Creating a logfile with Karel?

This is certainly possible with Karel and should not be too difficult to implement.

You could write something that runs a simple WHILE loop (with an appropriate termination condition and DELAY statement), and periodically writes out the values of the registers you are interested in.

Couple of pointers:

• mark your logging program as not containing any motion: use the %NOLOCKGROUP directive for this. This would also allow you to keep your logging program running (in the background) in case of any (motion related) errors (see %NOPAUSE and %NOBUSYLAMP fi)


• you can get the current time with the GET_TIME routine. Convert this to a string using CNV_TIME_STR. One issue is that GET_TIME returns a value with a resolution of 2 seconds. This might be an issue, depending on your requirements. If you need sub-second logging, GET_USEC_TIM might do the trick.


• Accesing registers: GET_POS_REG, GET_REG, GET_STR_REG, etc.


• Don't forget to terminate the lines you send to WRITE with a CR: not only does this lead to very long lines, but depending on configuration of your file descriptor, CR is actually used to signal to the interpreter that the buffer should be flushed to the device.


• I'd install an ABORT handler, which delays aborting of your Karel program, so you can properly close your logfile. Depending on circumstances, not closing (and flushing) of FILE descriptors can lead to data loss. See Chapter 6 (Condition Handlers) of the Karel Reference Manual for this.


• Be sure to build in some kind of limiting system: you don't want your logfile to eat up all the free space on your MD or RD device. I've noticed Fanuc controllers can suffer from memory fragmentation, where the total amount of free memory seems ok, but the largest free block is very small. This can lead to performance issues with other subsystems (such as motion).

Hope this helps.

Maybe it can help you. It is simple test program to create XML file. And after you can get this file from LAN into pc and parse it.

PROGRAM xmlt


%COMMENT = 'cool job'
%ENVIRONMENT REGOPE
%NOPAUSESHFT
%NOPAUSE = ERROR + TPENABLE + COMMAND


CONST
frst = '<?xml VERSION="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>'
opendata = '<catalog>'
closedata = '</catalog>'
file_name = 'test2\file_table.xml'
VAR
xml_file : FILE
STATUS : INTEGER
 sr1, sr2 : STRING[5]
BEGIN

GET_STR_REG(2, sr2, STATUS)
WHILE  ( sr2 = '1') DO
	DELAY (500)
	OPEN FILE xml_file ('RW', file_name)	
	GET_STR_REG(1, sr1, STATUS)
	GET_STR_REG(2, sr2, STATUS)
	WRITE xml_file ( frst, CR)
	WRITE xml_file ( opendata, CR)
	WRITE xml_file ( '<costumer id = "1"> SR[1] =' + sr1 + '</costumer>',CR)
	WRITE xml_file ( closedata, CR)
	CLOSE FILE xml_file
ENDWHILE


END xmlt

Hello,
I know this is an old topic...but I was wondering why I am not getting the Seconds to output with the following code:

GET_TIME(intTime)
CNV_TIME_STR(intTime, time_str)
WRITE ('Date: ' , SUB_STR(time_str, 1, 9), CR)
WRITE ('Time: ' , SUB_STR(time_str,11,5), CR)
WRITE('Full String: ',time_str, CR)

My output reads:

Date: 28-JUN-16
Time: 11:26
Full String: 28-JUN-16 11:26

Any ideas?
Thank you

Quote

A.4.34 CNV_TIME_STR Built-In Procedure

Purpose: Converts an INTEGER representation of time to a STRING

Syntax : CNV_TIME_STR(source, target)

Input/Output Parameters :

[in] source :INTEGER

[out] target :STRING

%ENVIRONMENT Group :TIM

Details:

l The GET_TIME Built-In Procedure is used to determine the INTEGER representation of time. CNV_TIME_STR is used to convert source to target , which will be displayed in ``DD-MMM-YYY HH:MM:'' format.

Display More

from what i read, the routine does not convert the values for seconds

Skalactik, I read that too, and makes me think it is not possible. But if you read under the GET_TIME Built-In Procedure it states, "Use the CNV_TIME_STR built-in procedure to convert the INTEGER into the "DD-MMM-YYY-HH:MM:SS" STRING format. The manual is not really clear, but from testing I'm thinking I cannot get the seconds to output.

Tried it with Roboguide, produced the same result.
I guess your best bet is to retrieve the seconds from the integer value out of GET_TIME.

We're been doing this for a couple of months now, with good success.
I've got a karel program that gets called while sending the robot home. It then stores the previous job number, timestamp, resin and glass weights, and if we're spraying the whole cart, or only a section of the cart.

