Tasks

The configuration of tasks is not specific to TwinCAT Motion, but is the same for all TwinCAT components. The following describes the relevant settings related to TwinCAT Motion.

Basically, all cyclic tasks required for TwinCAT Motion are created automatically. These tasks together form a context:

The MET processes commands and performs cyclic setpoint generation. This task also handles I/O communication. Preliminary calculations are performed in the MPT. The Job Task is currently not used and is intended for future non-cyclic calculations.

Tasks 1:

By default, the MET is created with a cycle time of 2 ms and the MPT with a cycle time of 10 ms. You can change the task settings under SYSTEM > Tasks > [TaskName]. MET and MPT must run on the same core.

Specifically, axes that require shorter cycle times can be assigned to a context with a MET that has, for example, a 1-millisecond cycle time. Axes that require a lower clock frequency can then be assigned to another context with a second MET, for example, with a 4-ms cycle time, which can run on the same or a different core. Creating the context and assigning the axes is done in the Context dialog of the Motion project.