Operating Instructions for the Embedded Control System of the igus robolink DCi

Version 2019/10 V01.3-EN

Software Version TinyCtrl V980-04-031

Software Version CPRog V902-10
Firmware Version Supply 0x37 - 0x0302
Firmware Version Stepper 0x42 - 0x0210
Firmware Version DigitalIO 0x39-0x0309

© Commonplace Robotics GmbH, 2011 – 2019

The terms igus® and robolink® are protected trademarks of igus GmbH.

Commonplace Robotics GmbH

Im Innovationsforum Bissendorf
Gewerbepark 9-11
49143 Bissendorf, Germany
+49-5402-968929-0
[email protected]
www.cpr-roboter.de

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Content
1. Safety instructions ................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Robot components .......................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Specification ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
3. Dimensions ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Lateral view .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Hole pattern flange (axis 5) and bottom ............................................................................................... 7
4. Connections and LEDs ........................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Connections ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Digital Inputs/Outputs ................................................................................................................................... 9
4.3 LEDs ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
5. Commissioning .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
6. Operation .....................................................................................................................................................................14
6.1 Reset errors/Enable robot .........................................................................................................................14
6.2 Manual method of the robot ...................................................................................................................... 15
6.3 Referencing the robot ...................................................................................................................................16
6.4 Starting and stopping a programme ..................................................................................................... 17
6.5 Set the digital inputs/outputs .................................................................................................................. 17
6.6 Display of status information ...................................................................................................................18
7. Programming ..............................................................................................................................................................19
7.1 Establish connection......................................................................................................................................19
7.2 Creating a programme ................................................................................................................................. 20
7.3 Uploading a programme .............................................................................................................................. 20
8. Integration in safety circuit ................................................................................................................................ 21
9. Interfaces .................................................................................................................................................................... 22
9.1 Digital inputs and outputs .......................................................................................................................... 22
9.2 PLC interface .................................................................................................................................................... 22
9.3 Plug-in interface .............................................................................................................................................. 22
9.4 CRI interface...................................................................................................................................................... 23
10. Extensions / Adjustments.................................................................................................................................. 24
10.1 Galvanic isolation of digital outputs .................................................................................................... 24
11. Troubleshooting and support .......................................................................................................................... 25
11.1 Error codes ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
11.2 CAN-Bus and CPRog status information ........................................................................................... 26
11.3 Hardware ..............................................................................................................................................................27
11.4 Software .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
11.5 Support contact............................................................................................................................................... 28
12. EC Declaration of Conformity ......................................................................................................................... 29

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1. Safety instructions

 Always pay attention to safety of people while operating a robot arm or

commissioning a robot cell! Make sure that nobody is within the operating range of
the arm or other danger spots!

 CE marking: Robot arm and control system are just a part of one facility, which is
assessed in its entirety for risks and must comply with currently applicable safety
regulations. The commissioning engineer of the facility is responsible for this.

 The robot's control system has no protective devices. To ensure the essential
safety of people, suitable components, such as safety relays and door switches,
must be connected.

 Always disconnect the power supply before inserting or removing connectors, such
as the display with joystick, emergency stop, digital I/Os or external relays.
No hot plugging!

 Work on the robot's electronic system should only be carried out by qualified
personnel. Observe the common ESD guidelines.

 Do not install or remove modules during operation, nor should you plug or unplug
any connections during operation. For this, always turn off the system and unplug
the mains connector.

 The robot arm must be set up on a stable surface and bolted or otherwise secured.

 Use and store the system only in a dry, clean environment.

 Use the system only at room temperature (15° to 32°C).

 The ventilation of the system must be able to operate without hindrance. There
must be at least 10cm of space next to the robot's fan to ensure sufficient airflow to
cool the motor modules.

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2. Introduction

2.1 Robot components

Components of the robot: robot, emergency stop, control unit with joystick

Rear view of the robot

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2.2 Specification
Type igus robolink DCi
Number of axes Depending on the type: 4 - 5
Payload Depending on the type: 0.5kg

Power electronics
Voltage supply 24V >= 5A
Communication Internal CAN field bus 500kBaud
External via Ethernet
Supply module SlowStart function to prevent overload of the power
supply.
1-channel emergency stop function without safety
classification, connection option of an external safety
relay.
Stepper module For operation of a bipolar stepper motor
Microstepping up to 1/256
RS422 quadrature encoders
24V reference switch input
Digital In/Out module 4 external and 3 internal digital inputs, 12 - 24V, based on
optocouplers
4 external and 3 internal digital outputs, solid state
relay, max. 500mA

