library setup and controller configuration manual

DigiMetrix Robotics Library for ABB Library setup and controller configuration manual

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DigiMetrix GmbH © 2018

Library setup and controller configuration manual ABB Robotics Library

Setup overview

The setup procedure for DigiMetrix Robotics Library for ABB consists of the following steps:

1. Checking system requirements

2. Installing DigiMetrix Robotics Library for ABB

3. Configuring robot controller and LabVIEW computer Ethernet connection

5. Running the Controller Setup Wizard

Precaution

Please carefully read the Safety and Installation manual provided by the manufacturer and other related manuals dedicated to

the installation and setup procedures for the robot system before using it with this library.

Following manual assumes that qualified personnel performed all the installation procedures for the robot system.

Glossary

RobotWare – Operating system of ABB robot controllers;

FlexPendant – ABB robots teaching pendant, a hand held operator unit, which allows to configure and manage robot

and controller;

RobotStudio – program for Windows PC from ABB Robotics for robots programming, virtualization, management, set-

up and more.

Checking system requirements

Please verify the following system requirements.

ABB system requirements

IRC5 ABB controller family: IRC5, IRC5C, IRC5P, IRC5 PMC

RobotWare version 6.x

You can check RobotWare version on FlexPendant. ABB menu -> System Info -> System properties. (see Figure 1)

Controller software options PC interface (616-1) and Multitasking (623-1)

You can check their presence on FlexPendant. ABB menu -> System Info -> System properties -> Control Module -> Options.

(see Figure 2)

LabVIEW system requirements

LabVIEW 2012 or above (32 & 64 bit)

Ethernet card and Ethernet cable

Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (32 & 64 bit) or LabVIEW Real-Time operating system

Installing DigiMetrix Robotics Library for ABB

The library installation

Please use VI Package Manager 2014 or later in order to install the library.

1. Open JKI VI Package Manager from your Desktop or using LabVIEW menu Tools -> VI Package Manager

2. Select ABB Robotics Library by DigiMetrix product in the list or open .vip file using top menu command File -> Open

Package File(s).


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3. Read the library description, select your LabVIEW version and click Install button

4. Follow the on-screen instructions

5. If a message “This package requires administrative privileges to install…” will appear, you will need to restart VI Package

Manager as Administrator.

6. After installation is completed, restart LabVIEW.

Figure 1. RobotWare version on FlexPendant

Figure 2. Controller software options on FlexPendant


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Figure 3. Screenshot of library installation in VI Package manager

Configuring robot controller and LabVIEW computer Ethernet connection

ABB robotics library uses Ethernet communication interface, robot controller and LabVIEW computer should have appropriate

Ethernet connection settings for your network configuration.

Figure 4. Controller Service Interface ethernet settings


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If WAN Ethernet address is configured on a robot controller, then WAN interface and address should be used. Otherwise,

Service interface and address should be used. Service interface uses address 192.168.125.1 by default.

To change controller IP address:

(RobotStudio) -> Controller Tab -> Properties -> Network Settings

or

(FlexPendant) ABB menu -> Restart -> Advanced -> Start Boot Application (X-Start)

Example on images Figure 4 and Figure 5 shows possible Ethernet settings using Service interface and static addresses. For this

configuration Ethernet cable should connect robot controller and computer network card directly or using a switch.

LabVIEW computer example IP settings:

Figure 5. LabVIEW PC example network address

As the result of this configuration step you should be able to ping the controller using the address you have assigned.

Running the Controller Setup Wizard

After the installation and LabVIEW restart please run Controller Setup Wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.

It will do the following:

Validate ABB Robot controller system requirements

Upload server modules and configure tasks

Check communication

Not all the installation steps can be done automatically – at this case setup wizard will inform you about the actions you need to

perform manually using FlexPendant.


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Controller Setup Wizard can be found at:

<Public Program Data>\DigiMetrix\ABB Robotics Library\Controller Setup Wizard

On Windows 8.1 (64-bit) this folder is located in:

C:\ProgramData\DigiMetrix\ABB Robotics Library\Controller Setup Wizard

You can easily open wizard by using this command:

LabVIEW Tools menu -> DigiMetrix -> ABB Robotics Library -> Controller Setup Wizard..

