System information & energy
Read the RobotWare version, the installed options and products, the robot types of the system, and the energy consumption counters.
robot.Rws.System describes the system installed on the controller: its name and software version, the options and the products it was built with, the type of robot it drives, its license, and the energy it consumes. Everything here is read only, except the reset of the energy counter.
Do not confuse this service with Controller, which reports the identity of the controller hardware. System reports the software running on it.
System information
GetInfo returns a SystemInfo with the name of the system, the robot software version and the installed options.
SystemInfo info = robot.Rws.System.GetInfo();Console.WriteLine(info.Name); // name of the systemConsole.WriteLine(info.VersionName); // readable robot software versionConsole.WriteLine(info.Version);Console.WriteLine(info.SystemId); // unique identifier of the systemConsole.WriteLine(info.StartTime); // last start, null on some controllersConsole.WriteLine(info.OptionCount);// The options come with the description, no second call neededforeach (string option in info.Options)Console.WriteLine(option);
A virtual controller does not fill every field. The detailed version numbers, the build tag and the timestamps are usually empty on a simulated system, which is why they are nullable. The name, the version and the system identifier are always there.
The options are returned with the description, so GetOptions is not needed when you call GetInfo.
Options, products, robot types and license
| Method | Returns |
|---|---|
GetOptions() | string[], the names of the installed options |
GetProducts(name) | SystemProduct[], the installed software products with their versions |
GetRobotTypes() | string[], for example IRB 120-3/0.6 |
GetLicense() | string, the license the robot software runs under |
// Installed optionsforeach (string option in robot.Rws.System.GetOptions())Console.WriteLine(option);// Installed products and their versionsforeach (SystemProduct product in robot.Rws.System.GetProducts())Console.WriteLine($"{product.Name} {product.VersionName}");// One product only. The name must match exactlySystemProduct[] robotWare = robot.Rws.System.GetProducts("RobotWare");// Type of every robot the controller drivesforeach (string type in robot.Rws.System.GetRobotTypes())Console.WriteLine(type);// License the robot software runs underConsole.WriteLine(robot.Rws.System.GetLicense());
GetProducts takes an optional name to report a single product. The name has to match an installed product exactly, the controller rejects an unknown one with an error instead of returning an empty list. Call it without argument to get every product.
GetRobotTypes only reports standard ABB robots. Positioners, track motions and other mechanical units are left out. A controller that drives none of them returns an empty array, not an error. Use robot.Rws.MotionSystem.GetMechanicalUnits() when you need the complete list.
GetLicense returns VIRTUAL_USE on a RobotStudio virtual controller.
Energy consumption
GetEnergy returns the energy the controller consumed, for the current measurement interval and since the last reset, broken down per mechanical unit and per axis. Values are in joules.
SystemEnergy energy = robot.Rws.System.GetEnergy();// Always check this first, the other values mean nothing when it is falseif (!energy.IsMeasurementValid){Console.WriteLine($"No measurement available, state is {energy.State}");return;}Console.WriteLine($"Interval : {energy.IntervalEnergy} J over {energy.IntervalLength} s");Console.WriteLine($"Average power : {energy.AveragePower} W");Console.WriteLine($"Accumulated : {energy.AccumulatedEnergy} J since {energy.ResetTime}");// Breakdown per mechanical unit and per axisforeach (SystemEnergyMechanicalUnit unit in energy.MechanicalUnits){Console.WriteLine(unit.Name);foreach (SystemEnergyAxis axis in unit.Axes)Console.WriteLine($" axis {axis.Number} : {axis.IntervalEnergy} J");}
Check IsMeasurementValid first. The controller answers with a complete but meaningless measurement while it has nothing to report, and State then tells why. AveragePower is computed by the SDK from the interval energy and the interval length, in watts, and is null when one of the two is missing.
