TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 3 WARNING SIGNS AND THEIR MEANINGS... 3 1. ABOUT THE PULSE ROBOT... 4 1.1. The hardware and software... 4 1.2. The operating states of the PULSE robot... 5 1.3. Safe operation requirements... 6 2. SWITCHING THE PULSE ROBOT... 6 3. THE USER INTERFACE... 6 3.1. Accessing the software... 6 3.2. The Main Menu of... 7 4. PROGRAMMING WITH... 8 4.1. Creating a program... 8 4.1.1. Adding commands to a program body... 10 4.1.2. Setting command parameters... 12 4.1.3. Deleting a command... 18 4.1.4. Moving commands within the program body... 18 4.2. Debugging a program... 18 4.3. Running a program... 21 4.3.1. Starting program execution... 22 4.3.2. Pausing or stopping a program... 23 4.3.3. Saving a program... 23 4.3.4. Renaming a program... 24 4.4. Managing programs... 24 4.4.1. Loading a program... 24 4.4.2. Deleting a program... 24 4.5. Closing... 25 4.6. Restoring access to... 25 ANNEX I. SAMPLE PROGRAM... 26 Page 2 35
INTRODUCTION This manual describes the graphical user interface of the software from where you can operate the PULSE collaborative robot. The data, instructions, and recommendations in this document are intended to assist the operator in understanding the operating principle of the robot's hardware and software and using to program and control the robot's motion. WARNING SIGNS AND THEIR MEANINGS Below, we list the warning symbols used throughout the manual and explain their meanings. The sign denotes important information that is not directly related to safety, but that the user should be aware of. The sign indicates important safety precautions the user should follow. Page 3 35
1. ABOUT THE PULSE ROBOT 1.1. The hardware and software The PULSE collaborative robot is a lightweight arm designed for industrial use. Its possible applications range from handling, picking-and-placing to various processing operations (e.g., welding, deburring, etc.). Figure 1-1: The PULSE robot (without an end effector) In its basic design, the PULSE robot includes the following components: a mounting base (1) six interlinked segments (2-6), each comprising an aluminum alloy tube and a rotating joint with a servo motor a mounting flange (7) for attaching an end effector an end effector An end effector is a device or a tool connected to the end of the robot arm. Possible end effectors include welding torches, grippers for pick-and-place operations, material removal tools for cutting, drilling, and deburring, etc. In this manual, the end effector of the PULSE robot is a gripper. Page 4 35
The PULSE robot comes in combination with a control box that features an integrated PC running the software. The software allows for the following: programming the robot's motion trajectory and the rotation angles of its joints adjusting the motion speed setting parameters for communication with external equipment (e.g., conveyor belts, safety devices) executing created programs to operate the robot saving created programs operating an attached end effector saving the program execution data into a production log (available to service personnel only) 1.2. The operating states of the PULSE robot Table 1-1 below describes the operating states and modes of the robot arm. Transition from INITIALIZATION to READY is automatic, while from READY to WORK and back enforced through the software. Table 1-1: The operating states of the PULSE robot Operating state INITIALIZATION Details Power is supplied to the robot arm via the cable that connects it to the control box. The robot arm is initializing, running self-tests to check the operational state of its components, as well as their essential parameters. In case any of the self-tests fails, the robot goes to the Error state, causing the red LED on the control box to light up. The robot arm is on and ready for operation, but is not in motion. In this state, two modes are possible for the arm: Freeze mode: the robot joints are locked in their current positions. READY In the Freeze mode, an attempt to move the robot arm by hand guiding can cause damage to its components. Free Drive (Impedance) mode: the arm retains its position, but you can move the arm by hand guiding. WORK When the arm is in the Free Drive mode, the software is in the LEARN mode, and you can see appropriate indication on the robot wrist. This is a state of active operation, when the robot arm moves or perform any other programmed actions (e.g., closes/ opens gripper, sends or receives signals). Page 5 35
