Cell with a large number of P Variables - YRC1000

Hello All,

Obligatory first post.

I am in the planning stages for a cell with two machine tending robots, each with a YRC1000 controller. Because there is a pretty large number of workpieces that these robots will eventually handle, I want to have a large number of positions available (maybe eventually 500+ as the customer continues to add new workpieces to their catalogue, more than I could get by just expanding the memory allotment). Because of the shape of the workpiece’s modifying the p-variables by calculations/shifts are probably not going to work. The customer and I are going to have to teach the pick/place positions for each workpiece.

I made a similar cell using a FANUC controller and my strategy was:

-Robot gets part number from PLC

-Robot runs a program specific to each part with the local positions for that particular workpiece which overwrites the global positions to be the same as the local positions taught for that part

-Robot runs does it motion using the newly overwritten global positions. The customer can copy and paste new programs and update the local positions whenever they developed a new part.

I was going to do something similar but Yaskawa local teach points are not numbered/nameable like the ones in a FANUC controller and I don’t think they can be worked on by commands like `GETE` etc.. I searched around the forum and didn’t see the same issue, I'm also pretty new to robotics so maybe I'm overlooking something obvious? Should I possibly be using a FTP system?

Quote from TSGIR

It is possible increase the P-variable numbers.

How many P-variables need in your project?

Thank you, but I think it the max is 255 P variables after memory allotment expansion though, I'll will need more than that ( estimating between 500-800, similar positions just slighty different, also the customer will want to expand in the future).

Quote from Lemster68

You could load var.dat files specific to groups of parts.

I like this approach, is it possible to load files via inform command?

Quote from 95devils

You have a YRC. You can expanded the position variables to 1600. This is dependent on software version but it is definitely 1000 minimum.

You can load jobs through the Inform List. Loadj and Savej, as long as you have the Visual DCI software option. The job has all the position variables taught in the job, their tool number, format, and values at the time of the save.

Other files you would have to use some other method, like FTP.

OK thank you, I didn't know they could be expanded that far, 1000 should be enough to cover it and seems like the simpliest method. I'll look at the loadj and savej commands too.

Quote from Lemster68

Get a CMOS image before increasing the position variable allocation. Our DX 200 will get quite unhappy if you try to load a var.dat without the matching number of position variables as allocated, so be aware of that, too.

Luckily for me these are brand new robots, so I dont have to worry about losing data. (I'll do a full backup when I receive them in their factory state of course). Ive been burned by that before though, usually from programming offline and forgetting to expand the offline controller's variables.

Quote from WattUp

I store offset values from a baseline position per typeset.

Then use a sete to load the values into a posvar.

I have also done GETS, Invmat, Mulmat combo to get new posvar based on current position

I've done this before too but usually for minor adjustments of positions through the touch panel (to allow the customer to make fine x/y/z adjustments to placement etc.)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I visit the forum all the time but this is the first time Ive asked for help, lots of suggestions for me to try out. The controllers/bots wont show up for another 6 weeks, but I'll try to post what I ended up doing if its something interesting.