Connect to your robot

This page explains how to connect the SDK to a Yaskawa Motoman controller: the settings of the controller, the connection parameters, the errors and the disconnection. By default the SDK uses the High Speed Ethernet Server of the controller, over UDP. The Ethernet Server, HTTP and FTP are enabled with one flag each, see Choose a protocol. Nothing is installed on the controller.

Prerequisites

• The PC reaches the controller on the network. Its address is set in LAN INTERFACE SETTING, see Enable the Ethernet function.
• The Ethernet function is enabled on the controller. The High Speed Ethernet Server answers on the UDP ports 10040 (data) and 10041 (files). A firewall between the PC and the controller must let these ports through.
• The controller is one of: YRC1000 (micro), MOTOMAN NEXT, DX100 / DX200, FS100.

The read methods work in any mode. The commands (servo, motion, job start, file write) need the settings below.

Prepare the controller

Each setting is made once, on the programming pendant, with the security mode set to MANAGEMENT. Do the steps in this order: first the Ethernet function, then the parameters, then the remote commands.

Enable the Ethernet function

The Ethernet function is set in the maintenance mode of the controller.

1. Start the controller in maintenance mode. Two ways:
   • Switch on the controller while you hold the MAIN MENU key of the pendant.
   • On a running controller, select CPU RESET > MAINTENANCE > REBOOT.
2. Select SYSTEM INFO and press the SECURITY button.
3. Select the mode and change it to MANAGEMENT. The default password is sixteen 9: 9999999999999999.
4. In the main menu, select SYSTEM > SETUP > OPTION FUNCTION.

5. In LAN INTERFACE SETTING, set the IP address, the subnet mask and the gateway of the controller.
6. In NETWORK FUNCTION SETTING:
   • Set ETHERNET to USED.
   • Set FTP to EXPANDED. The FTP client needs it.
   • Set ETHERNET SERVER to EXPANDED. The Ethernet Server client needs it.

7. Restart the controller in normal mode.

If ETHERNET stays at NOT USED and cannot be changed, the Ethernet function is not enabled on your controller. Ask the Yaskawa support to enable it. It is a parameter of the FD type: only the Yaskawa mode can change it, with a checksum signature in the file ALL.PRM.

Set the parameters

Select PARAMETER > RS and set these values:

To write the I/O and the variables in play mode, select PARAMETER > S2C and set:

GetSystemParameter reads these values back from your application, see System parameters.

Enable the remote commands

• Select IN/OUT > PSEUDO INPUT SIGNAL.
• Move the cursor to #82015 CMD REMOTE SEL and press INTER LOCK + SELECT.

Put the key in the remote position

The commands need the key of the pendant in the remote position.

To use the key for the remote control, copy #80011 (key in the remote position) to #40042 (remote control enabled) with the ladder editor:

• Select IN/OUT > LADDER EDITOR.
• Check that no other rung writes #40042, then add this rung:

GetStatusInformation().CommandRemote is true when the controller accepts the remote commands.

Allow the job selection

• Select SETUP > FUNCTION ENABLE.
• Set JOB SELECT WHEN REMOTE AND PLAY to PERMIT. On the Smart Pendant, set the parameter SC2 224 to 0.

Allow the file overwrite

To send a file that already exists on the controller:

• Select PARAMETER > RS.
• Set RS029 to 1 and RS214 to 1.

Quick connection

Pass the address of the controller. The other parameters keep their default values.

static void Main()
{
var robot = new YaskawaRobot();

// IP address of the controller, default ports and timeouts
robot.Connect("192.168.0.1");

// Every function of the SDK is a method of robot.HighSpeedEServer
var status = robot.HighSpeedEServer.GetStatusInformation();
Console.WriteLine($"Servo on: {status.ServoOn}, play mode: {status.Play}");

robot.Disconnect();
}
}

YaskawaRobot gives access to every function of the SDK, through its HighSpeedEServer property.

