Freedrive Function

Introduction

The Freedrive function allows the user to hand guide the HC robot during PLAY mode.

Overview

Previously the user could only hand guide the HC robot in TEACH mode, to teach points in a JOB, or to move the robot into a safe position after a crash, still in TEACH mode. Now with the Freedrive function, the user can hand guide the HC robot in PLAY mode. The Freedrive function is intended to move the robot, in PLAY mode, to a safe place when the robot crashes and a PFL alarm occurs. The Freedrive function is efficient in moving the robot using hand guiding and recovering from the crash then jogging the robot using the Teach Pendant. The Freedrive function is ideal in palletizing application, when the robot accidently places a box on top of another box, the user can hand guide the robot out of the way and remove the box and resume operation. Below is a video shows an example of the Freedrive function. The Freedrive Function is available in both Standard and Smart Pendant.

Software

The Freedrive function is available on any HC robot with a YRC1000, with controller software YAS4.74 or higher, or a YRC1000micro, with controller software YBS3.04 or higher. The user can verify the YRC controller software version, by going in the Main Menu → SYSTEM INFO → VERSION, in the Standard Pendant, in the Smart Pendant, it by going to the Main Menu → System Settings → Controller. The Freedrive function is not available on the HC10, that does not have the Direct Teach Buttons on the T-flange.

 Parameter

               The Freedrive function is enabled by setting parameter S2C1650 bit1 = ON. Once the parameter bit is turned on, the controller would need to be rebooted for the Freedrive function to be enabled. As of May 2023, the Freedrive function has been enabled as a standard function for all the HC robots that go through Manufacturing at YAI-R.

Figure 1 : From the image, parameter S2C1650 bit 0 = ON and S2C1650 bit 0 = ON, making the parameter S2C1650 = 3

Figure 2: Screenshot of parameter S2C1650 in the Smart Pendant

General Purpose Output

               The Freedrive function can hand guide the HC robot in XYZ+TOOL or JOINT mode. The user would need to specify which hand guiding mode to jog the robot in Freedrive, by turning on either General Purpose Output #4062, “Freedrive JOINT” or General Purpose Output #4063, “Freedrive TRANS”. One these outputs needs to be turned ON to enable the Freedrive function, otherwise the Freedrive function would not be enabled. To turn ON one of the signals, cursor to the "○" state symbol of the signal and press [INTERLOCK] + [SELECT]. Then the state symbol of the signal should change to this "●" state signal.

               General Purpose Output #4061, “FreedriveFunc” is a signal that confirms to the user that the robot has moved the HC robot with the Freedrive function. This signal is turned on once the user presses the [MOVE] button.

Figure 3: General Purpose Output Screen, where the user can select either Joint or Translation Hand Guiding for Freedrive

Figure 4: Screenshot of the General Purpose Output Screen, in Smart Pendant, where the user can select either Joint or Translational Hand Guiding for Freedrive

Freedrive Function - Speed

               The user can set the hand guiding speed to be either Low, Medium, or High in the Freedrive Function. The user would need to set the speed in TEACH mode by pressing the [FAST] or [SLOW] membrane key of the pendant. Whichever jogging speed is selected in TEACH mode, is what the Freedrive Function references. The user does not have the ability to change the speed in PLAY mode or when hand guiding in Freedrive.

Procedure

               Once setup is completed, when the HC robot is in PLAY mode, Servo are ON, and there’s a PFL stop, the user would press and hold the PFL Resume Button for 3 seconds or longer. By pressing the PFL Resume Button for 3 seconds or longer, it would stop the job from running and behave as if the user pressed the HOLD button on the Pendant. Then the LED lights on the Direct Teach Button should light up to indicate that hand guiding is available. Once the user has moved the robot to a safe location and removed the object that the HC robot crashed into, the user can press the START button on the Pendant to resume the JOB. The HC robot will move to the taught position that it was moving to before it crashed.

Conclusion

               The Freedrive function can help the user recover faster after a PFL stop. The user would need to run tests to see if the Freedrive function would be ideal in their specific application. The Freedrive function is available when the following conditions are satisfied:

• Collaborative Operations is enable
• The Pendant is in PLAY mode
• Servo is ON
• No active alarms
• There’s no job running
• The PFL Resume Button is pressed for 3 seconds or longer, after a PFL stop

Troubleshooting

If the Freedrive function is not working, verify parameter S2C1650 bit 1 = ON, and General Purpose Output #4062 or #4063 is ON. If the LED lights do not light up, but the Freedrive function works, the User Ladder Program was not set correctly, or it was modified. The user can modify the User Ladder Program for the LED to light up when the Freedrive function is enabled or contact a YASKAWA representative for assistance.

Ladder Program

Table 1 shows the rung where the LED lights are turned ON/OFF by the controller, either by hand guiding in TEACH mode or hand guiding in Freedrive. Looking in Table 1, the physical wires of the LED lights are tied to different relay signal numbers depending on the type of YRC controller. This rung only applies to HC robots with the Direct Teach buttons on the B-Axis of the robot.

Using the Smart Pendant, the user would need to navigate to the Classic Interface to be able to edit the Ladder Program. As of the publication of this article, the Smart Pendant does not support Ladder Program modifications. Only way to modify the Ladder program, is by navigating to the Classic Interface. To enter in the Classic Interface, the user goes to the Main Menu → System Settings → Classic Interface. Figure 5 is how the Classic Interface looks like on the Smart Pendant.

Table 1: The User Ladder Program for the LED lights for both YRC1000 and YRC1000micro, on HC robots

Figure 5: Screenshot of the Classic Interface of the Smart Pendant