Does anyone tried if there is a chance of getting the Kuka Pad to work as a hmi / ethercat device for any other devices? Obviously without KSS software on top, but with all the hardware devices working including the 6d mouse, estop and deadman switch? I would assume you need to have ESI files for it and maybe hardware drivers for mouse. I would like it to run a clean Twincat XAR and twincat HMI on it for some other devices.
I know siemens makes simillar device but profinet based. Beckhoff does not seem to make anything that is mobile, so Kuka Smart Pad sounds like a good solution.
Using SmartPad for non-kuka EtherCat devices
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macru -
November 16, 2018 at 3:17 AM -
Thread is marked as Resolved.
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The smartpad is not an ethercat device in that sense.
The smartpad is a PC that starts up an RDP session with the PC in the controller.
Theoretically I guess you could make it remote into another PC if you had the same username and password on that machine, but I don't think that's what you're trying to do here.
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Then that might be even easier then, all safety signals then are hard wired, not transfered over ethercat then? And the 6D mouse and touchscreen and buttons are just a HID windows devices?
I'll investigate further but sounds promising. -
I like your optimism but no... this is not what you think, it is not "hard-wired" in conventional sense.
SmartPad has own controller and safety node. safety devices like E-Stop and enabling switches are wired to the safety inputs of the safety node. this then communicates with KRC over EtherCat...
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I like your optimism but no... this is not what you think, it is not "hard-wired" in conventional sense.SmartPad has own controller and safety node. safety devices like E-Stop and enabling switches are wired to the safety inputs of the safety node. this then communicates with KRC over EtherCat...
So basically what i assumed in initial post.
So to wrap up it works more or less like that:
SmartPad is a separate IPC with windows CE installed and is remoting to KRC
SmartPad beeing just a terminal does not hold any KRC configuration, variables and programs etc.
SmartPAd has it's own safety node for eStop, deadman switch and the mode selector switch, it communicates with main safety controller over ethercat FSOE with KRC safety controllercorrect?
Possible issues might be lack of system admin password, lack of config files for safety devices and possible and most likely a password over safety configuration if the node have an internal controller?
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but you can plug the smart the pad in to the EMD Socket on the RDW to power it up For some strange reason
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but you can plug the smart the pad in to the EMD Socket on the RDW to power it up For some strange reasonHm! Never tried that, but... does it actually work, as opposed to just powering up? I've had a few situations where that could come in handy (50-meter KRC-robot cables, 5-meter pendant cables, no extensions, "what's taking so long?", )....
I imagine that KUKA decided using a common connector and wiring scheme saved money and complexity. In fact, I would not be surprised if that connector is an industry standard one, rather than a KUKA-specific item. And since the EMD and SmartPad are both network devices on the KRC4, all they really need is power and a good network connection. And in fact, if both the SmartPad socket and the EMD socket both connect to the same internal network, the SmartPad might actually work on the EMD socket.
But... looking at the internal networks, I don't think that'll work. The EMD resides on the KCB bus, but the SmartPad appears to connect through the KSB. I'd bet that the KCB is EtherCat-only, while the KSB (which also carries the KLI) supports EtherCat and "generic" TCP/IP (SMB, RDP, etc) in parallel. But that's only a guess.
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Yes it powers up i had a customer who plugged it in to it as he thought he could use the smart that way . which in its self is actually a very good idea .
But it didn't connect tot he network but it would be good if it could to be honest
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of course not... RDC is on KCB, smartPad is on KSB. those are two different networks. not to mention that in EtherCat network topology matters
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Correct but it would be a good idea if it did work