Does anyone have experience controlling a Fanuc S-430i Robot using RS 232 or RS-422, I know there is ports available for programming, is anyone using them to control?

Rich Weekly , Application Engineer
Barr-Thorp Electric
4305 S. 94th Street
Omaha, NE 68127
[email protected]
(402)-331-3312

 

We did a project to interface our HMI to a Fanuc S-430i Robot. The basic strategy from my understanding is that Fanuc North America provides an Automation Server that can communicate with the robot. This would be the
piece of software you would need to get. I'd talk to your Fanuc salesman about this.

The Automation Server does not currently provide an OPC Interface. We took the automation server and built a device communications driver thar plugs into CIMPLICITY so that the data come in a tags in the HMI and then all the visualization tools work. If you're using CIMPLICITY we should be able to find a way to get you the driver.

Pete

_________________________________
Pete Sage
CIMPLICITY Development Engineer
GE Fanuc Automation, NA
[email protected]
www.cimplicity.com

 

I am not sure this is related to the original question. The uestion was one of control, not data gathering....

I did Fanuc robot integration in 2 previous lifetimes, and did do some of what you are talking about. You need to define what you are trying to do a bit better, however....

Do you want to transmit point data and send the robot to that point? For example, I was involved in a project where a vision system (not the
worthless one from Fanuc, but a real one. This happened to be Acuity) was calibrated to match the World Coordinate System of the robot. The vision system Identified the corner of the "load" of boxes, and x-mitted this to the robot. The robot did a quick "reality check", and the went to that point and turned on the vacuum.

Or are you possibly trying to have a set of predefined locations, and tell the robot to "go to point #1. Now go to point 5. Now go to...."

Either way, you will need to do this in Karel. The teach pendant language does not support reading/writing to the comm ports (at least not as of 1998, the last I looked). There is a function library available from Fanuc that will do this. There are also third party drivers available, but the name escapes me for the moment.

What area of the country are you in? If it is the midwest region, I could recommend both of my former employers (robotic integrators) as possible
sources of information. In Minnesota, RAM Center in Red Wing MN. (The phone # escapes me, as it has been 7 years or so), in the Omaha, NE area try
Automated Concepts. 712-328-3410. AC is where I did the project, and someone there should remember it, and probably could point you in the right direction to get the drivers.

Bottom line: you are going to have to write some supporting software in Karel in the robot to do what you want.

HTH

--Joe Jansen

 

The Automation Server does not currently provide an OPC Interface. We took the automation server and built a device communications driver thar plugs into CIMPLICITY so that the data come in a tags in the HMI and then all the visualization tools work. If you're using CIMPLICITY we should be able to find a way to get you the driver.

Pete

_________________________________
Pete Sage
CIMPLICITY Development Engineer
GE Fanuc Automation, NA
[email protected]
www.cimplicity.com