Connection parameters

ConnectParameters holds every option. Use it when the controller has other ports, or when the network needs longer timeouts.

static void Main()
{
var parameters = new ConnectParameters("192.168.0.1");

// Ping the controller first (default: true)
parameters.PingBeforeConnect = true;

// UDP ports of the High Speed Ethernet Server (defaults: 10040 and 10041)
parameters.HighSpeedEServer.DataPort = 10040;
parameters.HighSpeedEServer.FilePort = 10041;

// Time to wait for an answer, in milliseconds
parameters.HighSpeedEServer.DataTimeoutMilliseconds = 1500;
parameters.HighSpeedEServer.PowerOnTimeoutMilliseconds = 8000;
parameters.HighSpeedEServer.FileTimeoutMilliseconds = 4000;

var robot = new YaskawaRobot();
robot.Connect(parameters);
robot.Disconnect();
}

The other parameters of EServer, Http and Ftp (ports, timeouts, FTP account) are described on the page of each protocol.

static void Main()
{
var parameters = new ConnectParameters("192.168.0.1");

// High Speed Ethernet Server (UDP 10040 and 10041): enabled by default
parameters.HighSpeedEServer.Enable = true;

// Ethernet Server (TCP 80): status, jobs, variables, I/O and moves
parameters.EServer.Enable = true;

// Web server of the controller (TCP 80): file lists and text files
parameters.Http.Enable = true;

// FTP server of the controller (TCP 21): file transfers
parameters.Ftp.Enable = true;
parameters.Ftp.FtpUser = "ftp"; // "anonymous" can only download

var robot = new YaskawaRobot();
robot.Connect(parameters);

// One property per protocol
var status = robot.HighSpeedEServer.GetStatusInformation();
var jobs = robot.EServer.GetJobDirectory();
var files = robot.Http.GetFileList(FileExtension.JOB);
var listing = robot.Ftp.GetListing("/JOB");

// Closes every protocol
robot.Disconnect();
}
}

The ping also protects the controller: a request sent while the controller starts can raise an error on it. Set PingBeforeConnect to false only when a firewall blocks ICMP between the PC and the controller.

UDP: what "connected" means

UDP has no connection. Connect checks the license, sends the ping and opens the socket: it does not exchange a message with the controller. The first method call is the first exchange. If the controller does not answer, this call fails after DataTimeoutMilliseconds.

To check the link at startup, call a read method, for example GetStatusInformation(), right after Connect.

Connected is true while the socket is open.

Standalone client

HighSpeedEServerClient opens a High Speed Ethernet Server client without YaskawaRobot. The methods are then directly on the client: client.GetStatusInformation() instead of robot.HighSpeedEServer.GetStatusInformation().

static void Main()
{
// A High Speed Ethernet Server client without YaskawaRobot
var client = new HighSpeedEServerClient();
client.Connect("192.168.0.1", new HighSpeedEServerConnectParameters());

// The methods are directly on the client
RobotStatusData status = client.GetStatusInformation();
Console.WriteLine($"Running: {status.Running}");

client.Close();
}
}

Errors

{
var robot = new YaskawaRobot();
try
{
    robot.Connect("192.168.0.1");
    robot.HighSpeedEServer.StartJob();
}
catch (InvalidLicenseException ex)
{
    // No valid license: the trial is over, or the key is wrong
    Console.WriteLine(ex.LicenseInfo);
}
catch (ConnectException ex)
{
    // The UDP socket could not be opened
    Console.WriteLine($"{ex.Address}: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (InvalidDataAnswerException ex)
{
    // The controller refused the command, for example "Servo OFF" or "Command remote not set"
    Console.WriteLine($"{ex.Message} ({ex.Status}, {ex.AddedStatus})");
}
catch (SocketException ex)
{
    // No answer before the timeout
    Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    // For example, no answer to the ping
    Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
}
}
}

Frequent messages of InvalidDataAnswerException, and what to check:

Disconnect

Disconnect closes the sockets. Call it when your application ends, or when it no longer needs the controller.

var robot = new YaskawaRobot();
robot.Connect("192.168.0.1");
// True while the UDP socket is open
Console.WriteLine(robot.Connected);

// Close the sockets when the application no longer needs the controller
robot.Disconnect();
}
}

Try it in the demo application

Everything on this page can be tried without writing code, in the Connection page of the demo application.

The demo application is open source. The C# source of this page is ConnectControl.cs.

Reference

What to read next

• Choose a protocol: High Speed Ethernet Server, Ethernet Server, HTTP and FTP side by side.
• High Speed Ethernet Server: the topics of the default protocol.