Kuka KRL-XML

[rajang369]

Hello All,

I am a beginner in robotics, presently i have to communicate kuka robot remotely using the "kuka KRL-XMl". I have read the manual regarding the connection and installed the kuka router, but i have problem connecting it.
I am a bit confused regarding the connection of the KRL-XML, we are having three network options i.e

1) Network connection under Windows
2) Network connection under VxWorks with KUKA.Router
3) Network connection under VxWorks

I would like to know why do we require these three connection types and what is the importance of all three connection. actually if i am connecting to the robot using "Network connection under VxWorks with KUKA.Router",is this procedure correct?
Presently i will explain the situtation, Now the IP address of the robot controller is 129.217.226.179 and the IP address of the external system is 129.217.226.183.
 
Robot Controller:
In the robot controller's "router" i have given the target IP address of the external system (i.e, 129.217.226.183), and in the "xmlapiconfig.xml" i have done the following <TCP_IP IP="129.217.226.183" Port="6008" Route="True" MapPort="6008"/>
 
External System :
In the external system's "router" i have given the target IP address of the robot controller (i.e, 129.217.226.179), and in the "xmlapiconfig.xml" i have done the following <TCP_IP IP="129.217.226.179" Port="6008" Route="True" MapPort="6008"/> 

When i open the open the server_ekx.exe in the external system to connect to the robot controller i get an error message saying that "error while sending/receiving".
 
I would like to know if the procedure which i am following is correct or not?
 
In the server_ekx.exe i have kept the network card index as "1", is it correct?
Thank you very much
Regards
Rajan

[SkyeFire]

The different network connection options are based in legacy hardware configurations.

KUKAbots from the KRC1 on utilize a "split-brain" setup, rather like virtual machines before VMs became a concept.  VxWorks, a realtime Unix/Linux-type OS, runs all the actual robot operations.  Windows (95/XP) runs the user interface.  The two OSs act like physically separate machines and communicate through a virtual TCP/IP connection.  For a long time, VxWorks didn't need direct realtime access to TCP/IP communications, so Windows had sole ownership of the hardware Ethernet port and would pass through any VxWorks TCP/IP traffic using the router program.

Later, though, new applications (like coordinated motion) came about that required VxWorks to have "hard" realtime TCP/IP communications.  Since routing through Windows was liable to introduce unpredictable timing delays, KUKA began offering KRC2 controllers with the option of a second Ethernet port, one dedicated to VxWorks.  This port will be on the add-on PCI card, while the motherboard Ethernet port is owned by Windows.  I think there is also an option to "rob" Windows of the motherboard Ethernet port and let VxWorks have sole ownership of it, but I don't recall ever having used it myself.  So that should explain the different options.

Which procedure you need to follow depends on your hardware config. 

[rajang369]

Thank you very much skyfire for a prompt response. I am using the  Network connection under VxWorks with KUKA.Router, and as i explained earlier doing the same procedure as mentioned in the kuka KRL-XML manual but still getting the error message "error while sending/receiving". Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you
regards Rajan

[SkyeFire]

Well, I don't have this memorized, and I don't have a KUKAbot here right now to check myself against, but if I recall correctly, this is how it works:

Under Windows Control Panel>Network Connections, you will see (or should) two network connections.  The "Virtual Shared memory Driver" is the virtual network connection between VxWorks and Windows, and should have an IP of 192.0.1.2.  DO NOT EVER CHANGE THIS!!!!  On this virtual network, the IP of the VxWorks virtual machine is 192.0.1.1. 

The KUKA Router program monitors traffic coming in on a particular port (or port range) from the external network, and re-routes it to 192.0.1.1.  Likewise, any traffic on certain ports coming in from 192.0.1.1 is re-routed out to the appropriate IP on the external network. 

Part of the problem here is that the error messages for KRL-XML are notoriously nonspecific.

That error message, for example, can come up when the real problem is just an improperly placed bracket (< or >) in the .xml file.

Hm... in the KUKA-Router program, when you set up the address of the remote system, did you also set up the port? 

