KAREL Convert String to Byte and then send Thru Socket Messaging

    Hello! I am sorta new to KAREL(only have read the manual about 50times trying to figure this out :winking_face_with_tongue:) but am getting quite familiar since I have been working with trying to get a system up an running.

    I have an established socket messaging situation where I need to send a Tag (4 byte), Length (4byte) and Value (n* byte determined by length) (TLV COMMAND) to a port. I have already established connection and have data passing back and forth. The issue is that the pc that is taking the data from the message is reading it as little endian format.

    For example, I want to send the no. 20401. As hex that number is 4FB1. But the way the pc needs to see it is: B1 4F 00 00 (little endian).

    So, the question is how to I send a code of 20401(00 00 4F B1 -> B1 4F 00 00), length of 14 (00 00 00 0E-> 0E 00 00 00) through a FILE WRITE send an array of bytes or a structure of the whole TLV command through that port?

    In python and even ABB, you can pack bytes and then send it at once, but when I pack into a variable - array1: ARRAY[4] of INTEGER, I cannot send the entire array at once without my TP giving me an error of INTP-319 Invalid type code. The file type I am sending through doesnt seem to like the array.

    Code is below: (connection is established and proven)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ROUTINE convert_to_little_endian(INPUT : INTEGER)
    VAR
    temp : INTEGER
    BEGIN
    temp = INPUT
    little_endian[1] = temp AND 255
    temp = temp DIV 256
    little_endian[2] = temp AND 255
    temp = temp DIV 256
    little_endian[3] = temp AND 255
    temp = temp DIV 256
    little_endian[4] = temp AND 255
    END convert_to_little_endian

    ROUTINE array_to_string
    VAR
    temp_str : STRING[5]
    BEGIN
    buffer = ''
    FOR i = 1 TO 4 DO
    CNV_INT_STR(little_endian[i], 3, 0, temp_str)
    buffer = buffer + temp_str + ' '
    ENDFOR
    END array_to_string



    BEGIN
      

    SET_FILE_ATR(file_var1, ATR_IA)
    SET_VAR(entry,
    '*SYSTEM*','$HOSTC_CFG[1].$SERVER_PORT',50000,status)
    MSG_DISCO('C1:',status)
    -- Connect the tag
    WRITE('Connecting..',CR)
    MSG_CONNECT('C1:',status)
    WRITE(' Connected! Connect Status = ',status,CR)
    loop1 = TRUE
    IF status = 0 THEN
    WHILE loop1 = TRUE DO
    CLOSE FILE file_var1
    WRITE('Opening File 1..',CR)
    OPEN FILE file_var1('rw','C1:')
    convert_to_little_endian (20401)
                    
    WRITE ('file_var1 was just opened with data=',CR)
    WRITE file_var1(little_endian,CR) -- Testing 0550 as a number to send and get it swapped in order
    WRITE (little_endian,CR) -- Testing 0550 as a number to send and get it swapped in order

  • kwakisaki January 13, 2025 at 11:55 PM

    Approved the thread.

    If anyone was wondering, the KAREL socket messaging is always in ASCII, even when i set its attribute type to UF (unformatted) so i had to do a lot of conversions to and from ascii to be able to read and write bytes from the other system. I had to use an output from the robot to also clear the alarm on the other device due to it faulting everytime i connected or disconnected with KARELs SM. This was very annoying and I even tested a direct connection from a Python server to the PC and there was no alarm and no issues when I ran socket connects and disconnects from python. KAREL in comparison just didn't function according to the manual or to supports advice.

    KAREL was very difficult, dont recommend.

    A quick search in the manuals I am using for the project and I do not see any SWAP_INT, or SWAP_REAL instructions in the document. Maybe I have been referencing an incorrect manual, but it is the one I was pointed to directly from FANUC for a Mini Plus controller.

    I can handle the data conversion, but when I can not read or end a connection from the controller with the dedicated functions and examples direct from FANUC support/manuals, it makes it very difficult to believe/trust.

    Please provide a manual number with your references so I can take a look.

    Hi cl_controls ,

    I'm not sure it's works but you can use kldutil.kl, precesily the routines below :

    ROUTINE strg_to_int(text:STRING): INTEGER FROM klutlext

    ROUTINE int_to_strg(int:INTEGER):STRING FROM klutils

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