Mechanism Type - what behavior can be expected?

Thomas J

Currently experienceing some troubles with mecanism and external axis configured in Robot System.

 

When you create a mechanism, you have the following choices in the Mechansim Type drop down list:

 

Robot

Tool

External Axis

Device

Conveyor

 

Excluding the last one, what behavior can one expect when attaching the mechanism to Axis 6 of robot, and connecting it to the external axis in System Configuration?

 

Creating a Device and attaching it tool flange, makes robtargets defiened with respect to wobj0 jump out of position when you try to Jump to target or Configurations...

 

Creating an External Axis for the mechanism <by itself> seems to work - but when you attach other mechanisms defined as Device to the External Axis mechanism, that have nothing to do with the external axis deifned in the VC, just some anitmation for gripper open/close and slide retract/extend you can not create a workobject anymore that will stay where you defined it! - Graphically it is represented OK, but the workobject seems to attach to the robot and move with the robot, even though Robot holds workobject is False, and programmed = True!

 

Maybe its just my ignorance since I do not know the intended behavior of RS for the diffenrent Mechanism Types available to choose from when you create one intended to be attached to Joint 6 of robot, or maybe there is a bug?

 

can anyone clear this up for me ?

Laro88

Can't clear it up, sorry, just add my pers. experience.

I have a mechanism ( Device ) attached to the robot. ( simple 1. Joint rotational )

However, I could not get the TCP to stick to the device, gave up after a couple of hours, and reverted to compute the tcp manually in C# and make it part of my generated path.

Perhaps you are seeing the "wierdness" that made me revert to manual computation.

The documentation with regards to Mechanisms are at best lacking ( I haven't found any yet ) so it is a bit like coding gui while blindfolded

Anders S

The different mechanism types works like this:

 

Robot

As the name say, a robot which will be controlled by a Virtual Controller. All robot models that can be used in RobotStudio 5.xx are installed with RobotStudio, so I donA't think you ever has to create your own robot mechanism.

 

Tool

A robhold tool with kinematic. For a "static" tool, the create tool wizard should be used.

Tool is the only type of mechanism where you can define a tooldata.

 

External Axis

A mechanism that should be controlled by the Virtual Controller as an external axis. For example a track or a positioner. It can also be attached to the robot, but the tooldata frame has to be defined separately.

 

Device

A device can not be controlled by the Virtual Controller as an external axis. It can only be controlled via the Event Table or a VSTA macro.

 

Conveyor

Is only used together with Conveyor Tracking.