SystemEnergyState | Meaning |
|---|---|
NotPaused | Measurement is running |
Paused, Pausing, Resuming | Measurement is stopped or changing state |
Blocked | Measurement is blocked, no new value is produced |
GoingToSleep, Sleep | The controller is entering or in its low energy consumption mode |
Unknown | The state could not be determined |
Polling the energy
Reading the whole measurement is not cheap. GetEnergyChangeCount returns a single number the controller increments each time a new measurement is available. Poll that number, and read the measurement only when it moved.
int? lastCount = robot.Rws.System.GetEnergyChangeCount();while (true){Thread.Sleep(1000);// One small request. Read the whole measurement only when the counter movedint? count = robot.Rws.System.GetEnergyChangeCount();if (count == lastCount) continue;lastCount = count;SystemEnergy energy = robot.Rws.System.GetEnergy();Console.WriteLine($"{energy.TimeStamp} : {energy.AccumulatedEnergy} J");}
The same counter is also in SystemEnergy.ChangeCount. Both return null when the controller does not report it.
Reset the accumulated energy
ResetAccumulatedEnergy sets the accumulated counter back to zero. The energy counted before is lost, the controller keeps no history. The reset moment becomes the new reference reported by ResetTime. The energy of the current interval is not affected.
// The accumulated counter goes back to zero, the energy counted before is lostrobot.Rws.System.ResetAccumulatedEnergy();SystemEnergy energy = robot.Rws.System.GetEnergy();// ResetTime is now the reference of the accumulated energyConsole.WriteLine($"{energy.AccumulatedEnergy} J since {energy.ResetTime}");
API reference
Methods of SystemService :// Gets the energy the controller consumed, for the current interval and since the last reset (synchronous)SystemEnergy GetEnergy();// Gets the counter the controller increments each time a new energy measurement is available (synchronous)int? GetEnergyChangeCount();// Gets the name, the software version and the installed options of the system (synchronous)SystemInfo GetInfo();// Gets the license the robot software runs under (synchronous)string GetLicense();// Gets the options installed on the system (synchronous)string[] GetOptions();// Gets the software products installed on the controller, with their versions (synchronous)SystemProduct[] GetProducts(string name = null);// Gets the type of every robot the controller drives (synchronous)string[] GetRobotTypes();// Sets the accumulated energy counter of the controller back to zero (synchronous)void ResetAccumulatedEnergy();
Every method also exists in an asynchronous version, with the same name followed by Async and an optional CancellationToken.
public class SystemInfo {// Initializes a new instance of the <xref href="UnderAutomation.ABB.Rws.Data.SystemInfo" data-throw-if-not-resolved="false"></xref> classpublic SystemInfo()// Revision of the programming interface the system is compatible with,// null when the controller did not report itpublic int? ApiCompatibilityRevision { get; set; }// Build number of the version, null when the controller did not report itpublic int? Build { get; set; }// Free text describing the build the system was produced by, null when the controller did not report itpublic string BuildTag { get; set; }// Timestamp of the configuration the system was built with, as the controller spells it.//// <p>Null when the controller did not report it, which is the usual case on a virtual controller.</p>public string ConfigurationTimestamp { get; set; }// Date the system was produced, null when the controller did not report itpublic DateTime? Date { get; set; }// Description of the system, null when the controller did not report itpublic string Description { get; set; }// Version of the software distribution the system was installed from.//// <p>Null when the controller does not report it.</p>public string DistributionVersion { get; set; }// Major number of the version, null when the controller did not report itpublic int? Major { get; set; }// Minor number of the version, null when the controller did not report itpublic int? Minor { get; set; }// Name of the system installed on the controllerpublic string Name { get; set; }// Number of options installed on the systempublic int OptionCount { get; }// Options installed on the system, in the order the controller reports thempublic string[] Options { get; set; }// Revision number of the version, null when the controller did not report itpublic int? Revision { get; set; }// Moment the system was last started, null when the controller did not report itpublic DateTime? StartTime { get; set; }// Sub revision number of the version, null when the controller did not report itpublic int? SubRevision { get; set; }// Unique identifier of the systempublic string SystemId { get; set; }// Title of the system, null when the controller did not report itpublic string Title { get; set; }// Returns a string representation of this systempublic override string ToString()// Type of the system, null when the controller did not report itpublic string Type { get; set; }// Version of the robot software the system runspublic string Version { get; set; }// Human readable version of the robot software the system runspublic string VersionName { get; set; }}