1.3. Safe operation requirements Make sure to read and meet the requirements before operating the robot. To ensure safe operation of the PULSE robot, it is essential to comply with the following requirements: Conduct a risk assessment of the application to evaluate the need for additional safety devices (e. g., safety cages, fencing, etc.). Provide continuous power supply to the robot arm (e.g., installing an uninterruptible power supply, a redundancy circuit, etc.). Otherwise, we cannot guarantee that the robot arm will maintain its position in case of a power outage, which may result in serious damage to its components. Keep away from the robot working area when the robot is in the WORK state. 2. SWITCHING THE PULSE ROBOT To switch the PULSE robot, follow the instructions below: Before powering the control box, make sure all cables are correctly connected and properly secured. Always use an original and correct power cord. 1. Plug the power cord of the control box into the mains socket. 2. Flip the external mains switch (if any) to the ON position. 3. Flip the power switch on the back panel of the control box to the ON position. The controller starts receiving power, and the robot arm starts initializing. 4. Wait for the robot initialization to complete. As soon as the robot is ready for operation, it will go to the READY state (see Table 1-1). 3. THE USER INTERFACE is a software platform that enables operating the robot arm together with an attached end effector. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, the software is easy to understand and run for anyone with only basic computer knowledge. runs on a PC integrated into the control box and initializes in the course of the robot system initialization. You can access the software via a web browser from a variety of computer devices (tablets, laptops, or personal computers). 3.1. Accessing the software You can start working with as soon as the PULSE robot is on and ready for operation (in the READY state). Page 6 35
To access the software, start a web browser on your control device (a tablet, a laptop, a PC) and specify the robot address in the browser line. loads the Home screen (see Figure 3-1) and switches to the LEARN mode, enabling the buttons on the robot wrist. Figure 3-1: The Home screen of The Home screen of contains the following two elements: the Main Menu button (1) that opens the program's Main menu (see Section 3.2) the Program Name field (2), which is empty, containing only the "Program name here..." background prompt 3.2. The Main Menu of Clicking the Main Menu button opens a sliding menu (see Figure 3-2) with the following commands: Load program for choosing a previously created and saved program to work with New program for creating a new program Save program as for saving the program you are currently working with Delete program for permanently removing a program Page 7 35
Figure 3-2: The Main menu of 4. PROGRAMMING WITH Every program created in has the following life cycle: 1. Editing: creating a program, adding a sequence of commands to its body, and setting the command parameters. 2. Debugging: testing the program created at the Edit stage to check whether the robot operates as appropriate. 3. Production: executing the program created at the Edit stage and debugged at the Check one. executes the program cyclically until the operator stops or pauses it. 4.1. Creating a program To create a new program, open the Main menu by clicking the Main Menu button and select New program. opens the Edit stage screen (see Figure 4-1), where you can start adding commands to form the body of your program and setting up their parameters. Page 8 35
Figure 4-1: The Edit stage screen Table 4-1 describes the interface elements of the Edit stage screen and their purpose. Table 4-1: The elements of the Edit stage screen No. Description 1 The Main Menu button (for details, see Section 3.2). 2 The Program Name field either displays the name of the currently executed program or is empty, containing only the "Program name here..." background prompt. The Stepper indicates the current stage of working with the software: creating a program (Edit) debugging (Check) production (Run) 3 In the Stepper, you can see the currently active stage highlighted in grey. Once you have reached the Run stage, you can switch between the stages by clicking appropriate stage names in the Stepper. Before switching back from the Run stage to any other, make sure to stop program execution. Page 9 35
4 5 The Next button enables switching from programming to debugging and then to production. At the Run stage, replaces the Next button with the Save&Run one. The Service panel displays the parameters of the command selected in the Program Body panel. You can set up the parameters by changing the values in the appropriate fields (for details, see Section 4.1.2). For the Open gripper and Close gripper commands, the panel is empty. 6 7 The Add Commands control opens a list of commands for creating a program (for details, see Section 4.1.1). The Program Body panel displays the sequence of commands contained in a program. indicates the currently executed command by selecting it. If you have just started or chosen to create a new program, the Program Body panel contains only the Wait for command. If there is a program already running in when you select New program on the Main menu, follow the instructions in the "Your action" column below: action 1. Asks you whether you want to save changes to the currently running program. 2. Displays a request to stop the program execution. Your action 1. Click Yes or No to save or cancel the changes accordingly. 2. Confirm stopping the program. 3. Clears the program body and the Program Name field. 4.1.1. Adding commands to a program body 3. Specify a name for the new program and start adding commands. After you have created a program, your next step is to add the commands you need to its body. The software enables using the following six commands: The Wait for command specifies the input port from which receives a signal allowing the arm to move on to the subsequent commands and the type of the received signal (high/ low). The Send to command sets the output port where sends a signal to inform about the performed operation(s) and the type of the sent signal (high/ low). The Delay command specifies a time delay in seconds before moves on to execute the next command in the program body. Page 10 35
