EthernetKRL - Connected, But No Data Transmission

Em-n-Em · October 15, 2020 at 6:00 PM

Hello,

I'm currently working on sending data from a server to a kuka robot with little luck getting data through. The goal is: a scanner will scan material for defect points, and the robot will receive those points using EthernetKRL. Right now the server sends the data manually (I use a setup program to send the data myself, no auto-response yet). I confirmed that the server works with my laptop, using PuTTY to connect to the same port, and manually send data over. To keep things simple I started with sending a bool, a string, an int, and a real to test the data transfer.

So far the program I have to initialize and open a connection to the server looks fine. I also included an interrupt to wait for data to be available after it has been sent from the server. The "Alive" flag[98] turns true, letting me know the connection is made. Then I'll manually send the data from the server, but the robot program just sits there waiting for the flag to let it know that data is available. I don't get any notifications from the EKI_CHECK() instructions I put in, so I'm not sure how else to check what's gone wrong.

I included my Get_Defects() code below. You'll notice Defects_Read[] is initialized (declared in the .dat file, so not shown here), but it isn't used yet. This is where I'll eventually be copying an array of reals once I get data transferring correctly. I also included my repairs.xml file. You'll see the real array is commented out.

I'm very new to data transfer and how that works, as well as to kuka robots in general. I'm hoping for some ideas on what I can do/read to figure out why the data isn't transferring to the robot, but I can do it on my laptop using PuTTY. Even questions I can ask the Kuka help desk, or things I need answered about the server end. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Code

DEF GET_DEFECTS()

    ; Declarations 
   $FLAG[99]=FALSE
    
    ;Initialization
     ;FOLD INI;%{PE}
  ;FOLD BASISTECH INI
    GLOBAL INTERRUPT DECL 3 WHEN $STOPMESS==TRUE DO IR_STOPM ( )
    INTERRUPT ON 3 
    BAS (#INITMOV,0 )
  ;ENDFOLD (BASISTECH INI)
  ;FOLD USER INI
    
    ; Initialize or clear the Defects Array before putting new values into it
    FOR i = 1 to 512 STEP 1
        Defects_Read[i] = 0
    ENDFOR
    
    ; Interrupt program and get data when available
    INTERRUPT DECL 89 WHEN $FLAG[100]==TRUE DO GET_DATA()
    INTERRUPT ON 89
    
  ;ENDFOLD (USER INI)
 ;ENDFOLD (INI)
    
       
    ; Initialize and open the XML file from the Scanner
    RET = EKI_Init("repairs")
    EKI_CHECK(RET,#notify,"repairs")
     RET = EKI_Open("repairs")
     EKI_CHECK(RET,#notify,"repairs")

    ;wait until data read
    WAIT FOR $FLAG[99]
   
    ; Close the XML file and clear the values stored from it
    RET = EKI_Close("repairs")
    EKI_CHECK(RET,#notify,"repairs")
    RET = EKI_Clear("repairs")
    EKI_CHECK(RET,#notify,"repairs")

    
    
END



DEF GET_DATA()

  DECL INT j, ValueInt
  DECL BOOL ValueBool
  DECL REAL ValueReal
  DECL CHAR ValueChar[256]
  
  FOR j=1 TO 256  
    valueChar[j]=0
  ENDFOR 
  valueInt=0
  valueReal=0.0
  valueBOOL=FALSE
  

    ; Copy defect values from the Defects variable in the 
    ; XML file to the Defects_Read variable in the KUKA
    ; Wait for the flag signaling all values have been read before closing & clearing
    ;RET = EKI_GetRealArray("repairs","Scanner_To_Robot/Defects",Defects_Read[])
    
  RET=EKI_GetBool("repairs","Scanner_To_Robot/TestVar/VarBool", ValueBool)
  RET=EKI_GetInt("repairs","Scanner_To_Robot/TestVar/VarInt", ValueInt)
  RET=EKI_GetString("repairs","Scanner_To_Robot/TestVar/VarChar", ValueChar[])
  RET=EKI_GetReal("repairs","Scanner_To_Robot/TestVar/VarReal", ValueReal)


    
    ; Reset flags
    $FLAG[100] = FALSE
    $FLAG[99] = TRUE
    
    
END

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Code

<ETHERNETKRL>
    <CONFIGURATION>
    <!--"EXTERNAL" Describes the external module (scanner), pg 21-22 in EthernetKRL manual-->
        <EXTERNAL>
            <TYPE>Server</TYPE> 
            <IP>172.31.1.100</IP>
            <PORT>26000</PORT>
        </EXTERNAL>
        <!--"INTERNAL" Describes the internal module (KRC), pg 22-24 in EthernetKRL manual-->
        <INTERNAL>
            <ENVIRONMENT>Program</ENVIRONMENT>
            <BUFFERING Mode="FIFO" Limit = "512"/>
            <BUFFSIZE Limit="65534"/>
            <TIMEOUT Connect="10000"/>
            <ALIVE Set_Flag="98" Ping="200"/>
            <PROTOCOL>TCP</PROTOCOL>
            <MESSAGES Logging="error" Display="error"/>
        </INTERNAL>
    </CONFIGURATION>
    <RECEIVE>
        <XML>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARBOOL" Type="BOOL"/>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARCHAR" Type="STRING"/>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARINT" Type="INT"/>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARREAL" Type="REAL" Set_Flag="100"/>
            <!--<ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/DEFECTS" Type="REAL" Set_Flag="100"/>-->
        </XML>
    </RECEIVE>
</ETHERNETKRL>

