MCTL-003 Code but no fault code or alarm

    Hello everyone,

    Just this past Friday, I started working on an old M-3ia/6a robot with an R30iA controller that my company bought used. I did an Image Restore and went through the process of mastering and getting all of my faults to clear. I have been working with Fanuc Robots for about 5 years now, but this is a new one for me. I turned off my UOP's for now. When I go to jog, I clear my faults and everything turns green, I even hear that kick you usually hear with the servos. But as soon as I try to move, I get the MCTL-003 code while everything remains green and ready to move. I get no other fault code with it, even after I clear it. So I cannot move my robot at all, but not sure exactly what is causing it.

    I have not replaced the batteries in the robot yet, was going to try that today. But I do not think that will help me, I am not getting any alarm related to the batteries. I already tried to switch teach pendants and the cable. Was going to start diving into the axis servo board and the inner components of the robot controller. I am thinking its more of a hardware issues right now.

    There are a few external connections coming out of the robot controller. Only one came with one jumper plug. But if those were causing me issues, I would think I would get an external fault or something.

    Thats about everything I tried so far on Friday. Going to dive back into it today, hope someone can give me some kind of guidance or direction!

    Thanks for any help!

    Cody

  • MOM March 11, 2024 at 1:00 PM

    Approved the thread.

    I cannot get the image to attach. But the alarm history reads: MCTL-003 system is in error status and that is all that shows up on the screen. Over and over again haha. No other faults, and my fault lights are off at the time.

    MCTL-003 is an error that only informs you that system if on error state, nothing specific.

    On the alarm history you should be able to see the real cause of that error, but if it doesn't appear, my bet is that you are running on an overtravel issue or an error regarding calibration/pulsecoder or battery, as you said that it's an used robot that you don't know if battery status is good.

    If you have the original calibration values written somewhere, try to calibrate completelly the mechanical unit on the same position it is right now, if the error clears, then move all axis around +-10 degrees before calibrating it again in order to allow the motor encoders to do a full turn.

    Jog in joint mode, not in cartesian, as if it's a problem with the pulsecoder alarm you will not be able to move it in cartesian mode or execute any program motion.

    If the cause is an overtravel alarm, you can see the afected axis on MENU, NEXT, STATUS, AXIS, MONITOR, the axis with overtravel will have an 1 on the OT field.

    You should be able to move the robot by clearing the error and JOGGING without releasing SHIFT. There is also a menu to temporally disable the overtravel alarm somewhere on the SYSTEM category, but I do not remember right now where it is.

    If something of this solves yout issue, restore the original calibration if it's still valid as it will be probably better than yours.

    Thank you Shellmer for the information! I will power the robot up this morning and check that overtravel first. When I got into the panel at the end of the day yesterday, I noticed that the servo axis board doesn't have a single led lit up when powered on. I am pretty sure there should at least be one of them on haha.

    That is where I am going to start today. I will get a manual and see if I am getting the correct power to the board. And if so, check fuses, then assume the board is bad lol.

    I do have all the original paperwork and the original core software of the robot. But from what I saw yesterday, definitely looking more like a physical hardware problem now.

    Thank you for the replies!

    WHAT DID YOU DO TO SOLVE IT?I HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY ROBOT, R2000iA 165EW and i cant move it i get the same error MCTL 003 please if someone know why please helpe me

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