Commonplace Robotics igus robolink DCi User manual

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Operating Instructions for the Embedded Control System of the igus robolink DCi
Version 2018/11 V01.1-EN
Software Version TinyCtrl V980-04-031
Software Version CPRog V902-10
Firmware Version Supply 0x37 - 0x0302
Firmware Version Stepper 0x42 - 0x0210
Firmware Version DigitalIO 0x39-0x0309
© Commonplace Robotics GmbH, 2011 – 2018
The terms igus® and robolink® are protected trademarks of igus GmbH.
Commonplace Robotics GmbH
Im Innovationsforum Bissendorf
Gewerbepark 9-11
49143 Bissendorf, Germany
[phone]
[email protected]
www.cpr-roboter.de

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Content
1. Safety instructions ................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Robot components .......................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Specification ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
3. Dimensions ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Lateral view .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Hole pattern flange (axis 5) and bottom ............................................................................................... 7
4. Connections and LEDs ........................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Connections ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Digital Inputs/Outputs ................................................................................................................................... 9
4.3 LEDs ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
5. Commissioning .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
6. Operation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14
6.1 Reset errors/Enable robot ......................................................................................................................... 14
6.2 Manual method of the robot ...................................................................................................................... 15
6.3 Referencing the robot ................................................................................................................................... 16
6.4 Starting and stopping a programme ..................................................................................................... 17
6.5 Set the digital inputs/outputs .................................................................................................................. 17
6.6 Display of status information ................................................................................................................... 18
7. Programming .............................................................................................................................................................. 19
7.1 Establish connection ...................................................................................................................................... 19
7.2 Creating a programme ................................................................................................................................. 20
7.3 Uploading a programme .............................................................................................................................. 20
8. Integration in safety circuit ................................................................................................................................ 21
9. Interfaces .................................................................................................................................................................... 22
9.1 Digital inputs and outputs .......................................................................................................................... 22
9.2 PLC interface .................................................................................................................................................... 22
9.3 Plug-in interface .............................................................................................................................................. 22
9.4 CRI interface ...................................................................................................................................................... 23
10. Extensions / Adjustments .................................................................................................................................. 24
10.1 Galvanic isolation of digital outputs .................................................................................................... 24
11. Troubleshooting and support .......................................................................................................................... 25
11.1 Error codes ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
11.2 CAN-Bus and CPRog status information ........................................................................................... 26
11.3 Hardware ..............................................................................................................................................................27
11.4 Software .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
11.5 Support contact ............................................................................................................................................... 29

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1. Safety instructions
 Always pay attention to safety of people while operating a robot arm or
commissioning a robot cell! Make sure that nobody is within the operating range of
the arm or other danger spots!
 CE marking: Robot arm and control system are just a part of one facility, which is
assessed in its entirety for risks and must comply with currently applicable safety
regulations. The commissioning engineer of the facility is responsible for this.
 The robot's control system has no protective devices. To ensure the essential
safety of people, suitable components, such as safety relays and door switches,
must be connected.
 Always disconnect the power supply before inserting or removing connectors, such
as the display with joystick, emergency stop, digital I/Os or external relays.
No hot plugging!
 Work on the robot's electronic system should only be carried out by qualified
personnel. Observe the common ESD guidelines.
 Do not install or remove modules during operation, nor should you plug or unplug
any connections during operation. For this, always turn off the system and unplug
the mains connector.
 The robot arm must be set up on a stable surface and bolted or otherwise secured.
 Use and store the system only in a dry, clean environment.
 Use the system only at room temperature (15° to 32°C).
 The ventilation of the system must be able to operate without hindrance. There
must be at least 10cm of space next to the robot's fan to ensure sufficient airflow to
cool the motor modules.

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2. Introduction
2.1 Robot components
Components of the robot: robot, emergency stop, control unit with joystick
Rear view of the robot

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2.2 Specification
Type
igus robolink DCi
Number of axes
Depending on the type: 4
-
5
Payload
Depending on the type: 0.5kg
Power electronics
Voltage supply
24V >= 5A
Communication
Internal CAN field bus 500kBaud
External via Ethernet
Supply module
SlowStart function to prevent overload of the power
supply.
1-channel emergency stop function without safety
classification, connection option of an external safety
relay.
Stepper module
For operation of a bipolar stepper motor
Microstepping up to 1/256
RS422 quadrature encoders
24V reference switch input
Digital In/Out module
4 external and 3 internal digital inputs, 12
-
24V, based on
optocouplers
4 external and 3 internal digital outputs, solid state
relay, max. 500mA
Integrated control
system
Platform
Phytec Wega, ARM Cortex A8 (or comparable)
Operating system
Linux
Software
TinyCtrl Robot Control Software
Interfaces
Control of the drives and I/O modules via
the CAN bus, connection to CPR via Ethernet, RS232
display connection

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3. Dimensions
3.1 Lateral view
Diagram 1: Side view of the DCi robot. The robot axes (motors) are basically counted from the
robot base. So axis 1 is the vertical axis in the robot base. An effector (e.g., gripper) can be
attached to axis 4/5 (4 or 5-axis version).
A 4-axis robot has a mounting plate instead of the last axis.