Integrated control system

Platform Phytec Wega, ARM Cortex A8 (or comparable)
Operating system Linux
Software TinyCtrl Robot Control Software
Interfaces Control of the drives and I/O modules via
the CAN bus, connection to CPR via Ethernet, RS232
display connection

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3. Dimensions

3.1 Lateral view

Diagram 1: Side view of the DCi robot. The robot axes (motors) are basically counted from the
robot base. So axis 1 is the vertical axis in the robot base. An effector (e.g., gripper) can be
attached to axis 4/5 (4 or 5-axis version).
A 4-axis robot has a mounting plate instead of the last axis.

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3.2 Hole pattern flange (axis 5) and bottom

Diagram 2: Top: Hole pattern flange of the axis 5; Bottom: Hole pattern of the robot base.

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4. Connections and LEDs

4.1 Connections

Diagram 3: Rear view of the robot base, here in the 5-axis version. In the 4-axis version the
values in parentheses apply to the motor modules.

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4.1.1 Pin assignment of support module and power supply

DC24V In 0V Outer
24V Inner
Ethernet RJ45 Standard Ethernet socket.
Use the ethernet connector on the right,
which is set to IP 192.168.3.11
Ext. Relay / Motor bridge for motors. Power supply
Motor bridge to the motors can be interrupted here.
Pin 1: 24V output
Pin 2: 24V Input for motors
Connection Pin 1: 24V
display Pin 2: not connected
Pin 3: TX
Pin 4: CAN-L
View of the plug contacts Pin 5: GND
Pin 6: GND
Pin 7: RX
Pin 8: CAN-H
Pin 9: GND
Caution! The connection is proprietary.
It is not suitable for a null modem cable
or the like.
Emergency Pin 1: 24V Output
Stop Pin 2: not connected
Pin 3: Emergency-Stop signal input
(active low)

4.2 Digital Inputs/Outputs

4.2.1 Digital I/Os and the back wall

From the Digital Input/Output (DIO) board, 4 digital outputs and 4 digital inputs are routed to
the outside. If further inputs and outputs are required, 3 more each can be achieved on the same
module in the housing of the robot. Plug-in connectors are included.

The outputs are not galvanically isolated in delivery condition; 24V and GND of the robot
control system are used. If galvanic isolation is required, this can be done as described in
section 10.1 "Galvanic isolation".

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For testing, an LED with series resistor (e.g., 2K) can be connected between e.g. DOut1
(switched + 24V) and GND of the right 6-pin plug-in connector. This can be switched later in the
software.

If an external signal from an external device has to be processed by the robot control system,
this can be given to one of the digital inputs (DInX).

The digital inputs are always galvanically isolated from the robot control system by means of
an optocoupler with 12K current limiting resistor, so as to connect both signal and 0V to the
external device. The positive signal is fed to DIn1-4 of the 5-pin plug-in connector, flows via the
12K resistor through the optocoupler diode to the GND of the 5-pin connector.

Digital I/O 0V: External Ground (-)

module DIn<X>: Digital input (+)

GND: 0V of the robot control system*

PWR: 24V of the robot control system**
DOut<X>: Digital output (24V of the robot
controller) e.g. for controlling a gripper.

*See 10.1 Galvanic isolation

4.2.2 Internal digital I/Os

If further inputs and outputs are required, 3 additional ones are available internally in the
housing of the robot on the rear side of the DIO module. To reach them, the robot must be
placed on its side. Here DOut 25,26,27 and DIn 25, 26, 27 are available.

Diagram 4: Additional internal digital I/Os.

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4.2.3 Use of digital I/Os in robot programmes

The use of the inputs and outputs takes place in CPRog with the number 21 upwards:

I/O Module Physical input/output Name in CPRog and in the

robot programme
DIO 1 (standard) Din21 to Din24 on rear wall Inputs: DIn21 to DIn27
Din25 to Din27 on inner side Outputs: DOut21 to DOut27
DOut21 to DOut24 on rear wall
DOut25 to DOut27 on inner side
DIO 2 (optional) Din31 to Din34 on rear wall Inputs: DIn31 to DIn37
Din35 to Din37 on inner side Outputs: DOut31 to DOut37
DOut31 to DOut34 on rear wall
DOut35 to DOut37 on inner side
DIO 3 (optional) Din41 to Din44 on rear wall Inputs: DIn41 to DIn47
Din45 to Din47 on inner side Outputs: DOut41 to DOut47
DOut41 to DOut44 on rear wall
DOut45 to DOut47 on inner side

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4.3 LEDs

Diagram 5: Organisation of the robot control and LED signal lights of the individual modules.

