MLX300 - Option to Remove the MLX Pendant Requirement when Ethernet IP-Safe is Enabled

When the Ethernet/IP Safe is enabled, the MLX300 Teach screen on the robot pendant will not be functional, because explicit messaging will not work for this condition.   In the past, an optional MLX300 pendant (Proface or MobileView) would be required to teach points.    However, now there is a new solution to avoid the cost of this extra pendant, where the robot pendant can be used to teach positions to P-variables.   Custom PLC software can be written by the customer to transfer these P-variables to the standard MLX300 position tags.  

MLX300 P-Variable AOIs

MLxRobotPositionVariableGet  – Send one P-variable from the controller to the PLC.
MLxRobotPositionVariableSet  – Send one P-variable from the PLC to the robot controller.
MLxRobotMoveAxisPvarAbsolute – Axis move AOI to a P-variable position inside controller.
MLxRobotMoveLinearPvarAbsolute  – Linear move AOI to a P-variable position inside controller.

Note that the P-variable Set and Get commands will need to be imported from the MLX300 Software USB provided with the order.   All the variable transfer AOIs can be found under this directory:

• MLX300 vx.x.x Software > PLC > Robot Controller Variable Transfer AOIs

   

Custom PLC Software Written by Customer

After all the teach points are taught to the robot controller P-variables with the robot pendant, the customer will need to program the PLC to access this data.

OPTION 1:
Program the MLX300 to command an Axis or Linear motion to a P-variable.  The AOI command shown below will execute a Linear move to P-Variable 2 at 100% speed.

When it’s desired to job to this point in Teach mode, use the robot pendant to select the P-Variable, turn servo power on and press the [FWD] button.

OPTION 2:

For some applications, only a few teach points need to be taught and the PLC will calculate all the other points from the taught points for a desired motion profile.   For example, MLX300 PalletSolver only requires a work home position to be taught and a user frame for each station (infeeds, pallet build and dispensers).    The PLC will calculate all the palletizing motion points with the defined approach, depart and cross over distances.

The AOI command below will get P-variable 1 and store it in the PLC in the Job[2].TeachPoint[3] tag.   Since it is stored in the application data tags, the PanelView HMI can also be used to access this point data.

Configurator Selections for this Option of Using the Robot Pendant

Before the Ethernet /IP-Safe is selected, there is a message stating that a MLX pendant will be required to teach points.    However, there’s a note at the bottom stating that there is a new option to use the robot pendant to teach points to P-variables, which the PLC can access.

After selecting Ethernet/IP-Safe, there will be a new requirement to add a MLX300 Pendant.

This new option to use the robot pendant to teach points to P-variables is shown at the bottom.   Pressing the [View] button will explain this option.