What am I missing????

[DJR96]

OK, so it was some time ago that I got my SF200-02 AW going. Finally getting around to doing some actual programming.
I can move the robot about manually fine and record steps, edit speeds and accuracy settings etc. But I just can't get the thing to move without me manually pressing axis buttons. In recording the steps of my first simple program, I want the last step being a return to the first step. To program this you "call" the desired step (step 1 in my case), hold the deadman switch and press "step-go" and it should move to the position of that step. At least that's my understanding of the manual.
But it won't.
I get a E0101 error - stop signal. But I've since unplugged the input and output plugs (CNIN1 & CNOT1), and "zeroed" all the I/O assignments so it should not have any links external to the controller. Back to basics. Now my I/O board is a UM124B, not the UM124 that is in the manuals I've got. The difference being that it has extra connectors. One of which (CNIN2), has got a single wire on pin 23 that tee's in onto a wire that goes to the teach pendant. If I disconnect this plug, I no longer get the error, but I also can't move at all, despite the motor's actually turning on as per normal.

So while of got this issue it means I can't verify my program. Can't step through or playback cycle etc.

What am I missing??

 

[DJR96]

Today I pulled the UM124B board out to trace some of the circuits, trying to learn more. It's pretty straight forward in that it mostly just connects each connector to others.
The CNIN2 connector is for "internal" signals.
The tee'ed off wire I mentioned above tee's into a circuit from the dead-man switch in the teach pendant to the servo-amp.
This circuit starts the motors directly when in teach mode, also means the CPU doesn't command the motors on in teach mode.
The tee'ed off wire provides a signal to the main I/O board and therefore CPU, which of course commands the movements.
So it's currently required to make manual movements, yet is also providing a "stop signal" so that I can't jump to step or verify my programming. (Never-mind actually running a program...)
Why this has been added to the base machine circuitry I don't know. And there doesn't seem to be any reference to these so called internal I/O signal connections in the menus, no means of assignment or logic control like the user I/O signal connections.

So I'm a little wiser today, but no better off getting my robot going. 

Still want to hear your ideas and suggestions! 

[DJR96]

Looking through the help list I found a mention of "Teach lock". It's supposed to be under the constants menu but I can't see it.
Which got me thinking, I've used the "R314" code which gets me into "maintenance mode" with more of the menu options available.
But is that the same as "integrator mode" that's been mentioned in other posts?
Would that get even more options available?
And I'm not getting anywhere to input the password. Any clues here?

[thedude]

DJR,

What you should check is the "external stop" signal, this is a failsafe signal that needs to be high for the robot to step through a program. Under constants and then under signals you can find what input that is assigned to. Make sure under the input monitor that signal is on.

[DJR96]

Hey Dude, thank you for the reply. I was starting to lose hope here!


It is my understanding that by default it is setup to require a signal on I31. And yes, as you say it is a failsafe circuit so it's a "normally closed" circuit.
Also, by setting the inputs to "0" instead of the default designated 31, it should disable this circuit altogether. Or is this where I'm completely wrong?
I'll go and check how it was wired up, see if it was used or not. Even try it with this circuit in place.
I just thought being "zeroed" should simply disable it.............

[DJR96]

Alright. Firstly, in the manuals for this robot, the default standard assigned input for an External Stop signal is 31 (I31). This has been mentioned a few times by others in other threads here on this forum. The I31 signal corresponds with pin-39 on the Input signal connector (CNIN1).

My robot has never been set-up with anything on this pin-39. There's not even a cable soldered onto this pin in the connector.
[If my machine ever had an external stop signal circuit set up on it, it may have been via the additional digital I/O cards or the networking card. None of which I've got inserted/connected at the moment.]

So I try connecting a jumper from pin-39 to pin-50 (which is 0vdc).
I turn on the  panel input monitor. This shows the various panel switches as on by highlighting them in yellow. Motors On, Start, Teach/Playback etc. No problem.
Then I turn on the Input signal monitor. Each of these is displayed simply as Ixx or ixx. A lower case (i) if it is assigned or a capital (I) if it is not, and xx being the signal number. The one of interest here is i31, which is pin-39 on the connector and by default is the Ext. Stop signal. But it is not highlighting in yellow with or without the jumper. This is what I would have expected it to do, but it's not. And therefore it hasn't made any difference to the problem I'm having.

I'm really getting the feeling that there is some other menu options that I've not had access to, to be able to change something relevant to I/O signals.

Can someone please tell me how to get to where you input the integrator password?

"R314" toggles maintenance code off/on. Which does open up some more menu options, but not all. Nor does it require a password input.

[thedude]

Can you find an input that is on and change the external stop from i31 to that input?

[DJR96]

Well don't I feel like a goose! 

Yes I was missing something quite simple enough. Making a big issue because of it.

In my efforts to strip it all back to bare basics machine without any extra stuff fitted, I had completely overlooked the need for a 24vdc "common" cable/s required to "energize" I/O circuits. Without them they are dead as a dodo.
So not only do you need to provide a circuit from 0vdc to the signal terminal - in this case, pin-50 to pin-39 (which is I31), it also needs a 24vdc circuit from pin-44 to pin-41, which is the "common" for circuits I25 to I32 (pins 33 to 41).

With those two jumpers in place and the Ext. Stop signal assigned to the default I31, it worked.

As good as that is and I can now move forward, it doesn't explain why "zeroing" the inputs didn't disable and negate the need for any external circuitry?
Maybe that has something to do with that extra wire used in the CNIN2 connector?
Does this make it a "can't-do-without-failsafe-circuit".
Don't know. Doesn't really matter much now. Just would be nice to understand it all. Yeah, I'm like that.

So I hope my experience here is helpful for others. It's sharing our experiences here that allow us to all learn more.

[Huddy]

For future information you can simulate the I/O in the conditions setting page.

This allows you to then turn on any inputs required i.e. the external stop signal.

You turn the inputs on in the same way you would normally turn on/off the M signals in the monitor page.

Monitor i signals and enable + ON key.

Hope this may be useful for you for the future.

The above disables all external I/O and stops the internal PLC running I beleive, so dont expect any interaction with any external I/O in simulation mode.