New Kuka Owner 2002 KR150 w/ KRC 1 Keyboard does not work

    Hello all, I recently purchased a Kuka KR150 from auction. It appears it was originally a GM robot by the prints in the door and has Ethernet and DeviceNet options checked. I also see a DN card on the motherboard. This is the first Kuka I have ever had the pleasure of playing with. I have been on here all day reading as much as I can and searching the forum. As it sits right now, when I start the robot it starts fine, loads W95, then the Kuka software, and then I am left with an operator screen kind of similar to a Nachi AX robot. The keyboard and mouse on the pendant do nothing. I have plugged a mouse and keyboard into the PS/2 socket on the back of the pendant and still get nothing. Not of the soft keys or QWERTY work. On the screen I see "Robot is set to ISOLATE mode on boot or submit start" The screen also responds to switching of the Auto/T1/T2 key. Also, is there a way to reloaded the software on these Kuka's? As in the system software being saved to flash, no disks needed? Similar to a Motoman or Nachi setup. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

    If you can get the robot into T1 mode, you should be able to navigate through the Explorer using the arrow keys, and use the Select or Open buttons on program files.

    The top row buttons above the screen should open up menus. They are also mapped to the F9-F12 keys of an external keyboard. I don't recall that the PS/2 port on the pendant was ever actually completed -- it was an intended option that ended up being cancelled. You should try the ports in the motherboard -- depending on the age and model of the controller, it might end up being an old AT-style keyboard port, and you might need to use a serial mouse in COM1.

    You'll need to get at the Configure menu in order to get into the higher User Groups to make any system changes.

    The Isolate-Mode message is a standard thing from GM RSV5, if I recall correctly. It just means that the robot was in Teach mode during boot. If you then switch into EXT mode, there should be a user message that pops up in the message window that requires you to acknowledge that you want to go into Interlock mode for remote PLC control.

    Once you can get into the higher level user groups (or use F8 during boot to let Windows start without starting KSS) you should be able to access the robot's hard drive directly. You should find that the D: drive has a copy of the KSS install CD, as well as any optional Tech Packages that were installed on the robot. However, there is no way to re-install W95 without having the correct KUKA/Microsoft install CD -- that CD is not copied to the hard drive.
    If you do not have the actual install CDs for this robot, I would strongly recommend immediately making a full clone or image of the entire hard drive, to use for catastrophic recovery. If you contact KUKA Service with the serial # of the robot and cabinet, they might be willing to send you an install CD set, but if your robot is running W95, then it's old enough that parts and software support are probably no longer available. Do you know what model controller it is?

    Hello SkyeFire, yes this is definitely an older KR C1. Sounds like I will have to hit eBay for a AT keyboard and serial mouse. The way it sits right now the pendant is useless, totally locked out it seems. Unless of course it is truly broken, wish I had another to test with. I will get a keyboard and mouse and post back with results. Thank you for your help.

    Well, I was able to come up with a serial mouse and 5 pin keyboard. After doing so I was able to get into the expert level but not much changed. All of the keys on the KCP are still non functional. I did however reload the software from the D: under D:CD 1>Setup. I picked the few options I know the controller has (DeviceNet) and reloaded the software. Now it just says the robot info does not match the connect machine. It never asked me to pick any machine types. KCP is still nonfunctional. I am trying to get through to Kuka to see if I can get the Win 95 CD, Kuka disc, and CC1 plug. Anyone have any advice to try while I am waiting for them to return a message?

    CC1 plug? ??? Is this a standard KRC1?

    If you can get into the robot using the keyboard and mouse, you should be able to get at Windows (Expert mode, then use Ctrl-Escape to bring up the Windows start button menu). Check the settings in the MACHINE.DAT file.

    In the D: drive, there should be a directory full of MADA folders for different robot types. You should be able to copy&paste the correct folder for your robot model (check the data plate) and overwrite the robot's active MADA folder (should be C:/krc/roboter/KRC/R1/Mada if I recall correctly) with the correct one. But it is odd that the install disk never asked you to specify a robot type.

    As for the KCP, it's really beginning to sound as if your KCP keys are dead, probably an electrical issue.

    Hello again, yes I believe that is what it is called? The CC1 safety bypass plug? The previous owner must have lost/kept it along with the install CD's. I will check that MACHINE.DAT like you said. I would imagine this is a standard KR C1, but no it never asked me to input a machine type. I have read a few places on here and I was expecting it but it never showed. The install has "KR C V4.1.6 SP3" on the top during software setup. I was going to just bypass the safety using the X11 terminal strip, similar to all the other robots I am always playing with. But everything I read on here and the electrical drawings here and in the cabinet don't fit, my X11 TB is only 6 terminals.

    Oh, the standard Teach-only CC1. I never call it that, so I actually forgot the name.

    Okay, so at least it's not a VKRC (Volkswagen-specific). Those things are a big pain to work on unless you have a lot of direct experience -- they've been modified too far off standard.

    It's been a long time since I had to deal with the problem where it doesn't ask for robot model... I'm pretty sure you can just copy&paste the MADA, but you might be able to delete the MADA folder(s), and then perform the re-install. That might force it to ask for a robot model, rather than just assuming the old data is correct. But I can't guarantee that -- asking KUKA service might be a good idea.

    Like you mention at the begining itrs not standard KRC1 but GM KRC1.

    Different safety boards FE208 and FE209 (insted of FE201)

    CC1 is used instead of X11. Different wiring but same idea.

    --

    After software install you have to login to expert and get to windows explorer.

    Open file c:\KRC\ROBOTER\INIT\Progress.ini (use notepad not wordpad)
    Search for [STEUER] section.

    Kunden version needs to be setup to correct number (for GM it is 4 I believe)
    Close/Save and COLDBOOT controller.

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    Ask KUKA for pdf with GM KRC1 prints not standard KRC1

    CC1! Dangit, it's been so long since I worked on a GM KRC1, I forgot about how they renamed the X11. Yeah, the safety signal pattern for those was a bit different from regular KRC1s. The good news is, the FE208 and FE209 boards have good LED indicators for each relay, so worst case you can back-trace any safety signal issues as long as you can obtain a decent print.
    Each GM KRC should have had a T1-only "shorting" plug for X11/CC1 chained to the bottom of the cabinet, but it sounds like yours is missing.

    Is this a KRC1, or KRC1A? The 1A is a taller cabinet with a number of large white servo modules on the back interior wall. The regular KRC1 is a short cabinet with a big silver box taking up the rear half of the interior.

    Hello all, it looks like a standard size KRC1, big silver servo block on the back side, no white servo modules. I just returned the other KCP to the seller and he sent me another, it was indeed bad. He said he tested the new one on an existing system and all is good, so I will be digging back into this project today. I will check back in with what I find. Thank you guys so much for your help thus far.

    I suspect it would be easier and cheaper to simply buy the parts and wired the plugs yourself. The parts are all standard Harting connector components, so if you have the wiring diagram, buying the parts and doing your own wiring is fairly straightforward.

    I believe that the GM-bot CC1 connector uses the same hardware as the standard KUKA X11. I don't have the exact Harting part #s in front of me, but this looks pretty similar: http://www.harting-usa.com/fileadmin/hart…g_and_sound.pdf.

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