TCP MATE MENU SCREENS


TCP MATE MENU SCREENS

1. TCP MATE MENU SCREEN

You can adjust the tool center point from the TCP Mate Menu screen.

Before you can use TCPMate, you must select the TCPMate mode. Refer to Table 1, "TCPMate Mode Setup Items " for listings and descriptions of the TCPMate mode setup items.

Note

If orientation recovery is used, it is important that the TCP location reflect the TCP that is along the shaft. If the TCP location is inaccurate, you might need to run TCPMate twice to recover the TCP accurately.

Table 1. TCPMate Mode Setup Items

ITEM DESCRIPTION

Current Tool

This item is the UTOOL number and the current tool value.

TCP Offset

Units: mm

This item is the difference between the current tool and the mastered tool.

Mode

Values: TCP XY, TCP XYZ, TCP XYZWPR, TCP Z, QUICK XY, TCP ALIGN

This item is the type of motion and offset that TCPMate will correct.

Setup

Values: COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE

This item indicates whether TCPMate setup is complete. If Setup is INCOMPLETE, you can not run TCPMate.

Reference

Values: COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE

This item indicates whether the tool reference setup is complete. If Reference is INCOMPLETE, you can not run TCPMate.

Tool Log

Values: ENABLED or DISABLED

Default: ENABLED

This item indicates whether the TCP log utility is enabled. When ENABLED, the tool log stores the x, y, z, w, p, and r values for the previous tool.

2. TCP MATE CALIBRATION SETUP MENU SCREEN

Before you can use TCPMate, you must set up and calibrate the TCP. Refer to Table 2, "TCPMate TCP Calibration Items " for listings and descriptions of the TCPMate TCP calibration items.

Table 2. TCPMate TCP Calibration Items

ITEM DESCRIPTION

Sensor Type

Values: TOS Wrist, I/O, TOS & I/O, or TOS All Axes

Default: TOS All Axes

This item indicates the kind of sensor used for contact detection. The three modes are:

  • TOS Wrist (Torque Observer Sensor on Wrist) - the contact torque will be monitored, and only the observed torque will be used to determine the contact position. When TOS Wrist is selected, no I/O connection is required for contact detection.

  • I/O - the specified I/O will be monitored and only the state of this input will be used to determine the contact position. Use the digital input port for contact detection with I/O. Refer to Digital Port item in this table for more information.

  • TOS & I/O - both torque and I/O will be monitored, and the first one to be detected will be used to determine the contact position.

  • TOS All Axes (Torque Observer Sensor, All Axes) - The contact torque will be monitored on all robot axes, and only the observed torque will be used to determine the contact position. This is the default value. When TOS All Axes is selected, no I/O connection is required for contact detection.

Digital Port

Values: RDI, DI, WDI, or WSI

Default: RDI

This item indicates the desired input port type. The port types are:

  • RDI - Robot Digital Input

  • DI - normal Digital Input

  • WDI - Weld Digital Input

  • WSI - Wire Stick circuit Input The port type that you specify is followed by the desired port number that will go from OFF to ON when contact is detected. The WDI and WSI ports are typically used for arc welding. You will set this item up if you selected either I/O, or I/O & TOS, as the Sensor Type. You do not need to set this up if you selected TOS as the Sensor Type.

Circuit Enable

Values: RDO, DOUT, WDO, or WSO

Default: RDO

This item indicates the circuit enable digital output port type. The port types are:

  • RDO - Robot Digital Output

  • DOUT - normal Digital Output

  • WDO - Weld Digital Output

  • WSO - Wire Stick circuit Output The port type that you specify is followed by the desired port number that will be used to enable the I/O detection circuit. The WDO and WSO ports are typically used for arc welding. You will set this item up if you selected either I/O, or I/O & TOS, as the Sensor Type. Set the port number to 0 (zero) if you are not using this feature.

DEVICE SETUP

Two Circles

Values: TRUE or FALSE

Default: FALSE

This item enables the Two Circles method. If set to FALSE, Two Circles method is disabled.

Note

SpotTool+ uses only the Single Circle method. Two Circles should be set to FALSE for SpotTool+.

For ArcTool, this item indicates whether you have one or two circles on the touch plate. Valid values are:

  • TRUE - select this if you are using an arc torch and a wire to detect the TCP position. If TRUE, TCPMate will always execute a motion to detect the plate position (even if only XY is selected for an offset), so the tooling must be larger than the small circle.

  • FALSE - select this when the touch plate has only a single circle

Circle Axis

Values: WORLD X, Y, Z, -X, -Y, -Z

Default: WORLD Z

This item indicates the axis perpendicular to the touch plate. A normal installation is WORLD z, where -z motion from the home reference position will cause the tool to go through the touch plate circle.

Points on Circle

Range: 4, 6, 0r 8

Default: 4

This item determines how many contact points are made between the tooling and the circular opening in the touch plate. Normally, four points are used to fit the change of TCP and to provide sufficient redundancy and error detection. However, if cycle time is not a constraint, and if you want best accuracy and reliability, choose six or eight points.

TCP Z Offset

Units: mm

Range: -500.000 - 500.000

Default: 0.000

This item is the distance from the point on the tooling that contacts the plate to the actual TCP. This is used when XYZWPR mode is chosen to adjust the XYZ correction at the TCP properly when there is an orientation change. For spot welding and other applications where the contact point is the actual TCP location, this value should be zero. For Waterjet, arc welding, and other applications where the contact point is above the TCP at the time of contact, this value should be set to the distance from the contact point to the actual TCP.