PROGRAM spray_log
VAR
file_var : FILE
glass_weight : REAL
resin_weight : REAL
glass_status : INTEGER
resin_status : INTEGER
gtemp : INTEGER
rtemp : INTEGER
programname : STRING[5]
now : INTEGER
timestamp : STRING[20]
wallside4 : STRING[2]
wtemp : REAL
wstatus : INTEGER
wallreg : INTEGER
BEGIN
GET_TIME(now)
CNV_TIME_STR(now,timestamp)
GET_REG(1,TRUE,rtemp,resin_weight,resin_status)
GET_REG(2,TRUE,gtemp,glass_weight,glass_status)
GET_REG(20,FALSE,wallreg,wtemp,wstatus)
CNV_INT_STR(wallreg,2,0,wallside4)
IF NOT UNINIT(programname) THEN
OPEN FILE file_var('AP', 'fr:spray_log.xml')
WRITE file_var ('<part><ts>',timestamp,'</ts><job>',programname+wallside4,'</job><rw>', resin_weight::9::2 ,'</rw><gw>', glass_weight::9::2,'</gw></part>' ,CR)
CLOSE FILE file_var
ENDIF
programname=$TP_DEFPROG
END spray_log

Hello,

I want to log different data during production. I know how to log the data now but does any body know how to check the size of the logfile?
I want to delete the log file if size becomes to big to avoid that the memory becomes full.

Thanks in advance,
Regards,
Fabrice

If you are using xml type, then you can previously make deseriallization of your data file and after that check how much records do you have. It should pretty much equal to your requirement. Also you need to check how much records satisfy your requirement for file size. And after you can decide do you want to delete the file or not. I mixed few sentences but I hope you understand.

Hi Scotty,

Thanks for the information.
Is it really needed to use xml file, what will you mean by deseriallization?

If I follow you idea I can maybe use this instruction GET_FILE_POS to check the amount of records.

Reagrds,
Fabrice

Serialization is the process of converting an object into a stream of bytes in order to store the object or transmit it to memory, a database, or a file. Its main purpose is to save the state of an object in order to be able to recreate it when needed. The reverse process is called deserialization.

If you want to have file with structured data type then I recommend to make xml structure and take a look to XML topic in KAREL Reference Manual. In opposite case you can use any other solution.

Recommendation from Fanuc:
GET_FILE_POS is only supported for files opened on the RAM Disk device. Do not use GET_FILE_POS on another device; otherwise, you could injure personnel and damage equipment.

Regards,
Scotty

To check the file size you can use the FILE_LIST built-In procedure:

----------------------------------------------------------
--- Display a directory listing of files on the MC drive:
file_spec = 'MC:\*.*' -- All files in MC drive
n_skip = 0 -- First time do not skip any files
format = 4 -- Return list in filename.filetype size date time - format
WRITE ('Doing FILE list',CR)
REPEAT -- UNTIL all files have been listed
FILE_LIST(file_spec, n_skip, format, ary_nam, n_files, STATUS)
IF (STATUS <>0 ) THEN -- Error occurred
WRITE ('FILE_LIST builtin failed WITH STATUS = ',STATUS,CR)
ELSE
displ_list(n_files) -- Write the names to the TP USER menu
n_skip = n_skip + n_files -- Skip the files we already got.
ENDIF
UNTIL (ARRAY_LEN(ary_nam) <> n_files) -- When n_files does not equal
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The file size is written in:
ary_nam :ARRAY[100] OF STRING[40] -- Returned names format: filename.filetype size date time
and always starts with char 21

Date and time is only supported if the device supports timestamping. I guess this is related to a controller SW-version...

Thanks for you replies.

I will use the following code and write in the ram memory.

str_fn = 'rd:\CycleTime.txt'
CLOSE FILE logfile
OPEN FILE logfile('AP',str_fn) -- Appends data
FileSize=GET_FILE_POS(logfile)
IF FileSize>1000000 THEN
CLOSE FILE logfile
OPEN FILE logfile('RW',str_fn) -- Rewrites - Delete existing data
ENDIF

Or you could use a PIP-file in case memory-management is an issue, it offers following functionality:
-Read and write data at the same time. (a Karel program fills the buffer while another retrieves information of interest)
-Rolling buffer

The max buffer size is determined by the PERM cmos memory (menu>statu>memory) if 'cmos_flag=TRUE' is enabled. 700kb equals +- 20 000 lines of 40 char logging data.

PROGRAM pip_write
%NOLOCKGROUP
%NOPAUSE= COMMAND + TPENABLE + ERROR

VAR
out_file:FILE
console:FILE
cmos_flag: BOOLEAN
n_sectors: INTEGER
record_size: INTEGER
form_dict: STRING[32]
form_ele: INTEGER
STATUS:INTEGER
i: INTEGER

BEGIN
FORCE_SPMENU(TP_PANEL,SPI_TPUSER,1)--activate user
WRITE(CHR(128),CR)--clear user screen

cmos_flag=TRUE -- CMOS_flag if set to TRUE will put the pipe data in CMOS. By default pipe data is in DRAM.
-- If CMOS_FLG = False; n_sectors will stay default 8 ==> 8 * 1024 = 8192 characters
-- Put CMOS_FLG = TRUE to change the n_sectors. (example 32 ===> 32 * 1024 = 32768 bytes of logfile)
n_sectors = 700 --n_sectors number of 1024 byte sectors to allocate to the pipe. The default is 8
record_size = 0 --record_size the size of a binary record in a pipe. If set to 0 the pipe is treated as ASCII
form_dict = 'test'
form_ele = 1
PIPE_CONFIG( 'PIP:JT_1.dat', cmos_flag, n_sectors, record_size, form_dict, form_ele, STATUS) --need to be called before file is open