Please note that during the installation all existing modules will be unloaded from the tasks, which will be specified to be

controlled from LabVIEW. Modules will not be deleted, and Wizard will offer you to perform a backup before unload starts.

On step 2 of the Controller Setup Wizard you will need to specify the Username and Password for authentication. It is Username

and Password set in controller User Authentication System. At most cases default values will work fine. If you have several Users

set up on your controller, please specify the one, which has following grants:

Read and write access to controller disks;

Load program;

Execute program;

(optional, if you want to create an automatic backup) Backup create/restore.

On step 5 (see Figure 6) of the Controller Setup Wizard you will need to specify the Tasks, which will be controlled from

LabVIEW.

Figure 6. Controller Setup Wizard Step 5.

Please select ONLY ONE non-motion task (should be named “dm_server”) – it will be used as a communication server. Also

select all motion tasks, which you want to control from LabVIEW code.


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Manual Installation

If automatic installation using Controller Setup Wizard fails, please report this problem to our support team at

[email protected]. And perform installation manually using FlexPendant. In order to do so:

1) Check if your controller has software option 604-1 MiltiMove coordinated.

You can check its presence on FlexPendant: ABB menu -> System Info -> System properties -> Control Module ->

Options.

If 604-1 option is present, please use in further steps server files with _mm postfix in file name

(DM_exttoolkit_mm.mod and DM_robtoolkit_mm.mod), otherwise use ones without this postfix (DM_exttoolkit.mod

and DM_robtoolkit.mod).

2) Open the folder with server RAPID code:

<Public Program Data>\DigiMetrix\ABB Robotics Library\Server code

On Windows 8.1 (64-bit) this folder is located in:

C:\ProgramData\DigiMetrix\ABB Robotics Library\Server code

You can easily open wizard by using this command:

LabVIEW Tools menu -> DigiMetrix -> ABB Robotics Library -> Server code..

3) Transfer all the files from folder with server RAPID code to controller HOME directory. Please refer to ABB manuals on

the ways to transfer files.

4) Modify tasks. Switch controller to MANUAL mode, on the FlexPendant browse to:

ABB menu -> Control Panel -> Configuration -> Topics -> Controller -> Task

Add SEMISTATIC Task with dm_server name. Also there should be present motion tasks per every motion group (robot

or positioner), modify their RMQ settings. Tasks should be configured like in the table below (if more than one robot is

present, more motion Tasks will be present). With blue color are marked settings which usually need to be changed, all

others are default values:

Task Type Main Entry TrustLevel Motion

Task

Use

Mechanical

Unit Group

RMQ Type RMQ Mode

dm_server Semistatic main No Safety No - None Interrupt

T_ROB1 Normal main - Yes rob1 Internal Synchronous

Reboot after all the Tasks are configured.

5) Load modules to tasks. Switch controller to MANUAL mode, on the FlexPendant browse to:

ABB menu -> Control Panel -> Configuration -> Topics -> Controller -> Automatic Loading of Modules

DM_robtoolkit.mod (or DM_robtoolkit_mm.mod) module should be loaded into Tasks, which control robots (or robots

with external axes), DM_exttoolkit.mod (or DM_exttoolkit_mm.mod) – into Tasks, which control non-tcp mechanical

units (positioners without robots).

File Task Installed Shared All tasks All

Motion

Tasks

Hidden

HOME:/DM_database.sys - NO - YES - NO

HOME:/DM_globals.sys - NO - YES - NO

HOME:/DM_server.mod dm_server NO NO NO NO NO

HOME:/DM_robtoolkit.mod T_ROB1 NO NO NO NO NO

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Restarting the controller

Reboot after all the changes are made.

After the automatic or manual installation of the server, you should see message on the Production Window screen of

FlexPendant like on the screenshot below:

Figure 7. DigiMetrix library server startup message

Next steps

Now your robot controller is configured. We suggest you start with library examples. Please refer to the Getting Started help

topic.

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

library setup and controller configuration manual

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