Tool Log Enable

Values: TRUE or FALSE

Default: TRUE

This item enables logging of previous TCP values whenever a TCP update occurs. If set to FALSE, logging is disabled.

Tool Log Size

Range: 5 - 100

Default: 10

This item is the maximum number of TCP values that are stored in the tool log. When the maximum number is reached, the oldest stored TCP value is removed and the new one takes its place. This data is stored in permanent memory, so larger table sizes take up more space. Each entry takes approximately 40 bytes of permanent memory.

Auto Update

Values: TRUE or FALSE

Default: TRUE

This item indicates whether the automatic operation will cause the UTOOL to be changed. Automatic operation is used to detect when a collision has caused the tool to bend. It allows the Error Tolerance and Report On fields to determine whether production is stopped so that the problem can be fixed. If Auto Update is used, the UTOOL is always updated (unless Error Tolerance is exceeded).

Entering, Exiting prog

Values: valid program name(s)

These items indicate the programs that will be used before and after TCPMate motion is executed during automatic operation. These items provide entrance and exit paths, ensure a safe path to the TCPMate Approach position, and ensure the proper state of the tooling or gripper before TCPMate operation. These programs must be set for automatic operation, and they can be the same program.

Calling Prog

Values: valid program name

This item indicates the teach pendant program has the CALL TCPMATE instruction. TCPMATE will automatically increase the calling program's stack size if the program name is selected.

MOTION SETUP

Failure Retry

Values: 1 - 9

Default: 2

This item is the number of retries that will automatically perform if a failure occurs during TCPMate operation. For example, if excessive vibration causes a failure, TCPMate will continue to retry until either this number is exceeded, or until successful TCP correction is achieved.

Motion Speed

Units: mm/sec

Range: 25 - 500

Default: 50

This item is the positioning speed for TCPMate. This value can be increased if cycle time is of great concern, or it can be decreased if vibration or other disturbances cause problems with the TOS.

Fine Speed

Units: mm/sec

Range: 0.5 - 20

Default: 10

This item is the search speed for TCPMate. This speed is used for both TOS and I/O searches. The value can be increased if cycle time is of great concern (although increasing the speed will also affect the resultant accuracy and repeatability) , or reduced if vibration or other disturbances cause TCPMate to retry excessively.

Search Distance

Units: mm

Range: 50 - 500

Default: 50

This item is the maximum distance that TCPMate will move while looking for the signal.

Learn Distance

Units: mm

Range: 0.5 – 10.0

Default: 5.0

For“TOS All Axes” method only, there is a short motion before each search to identify dynamic torque values. Learn Distance is the distance in millimeters of this short motion, the direction is determined at the time of the motion.

Learn Speed

Units: mm/sec

Range: 1.0 – 75.0

Default: 10.0

For“TOS All Axes” method only, this is the speed of the learning motion before each search.

Fit Tolerance

Units: mm

Range: 0.1 - 5.0

Default: 0.25

This item is the circular fit tolerance for a successful TCP correction. If some error causes this tolerance to be exceeded, then the TCPMate operation will fail and will be done again up to the specified number of failure retries. This tolerance is the average point deviation from a perfect circle.

Radius Tolerance

Units: mm

Range: 0.1 - 5.0

Default: 0.5

This item is a fit tolerance to the radius that was determined during TCPMate mastering. This item works similarly to Fit Tolerance . If you are using the same TOOL number for different diameters of tools (or significantly different weld wire diameters), you might want to increase this value.

Align Threshold

Units: mm

Range: 0.0 -5.0

Default: 2.0

This item is the maximum alignment change allowed in millimeters from the previous TCP to the new TCP. If the alignment change is greater than the slign threshold, then a prompt box will be displayed.

Error Tolerance

Units: mm

Range: 0.1 - 100

Default: 5.0

This item is the distance in millimeters from the previous TCP to the new TCP for a single correction. If a single correction is larger than Error Tolerance, then a prompt box will be displayed.

Report On

Default: DOUT

This item is the digital output port that will be set to ON if the Error Tolerance value is exceeded during automatic operation. This allows the PLC to refrain from executing program motion until the problem is resolved.

DISTURBANCE TORQUE SETUP

Sensitivity Tolerance

Units: max. motor torque/sec.

Range: 1 - 999

Default: 10

This item is the primary sensitivity tolerance of TOS. It is the rate of change of the disturbance torque. The actual units vary with motor model, gear ratio, and amplifier current, and are affected by tooling length. However, the effect for TCPMate is largely independent of these factors and a value of 10 is considered normal operation for typical installations. You should not use a value of less than 10 or misdetections might occur. This value can be increased if false detections occur frequently.

Warning

Be careful when you change this number. Changing the sensitivity tolerance might cause a false detection. This could injure personnel or damage equipment.

Torque Threshold

Units: max. motor torque

Range: 1 to 999

Default: 100

This item is the level of disturbance torque that is used as another means of TCPMate detection. The default value of 100 is considered normal operation for typical installations. If increasing the value of Sensitivity Tolerance does not make false detections disappear, then this value should be increased until the false detections disappear; then, reset the value of Sensitivity Tolerance .

Accumulate Check

Values: TRUE or FALSE

Default: FALSE

This item enables the Accumulate Check function, which causes TCPMate to post an error if the total accumulated TCP offset since mastering exceeds a specified amount.

Accumulate Threshold

Units: mm

Range: 1.0 – 100.0

Default: 5.0

This item sets the threshold for the total accumulated TCP offset in millimeters since TCPMate mastering before an error is posted. This function works if Accumulate Check is set to TRUE.