OPEN FILE out_file ('rw', 'PIP:JT_1.dat')-- open file for write to device PIP:
STATUS = IO_STATUS(out_file)
WRITE TPDISPLAY('status open file for write',STATUS,CR)
FOR i = 0 TO 20005 DO
WRITE out_file ('nr', i , ' - Data that I am logging', CR)
ENDFOR
STATUS = IO_STATUS(out_file)
WRITE TPDISPLAY('status after writing',STATUS,CR)
CLOSE FILE out_file

END pip_write

Do you need to have the (txt) file loaded to the controll or does it create the file itself? I am trying something similar, I want to track and log whenever (2) registers change value and include a timestamp in the log and I've been having a time with it. I want this to run as a bg program or simultaneously with my main program to track at all times when the registers change. The program will execute whether I call or run but I can't find the log file where things are being saved. I included a .TP for looping changing these registers for testing purposes.

PROGRAM TRACK_REGS
%NOLOCKGROUP
%NOPAUSE = ERROR + COMMAND + TPENABLE

-- DECLARATIONS

CONST
-- SERVERITY CONSTANTS
SUCCESS = 0
    
VAR
REG95_VALUE : INTEGER
REG100_VALUE : INTEGER
PREV95_VALUE : INTEGER
PREV100_VALUE : INTEGER
FILE_ID : FILE
status : INTEGER
time_str : STRING[24]
sLogFileName : STRING [24]
iStatusOpen : INTEGER
iStatusWrite : INTEGER
bool : BOOLEAN
rel : REAL
current_time : INTEGER
    
--function to get current time as string
ROUTINE get_current_time(time_str : STRING)
VAR
current_time : INTEGER
BEGIN
GET_TIME(current_time)
CNV_TIME_STR(current_time, time_str)
END get_current_time

BEGIN
--initialize variables
PREV95_VALUE = -99999
PREV100_VALUE = -99999
    
WRITE TPERROR (CHR(128))
sLogFileName = 'RD:REGISTER_LOG.TXT'
    
--open log file
OPEN FILE file_id ('RW', sLogFileName)
iStatusOpen = IO_STATUS(file_id)
IF (iStatusOpen <> SUCCESS) THEN
WRITE TPERROR ('[TRACK_REGISTER_CHANGES_TEST] cant open file:', iStatusOpen, CR)
ABORT
ENDIF
    
--MAIN LOOP
REPEAT
--GET THE CURRENT VALUES OF REGISTER 95 AND 100
GET_REG(95, bool, REG95_VALUE, rel, status)
GET_REG(100, bool, REG100_VALUE, rel, status)
        
--compare with previous values and log changes
IF REG95_VALUE <> PREV95_VALUE THEN
--get current time
get_current_time(time_str)
            
--log the change for register 95
WRITE FILE_ID ('register95 changed to:', reg95_value, 'at', time_str, CR)
            
PREV95_VALUE = REG95_VALUE
ENDIF
        
--compare with previous values and log changes
IF REG100_VALUE <> PREV100_VALUE THEN
--get current time
get_current_time(time_str)
            
--log the change for register 95
WRITE FILE_ID ('register100 changed to:', reg100_value, 'at', time_str, CR)
            
PREV100_VALUE = REG100_VALUE
ENDIF
        
DELAY (2000)
UNTIL (REG95_VALUE = 10000)
    
CLOSE FILE FILE_ID
END TRACK_REGS
        
1: ;
2: RUN TRACK_REGS ;
3: ;
4: LBL[1] ;
5: R[100]=3 ;
6: R[95]=35 ;
7: R[95]=R[95]+1 ;
8: ;
9: R[100]=15 ;
10: JMP LBL[1] ;
/POS
/END

Hi rozzy323,

Normally the file should create itself, but you need to change your instruction below:

If the file doesn't exist before you can change RW to AP for "APPEND"

OLD:
OPEN FILE file_id ('RW', sLogFileName)
NEW:
OPEN FILE file_id ('AP', sLogFileName)

YakawFaBB

I found that my program is working but it is overwriting the same line in the log file, any thoughts on how to fix that?

In any programming language use "append" to access file when goal is to add something to a file, but not lose any of existing content.

Pseudo code:

Log(string msg)
If  not fileexists(filename) then
    Write_txt(filename, msg); // file is missing, so. Create new one, using WRITE
Else
    Append_txt(filename,msg); // file already exists, assume it contains something and use APPEND
Endif

End // end of LOG()