The Point command sets a point in the motion trajectory of the robot. The Open gripper command opens the gripper. The Close gripper command closes the gripper. Adding commands is possible only at the Edit stage. There are two methods to add commands to a program body: A. using the Add Commands control B. pressing the buttons on the robot wrist Method A. To add a command using the Add Commands control, follow the instructions below: 1. Click to open the Add Commands menu with a list of available commands (see Figure 4-2). The button will change its appearance from to. The button closes the Add Commands menu. Figure 4-2: The Add Commands menu (opened) 2. Click the required command on the Add Commands menu. You will see it added to the program body below the currently selected command. Page 11 35
3. Now, you can proceed to set the command parameters (see Section 4.1.2) or to add another command. Method B. To add a command by pressing the wrist buttons, keep to the following guidelines. You can use the Add point and Open/Close gripper buttons on the robot wrist to add three of the six commands Point, Open gripper, and Close gripper. The buttons are available in the LEARN mode only. To add the Point command: Move the arm manually to the desired position and press the Add point button on the robot wrist. adds the point to the Program Body panel below the currently selected command. The Service panel displays the point parameters (the X, Y, Z coordinates and the rotation angles). If required, you can then adjust the arm position using the Joystick group of buttons (No. 2, Figure 4-6) or by manually changing the values in the parameter fields of the Service panel (No.1, Figure 4-6). To add the Open gripper or Close gripper command: Step 1. Select a point (the Point command) within the program body where you want the gripper to open/close or add one as described above. Step 2. Press the Open gripper or Close gripper button on the robot wrist accordingly. You will see the respective commands added to the program body below the selected points. 4.1.2. Setting command parameters You can set and adjust command parameters either at the Edit stage or at the Check one. PULSE DESK enables you to set parameters for the following commands: Wait for Send to Point Delay The Open gripper and Close gripper commands have no parameters to set. Page 12 35
Setting the parameters for the Wait for command 1. Select the Wait for command in the program body. The Service panel displays the command parameters as shown in Figure 4-3 below. Figure 4-3: Setting the parameters for the "Wait for" command 2. In the Input Port dropdown box, select the digital input from which will receive a signal allowing it to move on to the subsequent commands. An Input Port is one of the digital inputs on the back panel of the control box. 3. In the Value dropdown box, select "High" or "Low" to specify the type of the signal that should wait for. Page 13 35
Setting the parameters for the Send to command 1. Select the Send to command in the program body. The Service panel will display the command parameters as shown in Figure 4-4 below. Figure 4-4: Setting the parameters for the Send to command 2. In the Output Port dropdown box, select the digital output where will send a signal about the executed commands. An Output Port is one of the digital outputs on the back panel of the control box. 3. In the Value dropdown box, select the output signal type "High" or "Low." Page 14 35
Setting the parameters for the Delay command 1. Select the Delay command in the program body. The Service panel will display the command parameters as shown in Figure 4-5 below. Figure 4-5: Setting the parameters for the Delay command 2. In the Delay field, specify how long should wait before moving on to the command following the Delay one. Setting the parameters for the Point command 1. Select the Point command in the program body. The Service panel displays the point parameters in the respective fields (1) as shown in Figure 4-6 below. Page 15 35
Figure 4-5: Setting the parameters for the Point command 2. Using the joystick buttons in accordance with their purpose (Table 4-2), adjust the X, Y, Z coordinate values and rotation angles, if needed. Alternatively, you can adjust the point parameters by changing the values directly in the parameter fields (1). Page 16 35
