How to Use FTP Communication With Your Robot

INTRODUCTION

The following is a guideline on how to setup and deploy FTP communication with your Yaskawa robot.  What exactly is FTP?  The term FTP means file transfer protocol and it is a process that involves the transfer of files between computers over a network.  In this example, your robot is going to be used as the server and your PC will be the client.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For even more information, please consult these articles:

FUNCTION ENABLE

FTP is supported on multiple generations of Yaskawa controllers and while it is now offered by default as a free option, it has not always been that way.

PARAMETER REFINEMENT

For smooth and optimal reliability using FTP function, the below user parameters are recommended.

CONNECTION CHECK

Before getting started, please ensure that your computer is properly connected to the controller and both devices are on the same network.  In this example we are going to use the the address range of 192.168.1.xx.  

To confirm successful connection, you can use the "ping" utility to verify successful setup.  This utility can be found under SYSTEM INFO menu and NETWORK UTILITY sub-menu. (not available on DX100 screens)

COMMAND REMOTE ENABLE

All Yaskawa controllers feature a pseudo input signal called COMMAND REMOTE ENABLE.  This signal allows an external connection into the controller to take place.  For FTP communication to exist, this signal must be active.

1. Select IN/OUT menu from the menu bar
2. Select PSEUDO INPUT sub-menu
   
   
3. Scroll down to signal #87015 labelled "CMD REMOTE SEL". 
4. Press the INTERLOCK + SELECT key to enable this signal.  The signal should go dark blue indicating it is enabled.

FTP MODES - STANDARD vs. EXPANDED

With the introduction of the YRC1000 and YRC1000micro controllers, an expanded FTP mode was introduced.  The primary difference with expanded FTP communications is the ability to support an encrypted process.  If you have no intent on using encryption, please ensure FTP is set to STANDARD.  This is a user setting found within maintenance mode and is of course documented within the YRC series manuals listed at the top of this article.

FTP - MANUAL TESTING

FTP communication can be executed manually from the Windows command prompt.  This is often a quick and easy method to confirm FTP is functional before attempting to connect your controller onto a larger plant network.

1. Start by launching the "run" dialog within Windows.  This can be accomplished by pressing "Win Key + R".  or by typing "run" within the Windows start menu.
   
   
2. Type "cmd" to launch the command prompt utility.

3. The command prompt utility should launch in a separate window

4. Type ftp 192.168.1.31  (assuming you are using the same IP address as this example).  If all goes well, you will see the connection take place and a prompt for user authentication.

5. Enter the desired login information based upon the chart below.  Once complete, you should see a message indicating the user has successfully logged into the controller.

6. At this point, you are capable of sending an FTP command to upload/download a file.  The exact commands supported for each controller are listed within the respective FTP manual that is linked at the top of this article.  As mentioned previously, the "manual" FTP method is ideal for validating the robot is capable of serving FTP communication.  At this stage, many customers begin towards using a graphical interface such as FileZilla.

FTP - 3rd PARTY SOFTWARE (FILEZILLA)

Many customers will use 3rd party software to "drag and drop" files between the robot and their computer.  This is a great choice for doing remote data backups or transferring jobs that were generated offline within MotoSIM.  Filezilla is one such utility and is freeware option commonly found on the internet.

1. Within Filezilla, specify the robot IP address, username and password.  Once all data is populated, press the "Quick Connect" button.

2. Once a connection is established, you will see the robot data populated on the right hand side of the screen.  Files can be transferred via drag and drop to/from your personal computer.