_1.sam

You will find information on the Command line parameters in the chapter How to → Command Line Parameters.

Settings for MultiInstance in visible USC server:

•Map card for SAMLight MultiInstance 0 to position 0

•Map card for SAMLight MultiInstance 1 to position 1

Each SAMLight instance will show its corresponding Dongle number of the USC-card.

Although there are two cards, SAMLight communicates with the cards via one usc server. The information is sent to the cards one after the other. The buffer filling of the cards is sequential. Problems can therefore arise with large amounts of data which can be solved by using one PC per USC card.
Make sure that MultiCard is not checked.

The instance of SAMLight can also be remotely controlled using other software via CCI. In the case of 'MultiInstance', CCI function calls do not work, but CCI TCP with different ports does work. For further information on CCI TCP, please take a look at the CCI manual.

If 'MultiInstance' is used, only motion types 8 and 14 can be used. Command line parameters are also used to assign a motion settings file to the instance. The command line parameter to use is /StepperMotionFile=<*.txt>.