Table 4-1: The joystick buttons and their purpose Button Purpose To increase the X coordinate value To decrease the X coordinate value To increase the Y coordinate value To decrease the Y coordinate value To increase the Z coordinate value To decrease the Z coordinate value To set rotation in the clockwise direction To set rotation in the counterclockwise direction To adjust the roll angle (RZ) (rotation around the Z axis) To adjust the pitch angle (RY) (rotation around the Y axis) To adjust the yaw angle (RX) (rotation around the X axis) 3. Click the "Move to the point" button to verify the resulting robot position. Make new adjustments, if needed. Page 17 35
4.1.3. Deleting a command To remove a command from the program body, follow the instructions below: 1. Select a command (or a group of commands) in the program body. 2. Drag the selected command beyond the Program Body panel. shows a deletion icon near the selection frame(s). 3. Drop the selected command (group of commands) at any place beyond the Program Body panel. removes them permanently from the program body. 4.1.4. Moving commands within the program body To move commands within the program body, proceed as follows: 1. Select a single command (a group of commands). 2. Drag the selected command (group of commands) to any desired position within the program body. 3. Click any other interface element to remove the selection from the command (the group of commands). 4.2. Debugging a program Once you have created a program, your next step is to check whether it can work properly with the robot arm and debug it. For the purpose, you need to switch to the Check stage and conduct a test run of the program. At the stage, you can also adjust the robot's motion speed and the command parameters, if required. To switch to the Check stage, click the Next button on the Edit stage screen. Once you are at the Check stage, the system goes to the READY state. Simultaneously, checks the Edit indication in the Stepper, highlighting the Check indication in grey. Page 18 35
At the Check stage, the screen has the appearance as shown in Figure 4-7 below. Figure 4-7: The Check stage screen The Add Commands control is not available at the Check stage. Instead, the screen displays the Step Forward, Step Backward, and Run controls. The Program Body panel contains the program created at the Edit stage, while the Service panel shows the parameters of the command selected in the program body. Table 4-2 explains the purpose of the control elements on the Check stage screen. Page 19 35
Table 4-2: The controls on the Check stage screen Control Purpose When you click the button, skips the current command and moves on to execute the immediately following one. Step Forward Run The button is available only for the Delay and Wait for commands. Otherwise, the button is not visible as long as the Run button remains "clicked." When you click the button, starts executing the program in the Program Body panel moving sequentially from one command to another until it reaches the last one. After starts the test run, the control changes to. The Pause button enables you to pause execution of the program. When you click the button, skips the current command and moves on to execute the immediately preceding one. Speed Step Backward The button is available only for the Delay and Wait for commands. Otherwise, the button is not visible as long as the Run button remains "clicked." The control enables adjusting the speed of the robot motion. When switches to the Check stage, the control is set to the default 10% value. You can change the default value by dragging the slider to the right to accelerate the robot motion or to the left to slow the robot down. At the Check stage, the following operations are available: conducting a test run of a program adjusting the command parameters Adding commands is not possible at the Check stage. Page 20 35
Conducting a test run of a program To start a test run of the program displayed in the Program Body panel, click the Run button. The robot system and the software respond as described below: 1. The system goes to the WORK state, changing its LED indication accordingly. Simultaneously, the Run control changes to the Pause one. You can hear a beep sound warning about the robot motion starting. 2. begins to execute the commands in the Program Body panel from the first one up to the last one, while verifying their reachability (i.e., whether a robot can actually execute them). 3. As the software goes from one command to another, the selection frame moves down the program body. The Service panel displays the parameters of the currently selected command. 4. After has executed the last command in the program body, it stops the test run and displays an appropriate message. The Pause control on the screen changes to the Run one. The system goes to the READY state, producing a beep sound to warn about the robot motion stopping. Clicking the Pause button stops the test run, and the Pause control on the screen changes to the Run one. Simultaneously, the system goes to the READY state, changing its LED indication accordingly and producing a beep sound to warn about the robot motion stopping. Adjusting the command parameters To adjust the command parameters, you only need to change the parameter values in the respective fields. Adjusting the parameters does not always require stopping the test run. 4.3. Running a program Once you have checked and adjusted a program, you can proceed to execute it at the next stage Run. To switch to the Run stage from the Check one, click the Next button on the Check screen. As switches to the Run stage screen (Figure 4-8), it checks the Check indication in the Stepper and highlights the Run one in grey. Page 21 35