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3.2 Hole pattern flange (axis 5) and bottom
Diagram 2: Top: Hole pattern flange of the axis 5; Bottom: Hole pattern of the robot base.

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4. Connections and LEDs
4.1 Connections
Diagram 3: Rear view of the robot base, here in the 5-axis version. In the 4-axis version the
values in parentheses apply to the motor modules.

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4.1.1 Pin assignment of support module and power supply
DC24V In
0V Outer
24V Inner
Ethernet
RJ45 Standard Ethernet socket
Ext. Relay /
Motor bridge
Motor bridge For motors, power supply
can be interrupted here.
Pin 1: 24V output
Pin 2: 24V Input for
power electronics
Connection
display
View of the plug contacts
Pin 1: 24V
Pin 2: Emergency stop signal (active
low)
Pin 3: TX
Pin 4: CAN-L
Pin 5: GND
Pin 6: GND
Pin 7: RX
Pin 8: CAN-H
Pin 9: GND
Caution! The connection is proprietary.
It is not suitable for a null modem cable
or the like.
4.2 Digital Inputs/Outputs
4.2.1 Digital I/Os and the back wall
From the Digital Input/Output (DIO) board, 4 digital outputs and 4 digital inputs are routed to
the outside. If further inputs and outputs are required, 3 more each can be achieved on the same
module in the housing of the robot. Plug-in connectors are included.
The outputs are not galvanically isolated in delivery condition; 24V and GND of the robot
control system are used. If galvanic isolation is required, this can be done as described in
section 10.1 "Galvanic isolation".
For testing, an LED with series resistor (e.g., 2K) can be connected between e.g. DOut1
(switched + 24V) and GND of the right 6-pin plug-in connector. This can be switched later in the
software.

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If an external signal from an external device has to be processed by the robot control system,
this can be given to one of the digital inputs (DInX).
The digital inputs are always galvanically isolated from the robot control system by means of
an optocoupler with 12K current limiting resistor, so as to connect both signal and 0V to the
external device. The positive signal is fed to DIn1-4 of the 5-pin plug-in connector, flows via the
12K resistor through the optocoupler diode to the GND of the 5-pin connector.
*See 10.1 Galvanic isolation
4.2.2 Internal digital I/Os
If further inputs and outputs are required, 3 additional ones are available internally in the
housing of the robot on the rear side of the DIO module. To reach them, the robot must be
placed on its side. Here DOut 5,6,7 (DOut8 is not occupied) and DIn 5,6,7 are available.
Diagram 4: Additional internal digital I/Os.
Digital I/O
module
0V: External Ground (
-
)
DIn<X>: Digital input (+)
GND: 0V of the robot control
system*
PWR: 24V of the robot control
system**
DOut<X>: Digital output (24V of the
robot controller) e.g. for controlling a
gripper.

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4.2.3 Use of digital I/Os in robot programmes
The use of the inputs and outputs takes place in CPRog with the number 21 upwards:
I/O Module Physical input/output Name in CPRog and in the
robot programme
DIO 1 (standard) DIn1 to DIn4 on rear wall
DIn5 to DIn7 on inner side
DOut1 to DOut4 on rear wall
DOut5 to DOut7 on inner side
Inputs: DIn21 to DIn27
Outputs: DOut21 to DOut27
DIO 2 (optional) DIn1 to DIn4 on rear wall
DIn5 to DIn7 on inner side
DOut1 to DOut4 on rear wall
DOut5 to DOut7 on inner side
Inputs: DIn31 to DIn37
Outputs: DOut31 to DOut37
DIO 3 (optional) DIn1 to DIn4 on rear wall
DIn5 to DIn7 on inner side
DOut1 to DOut4 on rear wall
DOut5 to DOut7 on inner side
Inputs: DIn41 to DIn47
Outputs: DOut41 to DOut47

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4.3 LEDs
Diagram 5: Organisation of the robot control and LED signal lights of the individual modules.
After the power supply is established, the green LEDs of all modules light up. Approximately
20-30s later, the green LEDs of the motor and IO modules start flashing, which means that the
control computer has established communication with the modules. The control system is now
ready to receive commands.
Since the motors are not yet activated, the red LEDs of the motor modules light up.
The yellow LED on the motor modules lights up when the axis' reference switch is triggered.
As soon as the emergency stop is activated (pulled out), the red LED on the support module
goes out.
After "Reset" followed by "Enable" have been pressed using display control, the red LEDs on
the motor modules also go out.
The yellow LEDs of the Digital In/Out modules light up briefly when the status of an input or
output changes.
For the detailed meaning of the LEDs, see the table in the section 11.

