Industrial Robot arm

Motoman SV3 with Motoman XRC (mini) controller

Originally was used by Strathclyde University for moving plates with samples
Fairly heavy, maybe 30-40kg

It has 2 boxes, one houses the servopack motor controllers and the other has IO modules and a controller which connects to a computer with RS232
Controller: Motoman XRC (mini)
Accessories: Teaching pendant with all the controls and an Estop button

• make it work as a 3d printer (add an extruder and make it work off GCode)
• Neat demo / robot programming exercise: Make it spell words using wooden alphabet blocks (like Alphabot at National Museum of Scotland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTejhrC1Rvw)
• bartender robot
• Play Checkers

In all these applications, humans can only interact with the robot by passing materials through a hatch in an enclosure that separates the robot work area from the human area. No direct contact while the robot is on. Good example of that in the checkers game below

• automatic checker game vs human
• rubics cube solver, another rubics cube solver
• 5-Axis Robotic Machining foam
• Spray Painting production line
• Lattice structure 3D printing
• (Different model) automatic belt sanding

https://blog.rockfordsystems.com/playing-it-safe-with-robotics/

With a 200 degree per second maximum rotation speed and that weight, this could be our most dangerous item and needs very careful consideration of space and also what guards need to be in place. In addition to speed, even low speed operations could exert substantial torque and break bones if you otherwise get trapped. TODO: investigate safety mechanism for limiting speed and torque. However, these are still controlled by software and can be accidentally overridden, so other precautions need to be taken

Todo:

• Grease it with Harmonic Grease 4B No2
• Outriggers
• Calibrate / set home position (outriggers / grease before this)
  • this will allow programs to be run
• replace electrolytic capacitor on speed control board
• Extend the control panel on the cabinet so that it is not in the working area of the robot
• E.g.: The YRC1000 programming pendant has start, hold, play/teach/remote buttons integrated
  • use inputs: 2010 external start, 2014 remote, 2015 play, 2016 teach, EXESP External estop, EXSVON External Servo On, EXHOLD External Hold
  • put a socket in the unused hole in the panel. CAT5 cable has 8 cores, enough for 7 buttons
• Get a RS232 adapter for computer connection
• Communicate with robot
  • (before moving the arm with this, extend the control panel, to put it into remote mode without entering the robot work area)
  • Try MotomanSDK first
  • Check if the ERC serial communication software written by Sudoroom https://github.com/treeherder/yasnac is compatible with the XRC controller by first downloading the MotomanSDK and monitoring the serial communications sent by it
  • compare with XRC “Data Transmission function manual” to verify it is compatible, then try it
• PCMCIA adapter + CF card to allow to save calibration settings and load programs written on a PC
• compile training / documentation on wiki
• (lastly) make it look cool, e.g. with a red trim/accent like this or this

Done Tasks:

• make space in lab for arm
  • kitchen area is just big enough to have the trolley in the centre with a clear 1m radius circle (the reach of the arm) around it
• Trolley frame built
• VFD fitted
• Speed control board replaced
• Power cable made
• Calibration data entered
• External EStop connection bridged
  • the control cabinet had was wired to be connected to some external peripheral with EStop inputs, we are not using the external peripheral. The pendant EStop is enough in teach mode
• Changed out of Arc Welding mode
• Encoder batteries and other backup batteries replaced

• Password for switching to management mode is …… (6 periods)
• yaskawa mode: password
• Gripper (DC motor with a simple on-off controller) controls:

• Robot and controller manual: https://downloads.intelitek.com/Manuals/Robotics/Discontinued%20Machines/100355-a%20MotomanSV3X-mrs52050.pdf
• controller product page: https://www.robots.com/controllers/motoman-xrc-controller
• MOTOMAN XRC controller instructions: https://icdn.tradew.com/file/201606/1569362/pdf/7055804.pdf

• Select “In/out” → “Remote” to view current status:
  • Not specified: read-only
  • I/O mode: partial write access?
  • Command and I/O mode: full write access
• The “remote” light must be on for remote access
• The “play” light must also be on for full write access

• Set parameter RS005:
  • 0: remote mode read/write allowed
  • 1: remote mode is read-only
• Set “In/out” → “pseudo input signal” as follows, pressing Interlock and Select together to toggle an option:
  • #8214 INHIBIT IO
    • 0: remote access disabled
    • 1: remote access enabled
  • #8215 CMD REMOTE SEL
    • 0: disable command mode
    • 1: enable command mode
  • #8216 INHIBIT PP/PANEL
    • 0: pendant is allowed to move the robot while in remote command mode
    • 1: pendant is not allowed to move the robot while in remote command mode
    • e-stop is always available