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Robot: KR 90 R3700K Prime C4 FLR

Controller: KR C4 NA

KSS: V8.3.33

Kernel: KS V8.3.329

EthernetKRL: Version 2.2.9

Robot IP Address: 172.31.1.147

Server IP Address: 172.31.1.100

Server Port: 26000

Laptop IP Address: 172.31.1.230

**panic mode** · October 15, 2020 at 7:15 PM

the flag is BOOL type, not REAL

and if you want flag to tell you that SOME message is received, you need to nest it at the right XML level.

the way you had it, flag 100 would be set, but not when anything was sent to SCANNER_TO_ROBOT.

it would only be set if message contains both SCANNER_TO_ROBOT and TESTVAR

this should fix it:

Code

  <RECEIVE>
        <XML>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARBOOL" Type="BOOL"/>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARCHAR" Type="STRING"/>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARINT" Type="INT"/>
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT/TESTVAR/VARREAL" Type="REAL"/> <!-- this part was not ok...-->
            <ELEMENT Tag="SCANNER_TO_ROBOT" Set_Flag="100"/>              <!-- this part was not ok...-->
        </XML>
    </RECEIVE>

Em-n-Em · October 15, 2020 at 8:04 PM

Thanks Panic!

I made the change but my $Flag[100] still isn't turning true.

I guess that means that nothing from Scanner_To_Robot is coming through then?

Could this have something to do with the XML configuration written in all caps, and the robot program written in lower case? I know XML files are case sensitive, but KRL isn't.

**panic mode** · October 15, 2020 at 8:07 PM

... or that message structure send by server does not match XML configuration.

that includes wrong case...

yes KRL is not case sensitive but everything in a string (between quotation marks) must be correct case or it will be not evaluated as a match:

"A" = 0x41 = 65

"a" = 0x61 = 97

and obviously they are not the same...

Code

<ETHERNETKRL>
    <CONFIGURATION>
        <EXTERNAL>
            <IP>192.168.0.1</IP>
            <PORT>59152</PORT>
        </EXTERNAL>
        <INTERNAL>
            <ENVIRONMENT>Program</ENVIRONMENT>
            <MESSAGES Logging="enabled" Display="enabled"/>
            <BUFFERING Mode="FIFO" Limit="64"/>
            <BUFFSIZE Limit="16384"/>
            <TIMEOUT Connect="2000"/>
            <ALIVE Set_Out="997" Ping="200"/>
            <PROTOCOL>TCP</PROTOCOL>
        </INTERNAL>        
    </CONFIGURATION>
    <RECEIVE>
        <XML>
            <ELEMENT Tag="PC/Command" Type="STRING"/>  <!-- string -->
            <ELEMENT Tag="PC" Set_Flag="998"/>         <!-- flag -->
        </XML>
    </RECEIVE>
    <SEND>
        <XML>
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/CurrProgName"/>          <!-- string -->    
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/Ready"/>                 <!-- flag -->
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/Faulted"/>               <!-- flag -->
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/Idle"/>                  <!-- flag -->    
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/TaskInProgress"/>        <!-- flag -->
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/TaskSuccessful"/>        <!-- flag -->
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/TaskFailed"/>            <!-- flag -->
            <ELEMENT Tag="KRC/Tick"/>                  <!-- INT -->
        </XML>
    </SEND>
</ETHERNETKRL>

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Example send

Code

RET=EKI_SetString(XmlPC[], "KRC/CurrProgName",        EKI_KRC_CURR_PROG[])
RET=EKI_SetBool(XmlPC[], "KRC/Ready",                 EKI_KRC_READY)
RET=EKI_SetBool(XmlPC[], "KRC/Faulted",               EKI_KRC_FAULTED)
RET=EKI_SetBool(XmlPC[], "KRC/Idle",                  EKI_KRC_IDLE)
RET=EKI_SetBool(XmlPC[], "KRC/TaskInProgress",        EKI_KRC_TASK_IP)
RET=EKI_SetBool(XmlPC[], "KRC/TaskSuccessful",        EKI_KRC_TASK_SUCCESSFUL)
RET=EKI_SetBool(XmlPC[], "KRC/TaskFailed",            EKI_KRC_TASK_FAILED)
RET=EKI_SetInt(XmlPC[], "KRC/Tick",                   EKI_KRC_TICK)

Example receive

Code

RET=EKI_GetString(XmlPC[],"PC/Command", EKI_PC_CMD[])

this would also work:

Code

rEt=EkI_GeTstRing(XmlPC[],"PC/Command", EkI_pC_CmD[])

but this would NOT...

Code

RET=EKI_GetString(XmlPC[],"PC/ComMANd", EKI_PC_CMD[])

EthernetKRL - Connected, But No Data Transmission

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