After the power supply is established, the green LEDs of all modules light up. Approximately
20-30s later, the green LEDs of the motor and IO modules start flashing , which means that the
control computer has established communication with the modules. The control system is now
ready to receive commands.

Since the motors are not yet activated, the red LEDs of the motor modules light up.

The yellow LED on the motor modules lights up when the axis' reference switch is triggered.

As soon as the emergency stop is activated (pulled out), the red LED on the support module
goes out.

After "Reset" followed by "Enable" have been pressed using display control, the red LEDs on
the motor modules also go out.

The yellow LEDs of the Digital In/Out modules light up briefly when the status of an input or
output changes.

For the detailed meaning of the LEDs, see the table in the section 11.

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5. Commissioning
Do not disconnect or connect any electrical connections to the robot
while it is plugged into the mains.

1. Make all plug-in connections:

a. Plug in the Emergency Stop Button at the e-stop connector.
b. Fasten display/joystick (D-Sub connector)
c. Check that the motor bridge is plugged in
d. Plug in power connector
e. Provide the power supply unit with power
f. Turn on the main switch on the rear side of the robot.

2. The green LEDs on the rear side of the robot light up, and the internal computer
starts up.
The message "No Connection" is shown in red on the display until the internal PC has
booted up and the control software has started.
3. When the control software (TinyCtrl) is started, the green LEDs of the motor
modules start to flash, and the "No Connection" display disappears. The software
version is briefly displayed, followed by "Motion not allowed / Not Ref'd"
4. Press the emergency stop button and release it again. You will now hear two relays
release the motor current one after the other.

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6. Operation
After all electrical connections to the robot have been established, the robot has been
switched on and the emergency stop has been released, it must first be activated.

When moving the robot, always keep a hand on the emergency stop to prevent it from hitting
an object unexpectedly, for example if it is about to collide with the table.

6.1 Reset errors/Enable robot

On the display, press the "Enable" button in
the upper menu to get to the Enable menu.

Now press "Reset": The status changes to

"MNE" (Motor Not Enabled)

Press "Enable": The status changes to "No

Error". "Not ref'd!" means not referenced.
We'll come back to that later.

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6.2 Manual method of the robot
Once the robot is enabled, the axes of the robot can be moved.

1. To do this, press the "Jog" button at the top of

the display

2. Press A1. Then move and turn the joystick. You

can now move the axes 1, 2 and 3.

3. Press A4. Now, move axes 4 and 5 by moving

and rotating the joystick.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the robot is roughly in a

"gallows position" and the "IK" mark on the flange
of axis 5 points towards the robot base.

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6.3 Referencing the robot
To enable an automatic programme sequence, the robot electronics must be referenced.

1. To do this, press the "Enable" button at the

top edge of the display.

2. The robot must be in "NoError" status. If it is

in an error state, enable it with "Reset" and
"Enable".

3. Now press the "Ref All" button to reference

all axes. The robot now carries out search
movements for each axis.

4. Referencing is complete when there is a 1

next to Ref A1-A5 respectively.
For a 4-axis robot, Ref A5 will remain at 0.
Ref E1 is intended for additional external
axes.

5. After referencing, the axes are in the error

state. This is necessary because the actual
position has changed in the referencing
process.

6. Now press the round "Reset" button, followed

by the round "Enable" button. The robot is now
referenced.

The type of referencing movement depends on the robot or encoder type.

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6.4 Starting and stopping a programme
After referencing, the robot is ready to replay a programme.

1. To do this, press the "Play" button at the top

edge of the display and use the "prev" and
"next" buttons to select the
Igus5DOF_TestMotion programme.

2. Load the programme using the "Load" button

3. Let the programme replay once using "Single

Play".

4. "Cont. Play" plays the loaded programme

continuously.

5. „Stop“ stops the movement.

6. The slider "Override" can be moved to the right

to increase the speed of the movement or to the
left to decrease it.

6.5 Set the digital inputs/outputs

The digital outputs can be activated and deactivated by pressing the illustrated switches.

If e.g. a gripper is connected to the digital I/O

module, this can be activated or deactivated by
switching the illustrated switches.
If a signal is present at the digital input, it will be
displayed in the digital inputs field at the bottom
edge of the display.

