Programming External Axis - Roboguide

    Afternoon guys,

    I am trying to build up some experience of these Fanuc's and i want to try and get my process right.

    I first started with roboguide early this year to which I have been tasked to learn how to program on this properly then eventually take my knowledge and apply it to a real-world Cell.
    My issue is using user frames, I understand what they are and what they are there for however there are multiple groups of other axis all using FANUC motors such as a rotary table, a tilt, linear rails and even vice jaws, these can be programmed/controlled within roboguide but i can only make them work when it is in user frame 0 if i try and use user frame 1 like i usually do with programming the robot itself it tells me the point is unreachable.

    Is it normal to program these external axis points in userframe 0 or am i missing something here?

    I'm really sorry if I butchered this explanation I'm still quite fresh to all of this!

    Thanks in advance!

  • kwakisaki May 15, 2024 at 1:36 PM

    Approved the thread.

    By default, user frames don't have provisions for extended axis so yes, the extended axis values don't change when switching user frames. There may be an option that incorporates that, I haven't had the need, but it would be nice to know for future use.

    Maybe someone else here can jump in with an option ID if its available?

    One simple illustration would be when you have a program that contains hundreds or thousands of positions. Now the supervisor comes in and demands that the area where all these positions are located should be moved x mm and rotated y degrees.

    If you set up a user frame prior to teaching all your positions, and use this UF for all these positions, then you simply just have to reteach the UF (3 positions: Origin, X-direction and Y-direction) and the whole program will be shifted accordingly.

    (Yes, there is ways of making this happen in other ways also..)


    For aux axes, there is no need for a user frame, unless you're using coordinated motion. But then you will have to set up a coordinated frame evertheless.

    Either your aux axis is moving to a joint position, or an absolute mm-value. If it's an extended axis (like a rail), then it's already part of the robot's motion group and will be using the same UF as the robot.

    That makes sense. Someone else had already set all this up before i got onto it but it is only partially complete so there sections of programmes missing.

    UF1 is called "coordinated frame" which seems to relate to what you said and when i do move something like the rails the points do follow. I use Joint CNT's for the Aux axis which is what I've witnessed on the other programs.

    The Rail, Tilt and Rotary are in the same group (GP3)
    The Vice Jaws are in their own group (GP4)

    So am I doing the right thing by setting the UF to 0 to position the the table etc then calling a UF1 to then set my points for the robot?


    Thanks for all the help, really appreciate it!

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