4.3.1. Starting program execution Figure 4-7: The Run stage screen To start execution of your program, click the Save&Run button. saves changes to the program (if any) and starts executing the commands in the Program Body panel from the first one up to the last one. The system produces a beep sound warning about the robot's motion starting, while the Save&Run button changes to Pause. You can monitor the execution progress by following the way selects commands in the Program Body panel. The software also saves the execution results into a production log (available to service personnel only). As reaches the last command in the program body, it starts running the same program anew and keeps repeating it cyclically until the user stops or pauses its execution (see Section 4.3.2). Page 22 35
4.3.2. Pausing or stopping a program To pause or stop a running program, click the button on the Run stage screen. The system produces a beep sound to warn about the robot's motion stopping. Simultaneously, the Pause button changes to the Save&Run one. also stops program execution when the user selects Load program (see Section 4.4.1) or New program (see Section 4.1) on the Main menu. In these cases, the software asks you whether you need to save the currently running program and then requests to confirm stopping its execution. Emergency stop When the user stops the system by pressing the emergency shutdown button: The system performs a Category 1 Stop. disables the user interface controls and shows a splash screen warning that the system is in the Error state. 4.3.3. Saving a program To save a program, follow the instructions below: 1. Specify a name for the program in the Program Name Field, if there is none. 2. Open the Main menu by clicking the Main Menu button and select Save program as. will save the program under the specified name. In addition, saves programs automatically or requests you to save changes the following cases: Saves automatically Requests you to save changes when you click the "Save&Run" button at the Run stage every time you stop or pause the program when you close when you apply the Load program command with another program already running when you apply the New program command with another program already running Page 23 35
4.3.4. Renaming a program To change a program name, follow the instructions below: 1. Specify a new name for your program in the Program Name field. 2. Open the Main menu by clicking the Main Menu button and select Save program as. saves the program under its new name. 4.4. Managing programs offers the following capabilities for managing programs: loading a created program into the Program Body panel deleting a created program renaming a program 4.4.1. Loading a program Instead of creating a new program, you can reuse any of the previously created ones, uploading their contents into the Program Body panel. To do this, follow the instructions below: 1. Click the Main menu button to open the Main menu. 2. In the sub-menu below the Load program command, select the program you need. loads the content of the selected program into the Program Body panel, switching to the Edit stage. The system goes to the LEARN mode, changing the indication accordingly. If there is a program running when you attempt to load another one, first asks whether you need to save it and then requests you to confirm stopping its execution. 4.4.2. Deleting a program To delete a program, proceed as below: 1. Load the program you want to delete into the program body as described in Section 4.4.1. If the program is already displayed in the program body, move on to Step 2. Page 24 35
2. Open the Main menu and select the Delete program command. removes the program contents from the program body and deletes its name from the list of available programs in the Load program sub-menu. 4.5. Closing To quit, the user needs to stop the program (see Section 4.3.2) and close the browser page. The software saves the program together with the most recent changes, if any. The system produces a beep sound to warn about the robot motion stopping. Simultaneously, the system goes to the READY state and the arm to the Freeze mode. The wrist buttons are disabled. 4.6. Restoring access to You can lose access to if the server connection is not working for some reason. In this case, warns you that the server connection is lost and asks you if you want to save changes temporarily in a local storage. You can either confirm or reject saving changes. After the server connection is restored, performs the following sequence of operations: 1. Shows a message informing about the connection restored. 2. Opens the screen of the appropriate stage with the Program Body panel containing the commands saved during the last session. Page 25 35