The three buttons on the left side allow you to switch between several DIO modules.

If a signal is present at the digital input, it will be displayed in the digital inputs field at the
bottom edge of the display.

For details about the pin assignment of the inputs and outputs, see section 4.2.

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6.6 Display of status information
Status information can be displayed by pressing the "Status" button at the top left corner of
the display.

The name of a programme is displayed, for example

while a programme is running.

The axis positions of axes 1-5 (or 1-4 for 4-axis

robots) are displayed (A1-A5).

The temperature of the motor modules is also

displayed. Due to the varying loads on the individual
axes different holding currents are applied, which
lead to different temperatures of the motor
modules.

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7. Programming
The robolink DCi is programmed on a Windows computer using the 3D robot control system
CPRog. To do this, install the CPRog software as described in the CPRog operating
instructions.

7.1 Establish connection

 Connect the right Ethernet port of the robot to a Windows PC using a standard LAN
cable.
 Set the IP of the PC to 192.168.3.1. (The robot has IP 192.168.3.11)

 Start the robot and CPRog on the PC. Once the green LEDs on the motor modules on
the rear side of the robot start flashing, the connection can be established (see the
section 5)
 Press "Connect" (connector icon in the menu of CPRog.)

Now you will see the robot view on the CPRog interface. When you move the robot using the
joystick of the operating device, the graphics will adjust.

Likewise, you can now use the functions of the CPRog software to move the robot
downwards, for example, in the Z direction.

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7.2 Creating a programme
The creation of the programme is carried out as described in the CPRog operating
instructions.

7.3 Uploading a programme

Before a programme created in CPRog can be played back on the robot, it must be uploaded
to the robot's internal computer. Afterwards it can be started as described in section 0 .

Diagram 6: CPRog Windows software with red marked upload button.

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8. Integration in safety circuit
The robot control system does not provide any safety-related functions. The integrated
emergency stop functions are executed in a single channel. In order to operate the complete,
customer-specific robot system, the commissioning engineer has to carry out, among other
things, a risk assessment within the framework of the CE certification and, depending on the
result, integrate further safety components. These are usually safety relays and door
switches.

The integration of safety relays is made possible by the motor power jumper plug of the
support module. The motor currents are led out and in again through this connector. If this
connection is interrupted, no active movement of the motors is possible.

This enables the implementation of the safety functionality with the SIL level required by the
application.

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9. Interfaces

9.1 Digital inputs and outputs

The simplest connection, for example to a PLC, is possible via digital inputs and outputs. Each
robolink control system comes with a DIO module. See section 4.2
If additional inputs and outputs are required, up to two additional DIO modules can be
integrated.

9.2 PLC interface

The PLC interface enables the integration of the robolink arm into a production system
controlled by a PLC. By means of digital inputs, the PLC can switch the robot ready for
operation and start a programme. It can monitor the status of the robot via digital outputs. In
this way, the robot can work without manual interaction. Further details are available on the
Wiki wiki.cpr-roboter.de, section PLC interface.

9.3 Plug-in interface

CPRog provides a plug-in interface. It makes it possible to connect, for example, image
processing systems or PLC components. With various defined functions, the plug-ins
represent a bridge between programme execution in CPRog and external systems.
Example: The IFM O2D SmartCamera can detect taught-in outlines and transfer the target
position via Ethernet. The corresponding plug-in reads this position and transfers it to the
CPRog programme sequence. The robot can then move to the appropriate position and grip
the part.

The plug-ins can be provided by CPR, or they can be created on a project-specific basis.
Further information and C# example code for a plug-in can be found on wiki.cpr-roboter.de.

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9.4 CRI interface
The CRI interface allows the robot to be controlled via Ethernet. The robot can be moved,
programmes can be uploaded and executed.

This interface makes it possible to combine the CPRog functions with application-specific
algorithms, such as a teleoperation system or a database.

The CRI documentation and a C# sample project for a client have to be downloaded from the
wiki.cpr-roboter.de, section "Interfacing".

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10. Extensions / Adjustments

10.1 Galvanic isolation of digital outputs

If an external device with a different potential than the robot control system (for example a
self-powered LED) has to be switched, the DOut pins must be disconnected from the robot's
24V supply voltage GND. This can be achieved by disconnecting solder links J3 and J4 of the
DIO board. J3 and J4 are accessible from below the robot. They are marked red in the picture
below.

