Change Manipulator with different controller?

Agussyam

I have two robot, IRB120 & IRB1200, can we swap robot controller on different manipulator ?

lemster68

Two different controllers or two robots on one controller?

Agussyam

on two different controller, so manipulator 120 use IRB 1200 controller and manipulator IRB 1200 use IRB120 controller

lemster68

Hmmm, as long as the drive units are compatible, I suppose.  I would swap out the CPU's so the systems don't have to be cold started and rebuilt.  I am assuming that they are recent IRC5's.  You could even just take the SD cards and swap them from one CPU to the other, if that is the case.  However, I have to ask why do you even want to swap?

Daper

Hello,

I have two IRB4600, each with an IRC5. They are doing the same task, but not necessarily coordinated. The system configuration of both IRC5 is identical.
Do you know if it's possible to swap the robots with the controllers or is there any hardawre restriction ?
Would it also require a CPU swap ?
What if the controller's system configuration becomes different; is it possible as well ? 

graemepaulin

Hi

Are both the IRB4600 robots the same variant (reach and payload)?
If so you can swap them, but you may need to update the controller with the SMB data from the robot (later RobotWare does this automatically).
Probably also have to do a rev counter update.

As Lee said above why would you want to do this?

Daper

Hi,
They do have same variant. So if I'm not mistaken, the smb data tranfer from the "new" robot to the controller does also update the calibration offsets that are unique to each robot ? (displayed on a sticker on J2)
In my case it is essentially for maintenance purposes; I have a spare robot and I want to make sure it can replace one of the others without resetting the controller system entirely

graemepaulin

Correct the SMB will send across the motor calibration offsets.

lemster68

About the only other thing that comes to mind is that there will be a serial number mismatch.  So this swap is intended to be a temporary thing until the original robot is fixed?

Daper

Not necessarily

lemster68

One time at a build site the electricians had connected two robots to the wrong controllers.  To save them the extra work of swapping both controllers I told them to swap the main computers AND peel the identification sticker off and swap those also.  I would recommend the same in your case considering the information you have provided.

Daper

I see, thank you for this information ! I assume you would also need to swap the calibration offset values stored in each controller, due to their uniqueness, wouldn't you ?
Otherwise, don't these offset become wrong with respect to the robot they're newly stuck on ?

lemster68

Certainly.  Swap those out too if there is that sticker in the cabinet.

lemster68

Just to make things clear for anyone who comes across this, the sticker on the robot arm should remain on the robot.