RobotStudio™ 6.03 signal analyzer

This paper present the content signal analyzer, signal setup, signal analyze, data export... Please refer to the document to understand the content details.

Signal Analyzer

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ABB AB Robotics Products SE-721 68 Västerås Sweden 20165-06-09 ABB

1 Signal Analyzer 4

1.1 Signal Setup 5

1.2 Signal Analyze 6

1.3 Data Export 14

1 Signal Analyzer

Overview

In this module we will go through how to use the Signal Analyzer tool The tool allows robot performance tuning and signal debugging

Unpack

1 Use Unpack&Work to open the Pack&Go file GlueStation_Analyze.rspag

from the Courseware > Stations folder Unpack it to a new folder in

\Courseware\Solutions\Module_3\myGlueAnalyze_Solution

2 When the station starts up two Verify Smart Component windows may pop up Check

Always trust this component and click YES if they do.

These message boxes appear because the station contains Smart Components made with

Code Behind.

1.1 Signal Setup

Overview

When working with the Signal Analyzer the first step is to define what signals we would like

to analyze The signals we select will be recorded during the simulation so we can analyze them afterwards The signals can belong to a Virtual Controller, the station (Station Signals)

or a Smart Component

Configuring signals

1 On the Simulation tab check Enabled and click on Signal Setup.

2 In the Sources browser open up the IRB4600_GlueAnalyze_system node, then

Mechanical Units, and then the TCP and Target nodes.

3 Check the signals Speed In Current Wobj, Target Changed and Fine Point Close the

signal setup tab

4 On the Simulation tab click Play to run the simulation and record the selected signals

(Note that the robot will stand still at the docking station until the doser is filled with

material.)

1.2 Signal Analyze

Overview

In this section we will analyze the selected signals

1 On the Simulation tab click Signal Analyzer.

2 In the Signal Analyzer window drag the Time slide bar along the timeline to review the

entire simulation

3 Below the Time slide bar, digital signals will be displayed (such as the Fine Point).

Place the mouse on the first Fine Point event The time when the signal (to fill the doser)

went high and then low will be displayed

4 To zoom in and out along the Timeline click on the plus and minus icon in the toolbar.

If you have a mouse with a wheel, you can place the mouse in the Analog Signals View

and roll the wheel to zoom in and out.

5 Click on Auto-scale in the toolbar to turn off the auto scaling of the vertical axis.

Drag the Time slide bar to verify that the auto scale is turned off.

6 Left click and drag on top of the Left Axis to move the Analog Signal View along that

axis

7 Turn on Auto-scale again.

8 Click on a Target Changed event below the Analog Signals View.

This will give you information about the event such as time and what instructions are being called.

9 Click on the Location link for one of the instructions.

This function opens the Rapid tab and places the cursor at the selected instruction.

Using the Signal Analyzer to improve performance

In the next examples we will look at fine tuning some motion, adding some additional signals

to monitor the process and set up a stop watch to look at the cycle time of our program

1 Check that the Auto-scale vertical axis is set to ON.

2 Move the Time slide bar through the program to the right As you do so you will notice

the speed drops as the robot moves from point to point (In particular at the various fine points and the beginning of each path What we are looking for is any noticeable speed drop in the middle of a path.)

In the example above there is a slight change in the surface of the part right before the corner that is causing the tool to reorient several times in a short distance This is correct motion based upon how the path was generated on the part surface however it creates a noticeable drop in tcp speed This is perhaps undesirable motion in this particular application and as we are dispensing glue a smoother motion would be preferable

We will use a function called Path Interpolation to correct this motion.

Interpolate the path

1 In the Home tab expand the tree for GluePath3 and right click on the first instruction to set View tool at Target.

2 Move through the path using the up/down arrows to watch the tool at the various

instructions

3 In this case you should find that the reorientation is happening between the targets

pGlue180 and pGlue230.

4 Once this has been verified right click on GluePath3 and select Path then Interpolate

Path.

Note: Despite the fact that the problem area begins to appear at target 180 the

interpolate function cannot start with a target that is part of a circular move instruction For this reason we will select target 170 as the starting position

5 Make selections as shown in the box below In this case we select a Start and End target

so as to only affect the targets in the problem area Also we will leave the Lock Axis

Orientation set to None in order to allow the targets to be free to move in all axes thus

giving us the smoothest motion

6 Click Apply then Close.

7 Synchronize the corrected* path to the RAPID and play the simulation again Although

the Signal Analyzer still shows a slowdown (as it is still a corner) the speed is slightly over 150mm/sec whereas before the change was somewhere near 20mm/sec Verify this

by switching between the saved recordings and using the Cross-hairs.

*Note: Only synchronize GluePath3 This is due to the fact there is a procedure call

within Main that calls a procedure within a system module not visible in the paths and

Add more signals

1 Select the Signal Setup tab.

2 In the IRB4600_GlueAnalyze_system - I/O System node and check the signal

doEqu1Gun1 In SC_DockingStation > I/O System node, check the signal

aoDoserVolume.

3 Close the Signal Setup window and make sure you are in the Simulation tab.

4 Go back to the Signal Analyzer window and click on Show live data in the toolbar.

Cross-hairs

5 Right click on the Signal Analyzer tab and select New Vertical Tab Group.

Now you should see both the Station and the Signal Analyzer window.

6 Run the simulation again to see how the signals are updated during the simulation The

signal doEqu1Gun1 will open (DispX\On) and close (DispX\Off) the glue flow, which you can see on the analog signal aoDoserVolume which displays the current amount of

glue in the doser

7 Close the Signal Analyzer window.

8 On the Simulation tab click on History.

In the Signal History window all saved recordings are displayed From here you can

analyze, export, delete or rename recordings.

9 Right click on the latest recording and select Analyze.

10 In the Signals table select the signal aoDoserVolume and change Axis to Left Select the

Now the aoDoserVolume value will be displayed on the left Axis while the Speed in

Current Wobj will be displayed on the right Axis.

11 Save the station as \Courseware\Solutions\Module_3\myGlueAnalyze_Solution\Stations\

myGlueStation_Analyze.

Using the Stopwatch function

The Stopwatch function can not only be useful in determining an overall process time but

also in helping to analyze individual paths and even segments of a process

1 Start by clicking on the Stopwatch icon found on the Simulation tab ribbon and then on

Add twice so we have two stopwatches One will record the entire simulation and the

other will record the time to execute GluePath3 only.

2 On Stopwatch_2 change the Start and End Triggers to target changed You will also have to specify the Mechunit as the system that is currently running and then select the

target you want as the triggers

3 Play the simulation

Challenge

Try Stopwatch settings for different paths or use I/O for the start and end triggers.

1.3 Data Export

Overview

The recorded data can be saved as an Excel file for use outside RobotStudio

1 Click on Save data to file in the Signal Analyzer toolbar and save the file SignalData.xlsx to the

folder \Courseware\Solutions\Module_3\myGlueAnalyze_Solution\Analyze Data.

2 Now Excel will be opened (if it’s installed on your computer) and the data from the last simulation will be displayed

Challenge

Try to get a more even TCP speed by modifying speed data, zone data and reorientations etc.

in the glue paths Also change the bead data to see how that influences the glue flow (the glue flow is dependent on bead data and TCP speed).

© Copyright 2016 ABB All right reserved.

ABB AB Robotics Products

SE-721 68 Västerås

Sweden