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5. Commissioning
Do not disconnect or connect any electrical connections to the robot
while it is plugged into the mains.
1. Make all plug-in connections:
a. Fasten display/emergency stop with D-Sub connector and screw together
b. Check that the motor bridge is plugged in
c. Plug in power connector
d. Provide the power supply unit with power
e. Turn on the main switch on the rear side of the robot.
2. The green LEDs on the rear side of the robot light up, and the internal computer
starts up.
The message "No Connection" is shown in red on the display until the internal PC has
booted up and the control software has started.
3. When the control software (TinyCtrl) is started, the green LEDs of the motor
modules start to flash, and the "No Connection" display disappears. The software
version is briefly displayed, followed by "Motion not allowed / Not Ref'd"
4. Press the emergency stop button and release it again. You will now hear two relays
release the motor current one after the other.

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6. Operation
After all electrical connections to the robot have been established, the robot has been
switched on and the emergency stop has been released, it must first be activated.
When moving the robot, always keep a hand on the emergency stop to prevent it from hitting
an object unexpectedly, for example if it is about to collide with the table.
6.1 Reset errors/Enable robot
On the display, press the "Enable" button in
the upper menu to get to the Enable menu.
Now press
"Reset": The status changes to
"MNE" (Motor Not Enabled)
Press "Enable": The status changes to "No
Error". "Not ref'd!" means not referenced.
We'll come back to that later.

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6.2 Manual method of the robot
Once the robot is enabled, the axes of the robot can be moved.
1.
To do this, press the "Jog" button at the top of
the display
2. Press A1. Then move and turn the joystick. You
can now move the axes 1, 2 and 3.
3. Press A4. Now, move axes 4 and 5 by moving
and rotating the joystick.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the robot is roughly in a
"gallows position" and the "IK" mark on the flange
of axis 5 points towards the robot base.

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6.3 Referencing the robot
To enable an automatic programme sequence, the robot electronics must be referenced.
1.
To do this, press the "Enable" button at the
top edge of the display.
2. The robot must be in "NoError" status. If it is
in an error state, enable it with "Reset" and
"Enable".
3. Now press the "Ref All" button to reference
all axes. The robot now carries out search
movements for each axis.
4. Referencing is complete when there is a 1
next to Ref A1-A5 respectively.
For a 4-axis robot, Ref A5 will remain at 0.
Ref E1 is intended for additional external
axes.
5. After referencing, the axes are in the error
state. This is necessary because the actual
position has changed in the referencing
process.
6.
Now press the round "Reset" button, followed
by the round "Enable" button. The robot is now
referenced.
The type of referencing movement depends on the robot or encoder type.

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6.4 Starting and stopping a programme
After referencing, the robot is ready to replay a programme.
1.
To do this, press the "Play" button at the top
edge of the display and use the "prev" and
"next" buttons to select the
Igus5DOF_TestMotion programme.
2. Load the programme using the "Load" button
3. Let the programme replay once using "Single
Play".
4. "Cont. Play" plays the loaded programme
continuously.
5. „Stop“ stops the movement.
6. The slider "Override" can be moved to the right
to increase the speed of the movement or to
the left to decrease it.
6.5 Set the digital inputs/outputs
The digital outputs can be activated and deactivated by pressing the illustrated switches.
If e.g. a gripper is connected to the digital I/O
module, this can be activated or deactivated by
switching the illustrated switches.
If a signal is present at the digital input, it will be
displayed in the digital inputs field at the bottom
edge of the display.
The three buttons on the left side allow you to switch between several DIO modules.
If a signal is present at the digital input, it will be displayed in the digital inputs field at the
bottom edge of the display.
For details about the pin assignment of the inputs and outputs, see section 4.2.

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6.6 Display of status information
Status information can be displayed by pressing the "Status" button at the top left corner of
the display.
The name of a programme is displayed, for example
while a programme is running.
The axis positions of axes 1-5 (or 1-4 for 4-axis
robots) are displayed (A1-A5).
The temperature of the motor modules is also
displayed. Due to the varying loads on the individual
axes different holding currents are applied, which
lead to different temperatures of the motor
modules.

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7. Programming
The robolink DCi is programmed on a Windows computer using the 3D robot control system
CPRog. To do this, install the CPRog software as described in the CPRog operating
instructions.
7.1 Establish connection
 Connect the right Ethernet port of the robot to a Windows PC using a standard LAN
cable.
 Set the IP of the PC to 192.168.3.1. (The robot has IP 192.168.3.11)
 Start the robot and CPRog on the PC. Once the green LEDs on the motor modules on
the rear side of the robot start flashing, the connection can be established (see the
section 5)
 Press "Connect" (connector icon in the menu of CPRog.)
Now you will see the robot view on the CPRog interface. When you move the robot using the
joystick of the operating device, the graphics will adjust.
Likewise, you can now use the functions of the CPRog software to move the robot
downwards, for example, in the Z direction.