Ah!  I finally remembered:  one of the biggest problems I had debugging RSI-XML setups using the C server program that comes with the RSI package is that there's no way to control which ethernet port on the server the program uses.  When I was running the server program on my laptop, it drove me *insane* until I finally figured out that I had to explicitly disable my other Network Connections under Windows; the robot was connected to my laptop's ethernet port, but the server program was trying to use my wireless connection.  Try setting your server computer so that the physical connection to the robot is the *only* one that's enabled.

[rajang369]

Hi skyfire

thank you very much for your help at least i could understand the difference between different network connections. I tried connecting the robot using the router, i could ping the robot from external PC. When i tried to connect the robot using the sample program in the krl-xml documentation, it only shows "waiting for connection" but it is not getting connected. Here i have attached the screenshot and the xmlapiconfig.xml, can anyone check for some errors or any guidance regarding what i should do next. The IP address in the file is the IP address of the robot controller.

Thank you very much
Regards
Rajan Gangaputra

[nagmeshkumar]

Ok I am a total newbie to kuka -xml problems but I had the same problem myself.
On the remote PC:
The folder where you launch the server application has this "ExternalData.xml" file open it. It has a sensor name (mine says 'ImFree').
On the Kuka Controller:
Open the .xml file linked to ST_ETHERNET object for this application.
Sensor name in the configuration file must be the same.
If you want to make changes to the name do so at both locations.
And I am only guessing but the sensor type must also match.
Let me know how that goes.
 

   

[rajang369]

Hi nagmeshkumar,

Thank you very much for the reply, actually i searched for the sensor name in the file "externaldata" but there is nothing that mentions the name of the sensor in that file. I have attached the screen shots of the file. So what should i do next ? do i need to enter any data in that file?

Thank you
Regards
Rajan

[mookie]

Well, I don't have this memorized, and I don't have a KUKAbot here right now to check myself against, but if I recall correctly, this is how it works:

Under Windows Control Panel>Network Connections, you will see (or should) two network connections.  The "Virtual Shared memory Driver" is the virtual network connection between VxWorks and Windows, and should have an IP of 192.0.1.2.  DO NOT EVER CHANGE THIS!!!!  On this virtual network, the IP of the VxWorks virtual machine is 192.0.1.1. 

The KUKA Router program monitors traffic coming in on a particular port (or port range) from the external network, and re-routes it to 192.0.1.1.  Likewise, any traffic on certain ports coming in from 192.0.1.1 is re-routed out to the appropriate IP on the external network. 

Part of the problem here is that the error messages for KRL-XML are notoriously nonspecific.

That error message, for example, can come up when the real problem is just an improperly placed bracket (< or >) in the .xml file.

Hm... in the KUKA-Router program, when you set up the address of the remote system, did you also set up the port? 

Ah!  I finally remembered:  one of the biggest problems I had debugging RSI-XML setups using the C server program that comes with the RSI package is that there's no way to control which ethernet port on the server the program uses.  When I was running the server program on my laptop, it drove me *insane* until I finally figured out that I had to explicitly disable my other Network Connections under Windows; the robot was connected to my laptop's ethernet port, but the server program was trying to use my wireless connection.  Try setting your server computer so that the physical connection to the robot is the *only* one that's enabled.

What Version of software are you using?  i ask because if im correct, 5.5 was created for the intention of not having a  dedicated ip of 192.0.1.2 and it is now changable..

[rajang369]

Hi Mookie

I am using KUKA System Software 7.0

[SkyeFire]

Oh.  This is a KRC3 controller, then, isn't it? 

Hm.  That shouldn't make any difference to the way KRL-XML works.  But the KRC3s are rare enough that I can't think of anyone offhand whom I know that's used one with KRL-XML.  Still, logically the KR3 running KSS 7.0 should act like a KRC2 running 5.2 or 5.4.

[rajang369]

I have a small doubt now,,,how do i check the software version ?
this is a KRC2 SR controller.

Regards
Rajan

[mookie]

click on help/info

[rajang369]

ya, done it it says kernal system version:
KS V 7.0.64 RT

Thank you
Regards
Rajan