Hello everyone, I need some help with my KRC4 controller. What I need is for the 24V outputs to be deactivated when pressing the emergency stop button, or for some connection on my X11 port that would either send or pull down a 24V signal. I've measured the pins on the X11 and all of them have a constant 24V, which I understand is for external safety signals. I would like to know if there is any pin that changes state with the internal safety of the robot. I hope this makes sense, and thanks in advance!
KRC4 Controller, X11, and Emergency Stop Assistence
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LucassNieva -
January 7, 2025 at 8:39 PM -
Thread is Unresolved
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KRC4 controller manual shows EStop status on X11 are two contacts, terminals 37-38, and 55-56
so you can run power to your outputs through those contacts. but... if anything goes wrong (overload or short circuit) you are going to damage the SIB board and that is going to be expensive...
so better idea is to only use those for signals and let the heavy lifting be done by something external and lower cost.
you can add safety monitoring relay to monitor X11 EStop status. then you can use contacts of that relay to control the power to your outputs. chances are your monitoring relay contacts have low current ratings, so you would likely need to add a pair of contactors and have them monitored as well (by the same monitoring relay).
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you need to be precise.... how are you testing?
and what do you mean by "they do not change state" when pressing EStop? what is the state?
are you able to move the robot? if you can move the robot, EStop must be ok so those contacts must be closed.
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no problem. pretty sure that i do understand your objective and you do not understand replies.
be precise...
there is more than one KRC4 type and more than one X11 type. you did not confirm which one you have and what pins you are trying to use for this.
outputs from X11 are dry contacts (potential free contacts). there is no 24V or 0V on them - unless you bring voltage to those contacts.
If nothing is connected to X11 interface, you can measure such voltage on the safety input circuits. But that is wrong circuit... You want to use KRC safety output circuits.
you did not answer my questions. be precise...
how are you testing? are you able to move robot? if so what is the status at the safety outputs? do you know how to test relay contact? measuring voltage will be fruitless if this is not wired into a circuit. if not wired, one would have to test it with continuity tester or ohm meter.
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The problem I have is that the signals from my X11 do not change state when pressing the emergency button. I’m not sure if this is due to a configuration issue.
what is the configured safety interface? if X11 is installed, most likely that is the safety interface - unless someone bypassed it and decided to use one of fieldbus based options (ProfiSafe, CIP safety or FSoE).
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.. I understand these are dry contacts, but when the connector is plugged in, I get 0V, and when I unplug it, I get 24V. So, I interpret that the relays on the SIB board are powered with 24V internally...
On which contacts do you measure 24v?
Doubt that you get it on a contact 37 - 60 on x252. On those dry contacts you can't measure any voltage, until you connect it to a power supply by your selfmade connector.
Panic_modes schematic shows the contacts, there is not much to explain about them. They open and close when the corresponding comdition is triggered. For example contacts 37—38 are shortened when internal e-stop is OK.
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Yes, but for your question in first post this is completely irrelevant.
Those signals are used to connect external e-stop, fences, light curtains and so on.
When you want to stop your own equipment like the laser, you must use the dry contacts from X252.
Looks like you should hire someone who knows a bit more about electronics.
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The 24V are on the X253 signals.
woah... why are you doing that????
i would recommend to stay away from any internal circuitry and specially naked boards (CCU, SIB, RDC...). same applies even for trained people who are familiar with ESD, and know the actual pinout of the connectors, how to interpret schematics etc. because one mistake or slip-up and you can have things damaged... or worse.
if you want help, you came to the right place but... to get correct advice, you need to follow instructions and answer asked questions. which you don't.. and it was asked several times already ("on what exact pins did you measure ..."). post #2 shows exactly where EStop status should be checked. but you did not... and it took some effort to extract from you that you are messing completely different circuit. because you do not know the difference between input and output?
inputs are signals that robot can sense. the EStop button is wired to one of internal inputs and not to X11.
outputs are signals that robot generates. and the EStop status is one of those generated signals. this signal is active (contact closed) when robot does not sense any EStops (this status combines several input signals, not just one from smartPad).
and as herman says, you are not qualified to do this. you need someone that knows much more. not just electronics but also understands safety circuits and robot safeguarding.
you did not even state what kind of laser you want to control. if this is a sensing laser (Class I for example) they are not dangerous but could be annoying or irritating if they are shining beam of light while moving. this mere annoyance can be dealt with easily, even without safety rated circuitry.
but if the laser is powerful enough and can cause harm to humans (damage eyesight or burn skin) like cutting or welding lasers, then linking them only to an EStop is unacceptable. in this case cell guarding must be used also monitored and part of safety interlock.
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do you mind sharing your solution?
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if the terminals 37 and 38 are pins on X11, that means you are using single channel of the EStop circuit to drive some relay. then relay contact is tied to some input on your laser. and another relay contact is driving sound alarm. this of course can work but without seeing entire installation i cannot say if i agree or not.
if the cell is properly guarded so robot cannot just turn around and start blinding people or cutting them in half, and one cannot access the robot area without shutting down the laser, this may be ok, at least functionally.
if that laser input is a safety input and the only protection - then answer is categorical no. first problem is that you are only using single channel. so you have no redundancy. but even if you turn your relay on through both X11 contacts (37-38 and also 55-56), your relay is also a single device (so by definition there is no redundancy). and also it is probably a general purpose relay, that is not safety rated. for a safety application that relay would need to be monitored by a safety controller which is not the case. and it would not qualify for more than what you have even if you:
a) put two of them with monitoring relay or
b) replace them by two safety relays but without monitoring relay.in general one should not mix standard and safety components or IO. one notable exception is using higher grade device (safety) for lower grade function (standard) if this is used only for annunciation or display but ... not as a safety interlock.
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Panic_mode already has mentioned it, but I think not really complete. With a laser that can cut things like wood, steel, aluminum, meat... you need a laser resistant housing with safety switches at doors and also connect them to your laser enable signal. E-stop is not the only thing to use.
Just saying, it's your life and health.
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.. I read that this can be done from WorkVisual, but I'm having trouble with it...
I also would have trouble to do this from WoV. You can't, except you write a routine, using WoV, in submit Sps.sub that does the job. BUT this will not be safety rated. If you have to switch safety relevant outputs you must do it in hardware just like your laser. F. e. by a relay switching off the power supply of your output module.
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