PLC controls robot, but how?

[LeDude 0]

Hi there, I am trying to set up a system, which includes a Mitsubishi FX3u-64m PLC with a FX3u-ENET and a Mitsubishi MELFA RV-1a robot, which has a network interface card in its CR1-controller box. Well, my plan is, to program the PLC which "reprograms" or communicates with the CR1/ robot. E.g.: the PC sends the command "moveP1" and then the PLC (which is also needed for sensors and stuff) forwards it and lets the robot move to this point, or actually calls the sub-routines which are needed to move to this point. I know, I did read the manuals, and I know it is very simple, but just a quick example would help me quite a lot. Especially if somebody knows the smartest way to program it. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

[panic mode 246]

Hi Dude Welcome to forum. I have no experience with Mitsubishi robots but on first look, manual BFP-A8108-B seem to be straight forward. Apparently there are seveal things that need to be done like: setting up and verifiying network, setting controller parameters, testing it with sample program, communicating. Can you be more specific on what seem to be the problem, is it setting up network between PC and PLC, or PLC and robot, or message format or managing messages etc.?

[LeDude 0]

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it. My issue basically is how to address the robot controller CR1 with the PLC. The setup or my idea is very simple: I teach the robot all the positions write the routines and save it in the controller program the PLC and make sure, the ENET works (which does work - YAY me :)) establish connection between PLC and Robot Controller let the PLC call up the routines in the CR1, so the robot does, what the PLC wants Well, the last point is, where I am stuck. Let me check the manual you mentioned, maybe this will help. It is just tough as a noob to find the right manual. EDIT: The manual you mentiones will work to connect the PC with the CR1 and tp program it - I already accomplished that. But it is still unclear to me how the PKC should do, what the PC does. Edited 1 Dec 2008 by LeDude

[LeDude 0]

Which protocol is to prefer? Fixed buffer communication or MC Protocol. Gamblit, if you read this: your PM-box seems to be full.

[ZeroxCorbin 0]

Goto; http://www.meau.com/eprise/main/sites/publ...Manuals/default Search for Manual Part Number = BFP-A8108-B and download it. Read section 2.3 and 4.2.1 to setup the robot parameters and the code required to open the robot's Ethernet port for listening. Then you have to setup a connection in the FX-Enet card using the parameters; TCP, Active, No Procedure, Paring Open Enabled, No Confirm, Source Port 10002, IP Address of Robot, Dest. Port 10002 The port number 10002 assumes you have the robot using OPT12, as per the manual instructions. Run the code in the robot to open the COM* port and start listening for data. Then in the FX code, open the connection defined above and send ASCII data to the robot. Sorry I do not have time to go into more details now. Please reference this information and post if you are still having problems.

[LeDude 0]

ZeroxCorbin, thanks. Will check on Monday. The robot to FX3u-ENET connection is running, I was just not able to send stuff to the robot, which is set up to listening exactly the way you wrote. But ASCII might have been the magic word. I am still looking for a program I can check out to understand. This ethernet-stuff is new territory to me. Edited 12 Dec 2008 by LeDude

[ZeroxCorbin 0]

Hey LeDude, Go here http://www.meau.com/eprise/main/sites/publ...Manuals/default and get the manual "JY997D18101". Read Chapter 7. It describes using "FIXED BUFFER COMMUNICATION (WITH THE NO PROCEDURE CONTROL METHOD)" which you will use to open and send data from the FX3U to the CR1. It includes code examples as well. With the code example in the manual and the Open settings I listed in this topic above you should be able to establish a connection to the CR1 controller once you run line 10 in the example below. The COM* port must be open before opening the connection from the FX. Some example code for the robot would be; 10 OPEN "COM3:" AS #1 ' Open as communication line COM3 20 PRINT #1,"START" ' Send START character string 30 INPUT #1,DTATA ' Wait for reception of value in DATA variable 40 IF DATA<0 THEN GOTO 70 ' If DATA is negative, jump to line 70 and end 50 PRINT #1,"DATA=";DATA ' Reply DATA = value 60 GOTO 30 ' Jump to line 30 and repeat 70 PRINT #1,”END" '. Send END character string 80 END ' End This example is from the robot Ethernet manual. It is waiting for an integer value not a string. If you are trying to control the program flow of the robot I would start by getting integer values to transfer before moving to strings. Please get as far as you can and post if you get stuck. If and when you post again be prepared to post your code as well. Remember if you post the FX3U program, zip the entire directory including the directory. Not just the files in the project directory. If you post the robot code, do a complete backup using RT-Toolbox and zip the directory and contents. I hope this helps.

[LeDude 0]

Allright, so I tried everything. Did everything from the manual, all the programs and setup, but somehow the FX3u-ENET doesn't want to send stuff. The robot-controller is listening, but the PLC doesn't send via the ENET. Does anybody have a simple sample-program, so I can at least see, that the Send- & receive-lights start flashing? I am frustrated and desperate.... Thanks

[LeDude 0]

[panic mode 246]

Ho LeDude are you SURE that problem is with PLC not sending? you could use any packet monitor (or even hyper terminal) to test this. you could also try sending message from PC instead of PLC just to test message format.

[LeDude 0]

Panic Mode, yes, I am sure, since the send light doesn't blink. I also think it is set up right, since I do program (well, at least I try ) the PLC via the ENET. The robot also can be programmed via Ethernet directly from the PC. But the PLC and the CR1 just do not want to " " with each other. I did everything people tell me in this thread, but somehow it is just not working. I am begging for a simple program, which lets the PLC send something to the robot and lets it move. Well, right now I am so desperate, that I qam already going back to RS232 between the robot and PLC...

[panic mode 246]

I'm sorry, i don't have FX3u-ENET to give it a try... If you want to do any kind of rs232 programming you MUST have some sort of terminal to verify if anything goes out and - what exactly. Also terminal allows you to simulate sender so you can make sure that what you really want works between terminal and robot before you replace terminal with plc as sender. (I used this for anything, specially when configuring printers etc. - much easier to make label looks fine using windows application and then just capture output and send same message from plc for example). Using ethernet works the same way. You need to have some application that will allow you to monitor what goes on and simulate one or another node (send or receive from that application). Once you can see what is sent, it is much easier to make adjustments. In your case there could be two things: - plc really doesn't send anything - plc maybe sends something and your eyes and/or LED are not working or are too slow (or in case of LED too fast). good luck...

[LeDude 0]

hey guys, so it finally works. Not with the FX3u-ENET though, I switched to RS232. But right now I am only able to send positions saved as ASCII in the PLC. What I want to do now is to type positions in my GOT11 and send them to the robot. The format is (111.111,222.222,333.333,444.444,555.555,666.666)(L1,L2) How do I store that in the PLC? And what do I use in the GOT11? I want to type in a number, which are saved as ASCII. Help! Thanks