TOUCH SCHEDULE DATA MENU


TOUCH SCHEDULE DATA MENU

A touch schedule is a series of conditions that control how the search motion is completed. Thirty-two (32) touch schedules are available.

Table 1.  Touch Sensing Schedule Setup Items

ITEM DESCRIPTION

Touch Schedule

This item indicates the number of the displayed schedule. A comment can be entered.

Master Flag

Default = OFF

This item enables the search routine to be used as a mastering routine for those touch sensing programs that generate position offset information. If set to ON, when the search routine is executed, the touched positions are recorded as the reference positions to be used by future searches. This flag must be set to OFF after the master search is completed in order to generate position offset information on the objects to be searched. Also, when the search is performed, the position offset information in the position register is set to all zero values. This means the when touch sensing finds the object in its master position, no offset is to be applied to the weld path.

Note

The Master Flag condition has no effect on simple searches.

Search Speed

Default = 50.0 mm/sec

This item specifies how fast the robot will move when performing a Search Motion.

Caution

A search motion is programmed as a motion option at the end of a position instruction. The speed at which the robot will move is determined by the search speed, not by what is indicated in the position instruction. During testing, when dry run is in effect, this search speed is also used. The dry run speed has no effect.

Search Distance

Default = 100 mm

This item defines how far the robot can move when it is performing a search. Error code THSR-017 Pause No contact with part. is displayed when this distance is reached without making contact with the object.

Touch Frame

Default = 1

This item defines the touch frame to be used in the touch schedule. This determines the x, y, and z directions for the search motion. The same touch frame can be used in more than one touch schedule. When using multi-arm simultaneous touch sensing, each touch process robot can define its own touch frame within the same touch frame number.

Search Patterns

Default = SIMPLE

This item defines the type of object to be searched and causes the software to compute the found position or positional offset information dependent on the search pattern selected. The computed data is stored in a position register. There are four available search patterns:

  • Simple Search

  • Fillet Search

  • V-Groove Search

  • OD/I D Search

Pattern Type

Default = 1_D Shift

1_D Shift

2_D Shift

3_D Shift

1_D Offset

2_D Offset

3_D Offset

This item selects the type of offset to be stored in the position register. Six pattern types are available: Stores a one dimensional offset. Offsets can be in the x, y, or z direction. Stores a two dimensional offset. Offsets can be in two of the x, y, or z direction. Stores a three dimensional offset to a program. Offsets are in the x, y, or z direction. Stores a one dimensional offset with rotation about the axis of which the search is not performed. Stores a two dimensional offset with rotation about the axis of which no searches are performed. For example, if the object is being searched for an offset in both the x and y directions, a 2_D Shift & Rotate search can offset for a rotation about the z axis. Stores a three dimensional offset with rotation about the axis of which no searches are performed. For example, if the object is being searched for an offset in both the x and y directions, a 3_D Shift & Rotate search can offset for a rotation about the z axis.

Note

Simple, OD/ID, and V-Groove search patterns are pre-defined. Changing the pattern type for these searches has no effect.

Incremental Search

Default = ON

NOTE: Simple search does not support incremental search

Auto Return

Default = ON

This item moves the robot back to the search start position when contact is made with the object. If set to OFF, the robot stops at the contact point and moves straight to the next position.

Return Speed

Default = 100 mm/sec

This item specifies the speed at which the robot will return to the search start position upon making contact with the part.

Return Distance

Default = 2000 mm

Minimum = 0 mm

Maximum = 2000 mm

When Auto Return is set to ON, Return Distance specifies the distance the robot will return automatically. If the return distance passes the initial search start position, the robot will return to the initial start position.

Reference Group

This item specifies how the offset is recorded:

  • 0 : There is no reference group and no leader group. OFFSET is recorded with respect to the robot itself.

  • 1 : OFFSET is recorded with respect to the UFRAME of robot group 1.

  • 2 : OFFSET is recorded with respect to the coordinated frame of robot group 2 (leader)

    Caution

    Searches and offsets for coordinated motion cannot be mixed with non-coordinated. That is, you cannot do searches for coordinated motion, then do searches for non-coordinated motion, and then use the offset from the coordinated motion search. You must use the offsets for coordinated motion searches before doing any non-coordinated searches. Similarly, you must use any offsets from non-coordinated motion searches before doing any coordinated motion searches.

  • 3 : OFFSET is recorded with respect to the coordinated frame of robot group 3 (leader).

  • 4 : OFFSET is recorded with respect to the coordinated frame of robot group 4 (leader).

  • 5 : OFFSET is recorded with repsect to the coordinated frame of robot group 5 (leader). NOTE: For searches other than simple search, Reference Group must equal the frame Reference Group. Otherwise, an error message, "Reference grp mismatch," will be displayed. For simple search , Reference Group must be 1. Otherwise an error message, "Illegal motion ref. grp," will be displayed.

Return Term Type

Default = Fine

This item specifies the termination type the robot will use to return to the search start position. Five Return Term Types are available:

  • FINE

  • CNT20

  • CNT40

  • CNT100

Contact Record PR

Default = 32

The search output position register is used as a temporary buffer to hold the last search contact position. The purpose for this temporary position register buffer is to provide the ability to look at the positional data of an individual search, or to extract data from the buffer in a program. By default, this register is position register 32. The search output position register should be assigned to the last position register number in your system.

Warning

The data position register is overwritten at each motion so the same position register should not be used to store the final positional data from the search motion. Also, the contents of this temporary buffer is a real position, not an offset. Do not program motion instructions to use this position register data as an offset.

Error on Failure

Default = ON

This item posts error code THSR - 017( PAUSE) No contact with part , if the search move exceeds the distance set in Search Distance. When OFF, the program execution continues with the next instruction if the Search Distance is exceeded; Programming Hint: If this is set to OFF, the next instruction in the program looks at the contents of the Error Register and branches accordingly.

Error Register Number

Default = 32

When Error On Failure is set to OFF, this register is set to 1 when the search distance is exceeded. A successful search sets this register to 0.

Robot Group Mask

This item specifies the motion group performing the search move and to which the offset is applied. When using DualARM or Multi-Robot systems this can be group 1 or 2. For single group systems this will always be 1. For coordinated motion Touch Sensing, the leader and follower groups must be included in the touch frame you select. Robot group mask together with reference group should be equal to TP program group mask that uses this touch schedule, otherwise an error "Group number mismatch" will be posted. When using multi-arm simultaneous touch sensing, all touch process robots used by this schedule should be included in this item.