How to EXT start a robot program with no operator input on the HMI after a cold start

    Hi,

    I have an enclosed production cell. A Siemens S7-1500 is the master controller with a Siemens HMI.

    Operator safety signal is wired through the safety door relays - so no safety risk

    KRC5 micro with a new KR Scara robot. KSS 8.7

    I want to be able to just turn on the production cell without the operator needing to go and press "Acknowledge general motion enable" , picking the right program, doing the BCO run and setting the robot to EXT mode. So the operator only operates the Siemens HMI and not the robot Teach Pendent.

    I know you can somehow automatically start a program with SPS.SUB

    I can run an interrupt program that can go from $POS_INT to a directly high safe Z positon and to XHOME.

    Can you guys point me to the right direction?

    wrong title... your post is not about how to trigger a cold start but how to do something once the cold start is performed.

    Quote from Koppel

    I want to be able to just turn on the production cell without the operator needing to go and press "Acknowledge general motion enable" , picking the right program, doing the BCO run and setting the robot to EXT mode. So the operator only operates the Siemens HMI and not the robot Teach Pendent.

    The simplest way is to:

    1. map some IO between PLC and KRC

    2. configure on robot side AutoExternal interface (this is covered in KUKA programming 1)

    3. create PLC logic to handle AutoExternal interface

    4. create KRL code that will check if correct program is selected. if not correct - deselect it. if no program is selected, select one you want. this uses CWRITE commands and example is already inside CELL.SRC but it is before the loop. i like to do this inside the loop so it ALWAYS works, not only on boot.

    5. select EXT mode (this is still manual but controller will remember it...)

    6. there is no BCO mode in EXT mode (even if there is a message telling otherwise). this means when you tell robot to move in EXT it immediately moves at programmed speed. So if robot is not already at home you need to either abort and ask for human intervention OR you need to create own program that can safely bring robot to home position from anywhere. this can be tricky and it is meant for advanced programmers only. If you take KUKA training, this is covered in 3rd programming course.

    Quote from Koppel

    I can run an interrupt program that can go from $POS_INT to a directly high safe Z positon and to XHOME.

    this does not require interrupts. interrupts are only used when something may happen and one does not know if and when that may be. here you do know that every time program is selected robot need to go home - there is no ambiguity about it so static program structure is perfectly fine.

    1) read pinned topic: READ FIRST...

    2) if you have an issue with robot, post question in the correct forum section... do NOT contact me directly

    3) read 1 and 2

    "1. map some IO between PLC and KRC"

    DONE

    "2. configure on robot side AutoExternal interface (this is covered in KUKA programming 1)"

    DONE

    "3. create PLC logic to handle AutoExternal interface"

    I usually enable the REFLECT_PROG_NR and I compare what I want with the one that is reflected and if they match I send. PGNO_VALID... Is this what you mean?

    "4. create KRL code that will check if correct program is selected. if not correct - deselect it. if no program is selected, select one you want. this uses CWRITE commands and example is already inside CELL.SRC but it is before the loop. i like to do this inside the loop so it ALWAYS works, not only on boot."

    KRL code?

    "5. select EXT mode (this is still manual but controller will remember it...)"

    "6. there is no BCO mode in EXT mode (even if there is a message telling otherwise). this means when you tell robot to move in EXT it immediately moves at programmed speed. So if robot is not already at home you need to either abort and ask for human intervention OR you need to create own program that can safely bring robot to home position from anywhere. this can be tricky and it is meant for advanced programmers only. If you take KUKA training, this is covered in 3rd programming course."

    I cannot find "Programming 3" And we have attended Programming 1 and 2.

    Robot programmers | KUKA College

  • Koppel December 13, 2022 at 10:02 AM

    Changed the title of the thread from “How to cold start a robot with no operator input on the HMI” to “How to EXT start a robot program with no operator input on the HMI after a cold start”.

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