Unable to debug after migration to 5.07

ycasas

Hello all,

I have just upgraded the whole pack RobotWare/RobotStudio/Robot Application Builder from 5.06 to 5.07.

I have recompiled my Flexpendant applications and tested them on the Virtual Flexpendant.

Everything is apparently fine except for one thing: when I try to debug the application from Visual Studio 2003, as described in the manual (Debug>Processes, etc) a message box pops up with the text:

Unable to attach to the process

This used to work before the migration (with 5.06).

Does anyone have a clue of what I made wrong? What am I missing? Anyone went successfully through the migration process?

Thanks in advance.

RussD

There was the following note under the known limitations section of the Release Notes. Did you try this?

4. If you want to test your application using a virtual controller you have to copy the file ABB.Robotics.Controllers.dll to the directory where the assemblies that construct your application are located. You find assembly ABB.Robotics.Controllers.dll in the install directory of the  FlexPendant SDK. Default location:

C:Program FilesABB Industrial ITRobotics ITRobot Application BuilderFlexPendant SDK5.0X.00XXin

ycasas

Hello Russell,

Thank you for your suggestion. If I manage to find out what is "the directory where the assemblies that construct your applications are located", I will try it

However, this note was found already in the Release Notes of 5.06 and I had no problems then. What's more, I have no problems testing my application on the Virtual Controller (it works fine!) but trying to launch the debugger...

I suspect the problem might come from a different place, namely, that I am trying to debug a Compact Framework 2.0 process using Visual Studio 2003.

What version of Visual Studio are you working with?

Regards,

 

RussD

Primarily I am using VS 2005, but I have VS 2003 and an internal version of the VIRC5 installed on my laptop, and I am able to attach to the process with the debugger.

In the Beta 5.07 days, we were told to installl new components in this order:

1 RSOnline, 2. RobotWare, 3. FP SDK, 4. PC SDK, 5. VIRC5
I believe you must have the ,Net Framework 2.0 runtime + .Net Framework SDK 2.0 installed as well, do you have these installed?RussD2006-6-22 16:48:25

ycasas

Hello Russell,

I have both the .NET Framework 2.0 runtime and SDK that got installed along with Visual Studio 2005. Actually, I have been able attach to the Virtual Flexpendant process with VS 2005 successfully.

However, the Flexpendant application I have developed is a VS 2003 project and I just hoped I could manage not to migrate it to VS 2005 for the moment.

As for the components' installation order, I am using RobotStudio instead of VIRC, and the order everything got installed was:

1 RW, 2 RobotStudio, 3 RobotStudio Online, 4 FP SDK

The first 3 where installed in the order suggested by the RobotStudio CD. Afterwards, I installed RAB (only the FP SDK). Do you think it would have been better to install first the FP SDK and then Robot Studio?

I hope I can find a way to use the debugger... I don't think I can live without it

 

RussD

It doesn't seem like it should make a difference if you install FPSDK before or after, its just a bunch of files that are distinct from RS, but who knows?

Do you have VS 2005 and 2003 installed on the same machine? That might be a source of trouble, because I don't know what the FPSDK installation does if it finds both versions (it installs some different files depending on the VS version).

Sounds like it might be an issue for Product Support...

ycasas

Hello Russell,

I agree in that the order of installation is most likely unimportant. As for the coexistence of VS 2003 and VS 2005, this shouldn't be a problem, either: according to the release notes (and my own experience), just both versions of the FP SDK get installed.

I have also noticed that it is impossible to launch the debugger even if I choose to create a new instance of Visual Studio 2003 from the Task Manager, whereas this operation succeeds with a new instance of Visual Studio 2005, so it could have nothing to do with the FP SDK itself...

Anyway, thank you for your interest. I'll follow your advice and contact Product Support.

Regards,

 

ReneK

Hello,

if you are using the virtual FP of RobotStudio5 you need to use VS.net 2005 in order to be able to connect to the virtual FP. This is because the virtual FP in RS5 is build against .net 2.0. VS.net 2003 cannot connect to .net 2.0 processes. The virtual FP in VIRC5 is build against .net 1.1.

best regards

Ren?

ycasas

Hello,

Actually, IT IS possible to attach to the Virtual Flexpendant 5.07 using Visual Studio 2003, even though it runs on the 2.0 Compact Framework. I am doing so, and apparently everything works fine. All I had to do is modify the congifuration file that tells the Virtual Flexpendant which version of the Framework it should use:

C:Program FilesABB Industrial ITRobotics ITRobotStudioBinVirtual FlexPendant.exe.config
By default there are both the 1.1 and the 2.0 versions like this:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727" />
<supportedRuntime version="v1.1.4322" />
</startup>
</configuration>
With this configuration, I was unable to attach to the process. But there are several succesful configurations:
1) Commenting out the line corresponding to the 2.0 version.
2) Leaving both lines, but inverting the order: first the line corresponding to 1.1 and second the one corresponding to 2.0.
3) Commenting out both lines.
I am not sure of the consequences of forcing the Virtual Flexpendant to work with the .NET 1.1, since some of the RAB libraries might use part of the functionality exclusive to .NET 2.0. So if you decide to do it, be at your own risk!
Probably, the best choice is to migrate the whole project to VS 2005, since future versions of RAB won't support VS2003 anyway.
However, this is a temporary solution that has been very useful to me!!
Best regards,

RussD

Thanks for sharing your findings.