public class SystemProduct {// Initializes a new instance of the <xref href="UnderAutomation.ABB.Rws.Data.SystemProduct" data-throw-if-not-resolved="false"></xref> classpublic SystemProduct()// Name of the product, for example "RobotWare" or "RobotControl"public string Name { get; set; }// Returns a string representation of this productpublic override string ToString()// Full version of the product, build information included.//// <p>Null when the controller only reports the version name.</p>public string Version { get; set; }// Human readable version of the productpublic string VersionName { get; set; }}
public class SystemEnergy {// Initializes a new instance of the <xref href="UnderAutomation.ABB.Rws.Data.SystemEnergy" data-throw-if-not-resolved="false"></xref> classpublic SystemEnergy()// Total energy consumed since the last reset, in joules, null when the controller did not report itpublic double? AccumulatedEnergy { get; set; }// Average power consumed during the current measurement interval, in watts.//// <p>Null when the interval energy or the interval length is missing, or when the interval is empty.</p>public double? AveragePower { get; }// Counter the controller increments every time a new measurement is available.//// <p>Comparing it with the previous one tells whether the values changed without reading them all.</p>public int? ChangeCount { get; set; }// Total energy consumed during the current measurement interval, in joules,// null when the controller did not report itpublic double? IntervalEnergy { get; set; }// Length of the measurement interval in seconds, which the average power is computed from,// null when the controller did not report itpublic int? IntervalLength { get; set; }// Whether the reported measurement is valid. When false, every energy value of this instance is// meaningless and the measurement has to be read again later.public bool IsMeasurementValid { get; set; }// Number of mechanical units the controller reportedpublic int MechanicalUnitCount { get; }// Energy consumed by each mechanical unit during the current measurement intervalpublic SystemEnergyMechanicalUnit[] MechanicalUnits { get; set; }// Moment the accumulated energy was last reset, null when the controller did not report itpublic DateTime? ResetTime { get; set; }// State of the energy measurementpublic SystemEnergyState State { get; set; }// Moment the measurement was taken, null when the controller did not report itpublic DateTime? TimeStamp { get; set; }// Returns a string representation of this measurementpublic override string ToString()}
public class SystemEnergyMechanicalUnit {// Initializes a new instance of the <xref href="UnderAutomation.ABB.Rws.Data.SystemEnergyMechanicalUnit" data-throw-if-not-resolved="false"></xref> classpublic SystemEnergyMechanicalUnit()// Energy consumed by each axis of the mechanical unit during the current measurement intervalpublic SystemEnergyAxis[] Axes { get; set; }// Number of axes the controller reported for this mechanical unitpublic int AxisCount { get; }// Name of the mechanical unit, for example "ROB_1"public string Name { get; set; }// Returns a string representation of this mechanical unitpublic override string ToString()}
public class SystemEnergyAxis {// Initializes a new instance of the <xref href="UnderAutomation.ABB.Rws.Data.SystemEnergyAxis" data-throw-if-not-resolved="false"></xref> classpublic SystemEnergyAxis()// Energy the axis consumed during the current measurement interval, in joules,// null when the controller did not report itpublic double? IntervalEnergy { get; set; }// Number of the axis inside its mechanical unit, starting at 1public int Number { get; set; }// Returns a string representation of this axispublic override string ToString()}
public enum SystemEnergyState {// Energy measurement is blocked and no new value is producedBlocked = 1// The controller is entering its low energy consumption modeGoingToSleep = 6// Energy measurement is runningNotPaused = 3// Energy measurement is pausedPaused = 2// Energy measurement is being pausedPausing = 5// Energy measurement is being resumedResuming = 4// The controller is in its low energy consumption modeSleep = 7// The energy state could not be determinedUnknown = 0}