Software PC Developers Kit

FANUC Robotics PC Developer’s Kit is a powerful tool that enables high performance communication of information and instructions between a PC and a FANUC System R-J3 Controller.

The kit is both a development and run-time environment that gets your MS Windows application running quickly and keeps it operational through the most demanding requirements.

Features

PC Developer’s Kit includes the following list of features to making it a complete development package:

Robot Server
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) for file access and user protocol
Context sensitive help integrated with VB 5.0
Online documentation
Source files for example programs that use all the features of the Robot Server
KAREL built-in and TPP macros for coordinating your robot programs with the PC
Robot Server

The heart of the PC Developer’s Kit is the Robot Server. It knows how to access the information you need from the R-J3 Controller and makes the controller follow your instructions.

The Robot Server works with your Visual Basic 5.0 code through an object oriented interface. When you use an object’s property, method or event, the object handles the details of getting that action accomplished on the robot in the most efficient way.

Programming with objects is fundamental to VB. Combined with the power of the Robot Server objects, VB’s rapid prototyping and powerful development environment virtually ensures your application’s success.

Here is a partial list of the actions your application can do through the Robot Server:

Read/Write Variables – this includes user defined structures, arrays and path nodes along with the “simple” system and KAREL variables that you’d expect
Read/Write Numeric Registers - these are the variables of TPP programs
Test/Set I/O - all the types of I/O supported by the controller can be accessed
Configure I/O - allows you to configure controller I/O
Run Programs - when you are ready you can tightly integrate the PC into the control of the robot
Check Task Status –determine which task is running, aborted or paused
Load/Save Programs – you can manage what’s loaded in memory and when it is saved
Read/Write Positions –positions can be converted and presented in all their possible representations. This includes KAREL positions, TPP positions, position registers, the current robot position, user frame, tool frame, jog frame and positions in system variables.
Monitor Alarms - the entire alarm log is made available and updated as new alarms occur
Coordinate with your robot program - TPP and KAREL programs can generate events to which your VB code responds
Monitor Variables, I/O, Tasks - be notified through event handlers of changes as they occur on the controller

FTP

You get the full FTP and Host Communication option with the PC Developer’s Kit. This includes FTP server functions on the controller to enable your PC application to list, read, write and delete files on the controller. FTP client functions on the controller enable the user to access files on the PC via TP menus and KAREL programs.

Integrated with VB-IDE

PC Developer’s Kit takes full advantage of Visual Basic’s Integrated Development Environment (VB-IDE). Here’s how it fits into the extensive features of the VB-IDE

Context Sensitive Help – press F1 while the cursor is on any of the Robot Server object components and read more about it
Statement Builder - VB knows about the robot server’s object interface so it can anticipate your next keystroke and give you the argument list for any robot object property or method
Object Browser - all the robot server’s object interfaces are shown; Use F1 for context sensitive help
Minimal Coding

You don’t have to write a lot of software to do something useful. To give you an idea, we created the example application below. It presents an updated display of the most recent alarm on any robot on your network. Just enter the robot’s network name in the top box and press connect.

This application requires only 53 lines of code. It has full error handling and many of the lines were automatically generated.

PC Requirements

Your PC must meet the following minimum requirements to run an application developed with the PC Developer’s Kit.

Pentium 150 Mhz
64 Mbyte RAM
20 Mbytes HD free
Windows NT 4.0 SR3
Ethernet 10 baseT withTCP/IP enabled
CD ROM
The following additional requirements apply to install PC Developer’s Kit for development.
Visual Basic 5.0 SR3

Configuration PC Requise

Pentium 150 Mhz
64 Mbyte RAM
20 Mbytes HD libre
Windows NT 4.0 SR3
Ethernet 10 baseT avec TCP/IP actif
CD ROM
Logiciel nécessaire :
Visual Basic 5.0 SR3