Handling Tool: Generating MHFault

    Hey, all. Quick question regarding MH faults in Handling Tool version 8.33 (so, the special GM version).

    I have a vacuum gripper with vacuum sensors but no part-present sensors. In the MH Valves setup, I've set the Continuous Check of the Vacuum Feedback to Yes. The Pick program calls the standard Vaccum On macro to activate the vacuum valves, and I've confirmed that that all works fine. The Vac On program will throw an alarm if the vacuum feedback DIs don't come on.

    But! After picking the part, while the robot is returning to Home position, if I yank the part off the vacuum cups, nothing happens -- going by the Handling Tool manual, there should be a robot alarm, and the doMHFault signal to the PLC should be turned on. None of this happens -- the robot just sails on without apparently noticing that it lost the part.

    I've confirmed that the Vac Feedback DIs do turn Off when I yank the part loose, so it's not a signal issue.

    One odd thing: when I was changing the Continuous Check option, and hit Apply, I got a message "no changes to apply" on the pendant. Odd. But after doing a cold boot, the option is still set to Yes, so I'm fairly confident that the change was made.

    I won't have a chance to try forcing this test in Auto mode for a while yet. Does this MHFault only work in auto, or should it also work in T1?

    According to the HT manual, if the Continuous Check option is set, the Vac On program should set a condition handler that monitors the vacuum feedback DIs until the Vac Off program is executed. I'm not familiar with handlers -- is there a way I can check if this one is being "armed"?

  • Go to Best Answer
    Quote from HawkME

    I don't have the answer, but it seems overly complicated. I would just use BGlogic.

    I can't, though -- this is a GM production job, so I'm stuck with the 100% approved GM software load and templates. There's an entire stack (tower of Pisa?) of black-box robot-side and PLC-side software that depends on me programming 100% to The Standard.

    Which I understand, they want every robot to be the same no matter who picks up the pendant or opens the PLC, in any facility. But when their black-box stuff doesn't behave as expected, troubleshooting it becomes a major issue.

    • Best Answer

    You should be able to check for condition monitors in the status menu to see what is active. There are system variables that affect the behavior of condition monitors as well.

    I think you should definitely test in auto, maybe with a simple dummy program. I have seen other features that only work in auto.

    SkyeFire I know it's been a few years, but did you find any more info on this?

    We've got issues where the "condition handler" doesn't turn off during recoveries, You can select "cancel and recover" and it continues to alarm for vacuum not made, even thought the outputs are off.

    I understand this is the opposite to what your original issue was, but the info may still be relevant.

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