ANNEX I. SAMPLE PROGRAM Below, we provide detailed step-by-step instructions how you can create, check, and execute a simple program to perform a pick-and-place operation. All parameter values are for reference only. To create a program for your purpose, you should use your own values specific to your application and the operating conditions. 1. Start by typing in the PULSE robot address in the browser line. 2. On the displayed Home screen, click the Main Menu button. 3. On the Main menu, select New program. opens the Edit stage screen where you can start adding commands to your program. Page 26 35
4. In the Program Name field on the Edit stage screen, specify a name for your program (e.g., Pick-and-place). 5. Click the Main Manu button and confirm saving the program under the specified name by clicking Save program as. 6. On the displayed Edit stage screen, you can see one command already added for you Wait for. You only need to set up the command parameters. To do that, select "Input#1" in the Input Type dropdown box and "High" in the Value dropdown box. You will see the same values displayed next to the command name in the Program Body panel on the left. Page 27 35
In this way, you let know that it can move on to the subsequent commands once it receives the High signal from an external device (e.g., a conveyor belt) connected to Input#1 on the back panel of the control box. 7. To add another command, click and select Point. As you click, the button changes to. You will see Point 1 added to the program body below the Wait for command as shown in the figure below. 8. Click the Point 1 command to open the Service panel. To set up the Point 1 parameters, fill in the fields as shown in the figure below. (The fields you need to fill in are in red frames.) Page 28 35
You can check the parameters you added by clicking the Move to the point button and adjust them as needed. For the parameter adjustment instructions, refer to Section 4.1.2. 9. Click and select Open gripper. You will see the Open gripper command added to the program body below Point 1. As you can see in the figure below, the Service panel for the Open gripper command is empty. Therefore, you do not need to set up any parameters. Page 29 35
10. Click and select Delay. You will see Delay added to the program body below the Open gripper command. 11. Click Delay and set the Delay value in the Service panel to 30 seconds. In this way, you specify a period of time the robot should wait before moving to pick up an object. 12. Click and select Point. You will see Point 2 added to the program body below the Delay command. Page 30 35
13. To set up the parameters for the Point 2 command, select it in the program body and fill in the fields in the Service panel as shown in the figure below. (The fields you need to fill in are in red frames.) You can also check the parameters you added by clicking the Move to the point button and adjust them as needed. For the parameter adjustment instructions, refer to Section 4.1.2. 14. On the wrist of the robot arm, press the Close gripper button. You will see the Close gripper command added to the program body below Point 2. Page 31 35
15. Click the Close gripper command to move the selection to it. Similar to the Open gripper command, you do not have to set up the parameters, as the Service panel is empty. Alternatively, you can add the command from the Add Commands menu. 16. Move the robot arm manually to the position where you want to place the picked up object. Then, press the Add point button on the wrist of the robot arm. remembers the point and adds it to the program body as Point 3. In the Service panel, you will see the Point 3 parameters as shown in the figure below. For the parameter adjustment instructions, refer to Section 4.1.2. Page 32 35
Instead of using the hand guiding method, you can also add and set up the point as described in Step 7 and 8 and Step 12 and 13. 17. Click and select Open gripper. You will see the Open gripper (1) command added to the program body below Point 3. 18. Move the selection to Open gripper (1), click, and select Send to. You will see the Send to command added to the program body below Open gripper (1). 19. Set up the output and the signal the robot arm should send to an external device (e.g., a conveyor belt) to warn about the pick-and-place operation completed. To do that, specify "Output#1" in the Output Type field and "Low" in the Value field. Page 33 35
20. Click the Next button to move on to check the created program. switches to the Check stage screen as shown below. 21. Select the Wait for command and click. skips the command and moves the selection to Point 1. 22. Adjust the speed control value to 20% by dragging the speed control to the right. 23. Click to start a test run of the program, executing the commands from Point 1 and down. The button changes to. You can monitor the test run progress by the way moves the selection from one command to another. 24. When reaches the Delay command, click to skip it. Page 34 35
25. When executes the last (Send to) command, it stops. To move on to the next stage, click the Next button. switches to the Run stage screen. 26. To start execution of the program, click the Save&Run button. will execute the sequence of commands in the Program Body panel cyclically. 27. Click (replaces the Save&Run button) to stop the program execution. 28. Close the browser window to quit. Page 35 35