E-Stop wiring question

  • Hello to all:


    I am using a KR-30/2 arm with a KRC-1 cabinet. My very last step is to connect my E-Stop switches to the cabinet. I'm not sure how to do this; I've attached a picture from Kuka documentation that has a sketch of two switches on it. I need to know which pins the black and blue wires coming from the left sides of my switches go (the right sides get connected together to close the other side of the loop) It looks like it may be a simple answer, but I'm not taking anything for granted at this point. Thanks in advance for any help! :icon_mrgreen:

  • Yeah. Any safety device is supposed to operate in dual-channel configuration -- that is, a DPST switch. If you wire those two E-Stop buttons as you have shown, the safety board will get into a single-channel fault and become inoperative until you reset the board by removing all power from it.


    What you have to do is select a dual-contact (NC) switch for each E-stop you want to use. Wire the A channel across one contact pair, and wire the B channel across the other contact pair. DO NOT CROSS THE A AND B CHANNELS. The results will be less catastrophic than "crossing the streams," but it'll prevent your robot from operating.


    If you need multiple E-Stop buttons, as Fluke said, wire each button in series with the others. Keep the A-to-A and B-to-B relationship.

  • I'm not sure I understand...but I know for a fact that I do have DPST switches.


    Kindly disregard the switches I sketched in for a moment. Looking at it from a more basic wording, how does current need to flow to complete the circuit and allow for auto operation? I'm guessing that pins 1 and 4 have to connect, and then 19 and 22. Is that a correct statetment? :hmmm:

  • Yes,
    Pin 1 Channel A 24V goes out to E-stop1 then E-stop2 then back to pin 4
    Pin 19 Channel B 24V goes out to E-stop1 then E-stop2 then back to pin 22


    Both channels needs to work simultaneously - thats the whole point of dual channel.
    Do not mix channel A and B.

  • Sorry, but I am having no luck here and still do not have a full grasp of these diagrams. I thought it would be a good idea (STRICTLY for one-time testing) to jumper across the pins on the X11 connector at the bottom of the cabinet to be sure everything is working, before adding the physical, wired eStop circuits.


    The various diagrams and jargon are really starting to confuse me...."local E-STOP", "External E-Stop, "Test Output A", etc... :mad:


    What I tried doing for starters (with no luck) is to jumper across 107 and 89, 106 and 88, 1 and 4, 19 and 22.....no luck, still got the "gate open" signal, can't even jog the robot. I did try re-installing my X11 jumper plug, and then I can jog around and run a program with the deadman switches so I don't think I caused any "damage." Are there more pins that need to be accounted for? Please help, thanks! ???

  • I did try re-installing my X11 jumper plug, and then I can jog around and run a program with the deadman switches so I don't think I caused any "damage."


    I don't get it. So it works now?
    You can jog the robot and run the program?
    What else are you trying to accomplish ?
    Run automatic with jumper plug?
    If you jumper safety gate be aware that you will be responsible for any kind of damage/injury.


    BTW there is no jargon. This is standard in industrial world. You are just not familiar with it :smiling_face:

  • OK, same way you jumper ext. E-stop you will have to jumper USER_Safety signal.


    test output A -> User Safety A
    test output B -> User Safety B


    AGAIN YOU ARE TAKING FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY KIND OF DAMAGE/INJURY.


    Think twice - this is not a joke. Legal department will knock to your doors :smiling_face:

    Edited once, last by kr16_2 ().

  • Believe you me, I don't intend to keep it like this; I just spend a great deal of time running conduit, drilling holes, pulling wire, installing switches, etc....definitely want the WHOLE setup to work!

  • neeboy74,


    it is obvious that wiring is not your cup of tea, you cannot even draw proper electrical symbols.


    more over this is a safety circuit (and there are risks and responsibilities involved). why are you doing this? :no1:


    you really really need to get someone qualified. for example your first post shows wiring that is disabling internal E-Stop (is this what you want?).


    if you do intend to finish this on your own, then you must accept all responsibility.


    example of jumper plug for KRC2 is in the download section:
    http://www.robot-forum.com/rob…ots/krc2-x11-jumper-plug/


    modifying it to include few E-Stops means doing something like this (see image).
    note that each channel is a continuous loop. each E-Stop switch must be able to break both channels (and at the same time, or you will get cross channel fault and lockout ESC).

  • :icon_rolleyes: I don't know how much clearer I can be. I KNOW that bypassing a hard safety switch is a bad idea. I'm only doing it TEMPORARILY, ONCE so I can make sure the wiring INSIDE THE CABINET all works before I connect all my FINISHED eStop circuits to it. Furthermore, I DO NOT need another diagram showing a "jumper plug..." I already have that and I know perfectly well that a "X11 jumper plug" does NOT allow automatic mode operation. That's why I started a thread asking about AUTOMATIC MODE operation.


    ...btw, of course I don't know what I'm doing, that's why I'm here asking for help!!

  • "Local E-Stop" refers to the E-stop buttons on the KCP and on the robot controller cabinet, if you have any.


    "Remote E-Stop" refers to the E-Stop (A and B channels) on the X11 plug.


    "Operator Safety Gate" error message refers to the X11 signals called "User Safety". Years ago, they used to be called "Safety Gate," but then the wiring diagrams were updated to a newer standard but nobody updated the error message. :icon_rolleyes:


    The "Test Output A/B" signals are outputs that have to be looped back (through jumper or safety switch contact) to the respective A or B input for a safety signal. The A/B stuff is there to make it harder to people to hotwire the safeties, and to avoid single-wire failure points.

  • Scenario 1


    1) you jumper safety gate and robot runs full auto
    2) forklift driver is not aware of it and drives inside
    3) robot hits forklift - luckily nothing happens - tool is damaged (very expensive tool BTW)
    4) upon questioning WTF? you say: guys on robot forum told me to do so :smiling_face:


    This is why we are so anal about it :uglyhammer2:


  • Thank you SkyeFire!!! Exactly what I needed!! Also, I am the only one who has keys to even remove the padlock and turn the master switch on, so this whole project is under my complete control until it is wired correctly, safely, etc...The arm is enclosed behind a heavy, sliding door and everyone else in my group knows not to go in there yet.

  • OK, I have temporarily jumpered the pins on my KRC1 x11 connector, and now all the previous error messages go away when I switch between T1/T2 and Automatic mode.


    Unfortunately, that is the extent of my current success. I cannot switch the drives on with the button at the top right corner of my KCP; when I try I get no messages on the control screen of any sort, error or otherwise; I don't hear any relays clicking either. :hmmm: When I switch back to T1/T2 mode everything works as normal, I can run my programs with the dead-man switches.


    What's the biggest roadblock to getting the drives to "Switch On"? I have no idea even after reading all the operation/programming PDF's, the info is just too scattered. I've read several comments in the past about manipulating the DRIVES_ON variable....does that apply in my current situation? Thanks for the continued help, I am almost there!!

    Edited once, last by neeboy74 ().

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