Diagram 7: Galvanic isolation of the digital outputs

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11. Troubleshooting and support

11.1 Error codes

The robot control system gives several status information:

 Status LEDs on the electronic modules

 CPRog status information, received via the CAN status bytes

Green LED On: Logic voltage available

Green LED flashes: CAN communication
active
Orange LED On: Error
Support Module Red LED On: Emergency stop pressed

Green LED On: Logic voltage available

Green LED flashes: CAN communication
active
Orange LED On: Reference switch triggers
Red LED On: Motor not ready (emergency
stop pressed or error)

Green LED On: Logic voltage available

Green LED flashes: CAN communication
active
Orange LED On: Status of an input or output
is changing.
Red LED On: Error

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11.2 CAN-Bus and CPRog status information

Error Bit in the Meaning Measures

error byte
Bus dead The CAN-Bus is not available. Check the connections of the
Reasons are missing power power supply and the CAN cable.
supply or missing plug Reboot the control computer.
connections.
Temp. Bit 1 The motor module Check if the ventilation is installed
temperature is too high and working.
E- Bit 2 Emergency stop or too low Check if the emergency stop
Stop/Suppl voltage switch is released
y
MNE Bit 3 No error. The motors are not Press the "Release Motor" button
Motor not released yet.
enabled
COM Bit 4 The time period without CAN The position commands via the
Comm command from the controller CAN bus must be sent at short
Watch was too long intervals. Turn off other
Dog programmes or update/virus scan
functions.
LAG Bit 5 Tracking error. The robot Decrease the speed of movement.
Position cannot comply with the target
lag position.
ENC Bit 6 Error in motor or absolute Check the encoder cables
Encoder encoder
error
OC Bit 7 Overcurrent in the motors Reduce the motor current
Over
Current
DRV Bit 8 Error in the motor driver or the Drive-specific
motor algorithm

After an "Error Reset", the normal status of the axes is 0x04 (motor not released).
After enabling the motors, the status is 0x00, now the axes are ready for operation.

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11.3 Hardware
 The green LED on the modules is not on?
Check the power supply and the safety fuse.
 Aren't the motors moving?
Make sure the emergency stop button is pulled out. The red LED on the support
module must not be on.
 The modules do not respond to software commands. The green LED does not flash.
The software on the robot's internal control system is not running. Reboot the robot
and wait 30s. If the green LEDs are still not flashing, contact us.
 The motor is locked ("motor stall"): It does not stop the movement and makes
increasingly loud buzzing noises.
This happens when the load on the motor is too high:
o Check if there is a collision
o If the problem occurs several times, the load must be reduced (reduce
speed or acceleration).
o Alternatively, the current rating can be increased; more information can
be found on our wiki.cpr-roboter.de
 If CPRog cannot connect
o Check if the green LEDs of the motor modules flash approx. 30s after a
restart of the robot.
o Make sure the connection between the robot and the PC is made as
described in section 7.1.

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11.4 Software
The software that runs on the robot's internal control system is called TinyCtrl. In case of
problems upgrade the software to the current version found on the Wiki:

http://wiki.cpr-robots.com

11.5 Support contact

In case of problems we would be happy to help!

 Wiki page: wiki.cpr-roboter.de with a lot of instructions and articles

 Mail: [email protected]
Please describe the problem briefly and send the file "logMessages.log" from
the folder c:\CPRog\.

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12. EC Declaration of Conformity

Commonplace Robotics GmbH

Im Innovationsforum Bissendorf
Gewerbepark 9-11
49143 Bissendorf, Germany

We, the Commonplace Robotics GmbH, declare that the machine parts / components
described in the following

 Embedded Control System for robolink DCi robots, consisting of embedded Linux
board, support board, LC and HC stepper motor controller, digital IO module,
operating panel

complies with all relevant requirements of the EC Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG.

The incomplete machine must not be put into operation until conformity of the complete
machine with the EC Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG has been ensured. The commissioning
engineer is responsible for this.

Applied harmonized standards:

 Safety of machinery: EN ISO 12100:2010

 EMC: Directive 2004/108/EC, EN61000, EN55022, EN55011
 RoHS: Directive 2002/95/EC

The technical documentation defined in Annex VII, Part B of the Machinery Directive has been
created and can be consulted by public authorities.

Responsible for the documentation: Dr.-Ing. Christian Meyer

Bissendorf, December 2018 Dr.-Ing. Christian Meyer

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© Commonplace Robotics
October 2019

31