Get started with .NET

This page shows how to add the Fanuc SDK to a C#, VB.NET or F# project and write a first program for a Fanuc controller (R-J3iB, R-30iA, R-30iB, R-30iB Plus, R-50iA) or a ROBOGUIDE virtual robot. The SDK is one fully managed DLL, UnderAutomation.Fanuc.dll, that talks to the controller over Telnet KCL, FTP, SNPX, CGTP, RMI and Stream Motion.

Supported frameworks

Targets of the DLL

The DLL is compiled in AnyCPU for these targets:

.NET Core 2.0 and later and .NET 5 to .NET 10 use the .NET Standard 2.0 or 2.1 DLL. They run on Windows, Linux and macOS, on x64, x86, ARM and ARM64. For Mono or Universal Windows Platform (UWP), use .NET Standard 2.1. For the Unity engine, use a .NET Framework or a .NET Standard version.

Dependencies

The .NET Framework DLLs have no dependency. The .NET Standard DLLs depend on the NuGet package System.Text.Encoding.CodePages, which decodes the strings of Japanese (Shift-JIS) and Chinese (GB2312) controllers. NuGet installs it with the SDK.

Install from NuGet

NuGet picks the right DLL for your project and makes updates easy.

dotnet add package UnderAutomation.Fanuc

With the Package Manager console of Visual Studio:

Install-Package UnderAutomation.Fanuc

Or right click the Dependencies node of your project, select Manage NuGet Packages..., search for UnderAutomation.Fanuc and install the latest version.

Package page: nuget.org/packages/UnderAutomation.Fanuc

Or download the DLL

The latest release of the GitHub repository Fanuc.NET contains:

• UnderAutomation.Fanuc.zip: the DLL and its XML documentation, in one folder per target (net35, net48, netstandard2.0...). Reference the DLL of your target in your project.
• UnderAutomation.Fanuc.Showcase.Forms.exe: the demo application for Windows. See Demo application.

On Windows, a downloaded file can be blocked. Before you extract the zip, right click it, open Properties, check Unblock and click OK. A blocked DLL can fail to load.

With a .NET Standard DLL from the zip, also add the NuGet package System.Text.Encoding.CodePages to your project.

First program

Connect and read a register

Import the namespace UnderAutomation.Fanuc, create a FanucRobot, connect and read a value.

static void Main()
{
// Without a key, the SDK runs in its 30 day trial period.
// With a license, register it once, before the first connection.
FanucRobot.RegisterLicense("YourCompanyName", "YOUR_LICENSE_KEY");

// With an IP address only, the SDK connects to the web server of the controller (CGTP)
FanucRobot robot = new FanucRobot();
robot.Connect("192.168.0.1");

// Numeric register R[1]
NumericRegisterWithComment r1 = robot.Cgtp.ReadNumericRegisterWithComment(1);
Console.WriteLine($"R[1] = {r1}");

// Current position of motion group 1
CartesianPosition position = robot.Cgtp.ReadCartesianPosition();
Console.WriteLine($"X={position.X}, Y={position.Y}, Z={position.Z}");

robot.Disconnect();
}
}

With an IP address only, Connect uses the web server of the controller (CGTP). It needs no option on the controller, and firmware V8.30 or later (V9.10 for the position). To use Telnet KCL, FTP, SNPX, RMI or Stream Motion, enable them in a ConnectionParameters object: see Connect to your robot.

License

The SDK runs for 30 days without a key. After that, RegisterLicense is needed: see Licensing. The offline features (kinematics, motion planner, file parsers) do not need a connection.

Demo application

The demo application is a Windows program that calls the features of the SDK, without writing code: CGTP, SNPX, Telnet, FTP, RMI, Stream Motion, DPM, kinematics. It is a single executable, with no installation. Its C# sources are in the folder UnderAutomation.Fanuc.Showcase.Forms of Fanuc.NET. See Demo application.

Shell sources

The folder UnderAutomation.Fanuc.ObfuscatedSources of Fanuc.NET contains every public type and member of the SDK, with its XML documentation. The bodies of the methods are replaced by "Source is hidden". Use it to:

• browse the API and its documentation on GitHub, without installing anything;
• jump to a definition from your code editor, with the same names and signatures as the DLL;
• see the structure of the code that the source license delivers.

Source license

The Standard and Pro licenses deliver the obfuscated DLL. The Source license delivers the full C# code of the library and its Visual Studio solution. You can change it and build it yourself, within the limits of the license agreement. See the licenses on the pricing page and Licensing.

What to read next

• Connect to your robot: the protocols, their setup on the controller, the connection parameters.
• Test with ROBOGUIDE: work without a real robot.
• The protocol pages: CGTP, SNPX, Telnet, FTP, RMI, Stream Motion.
• API reference: the shell sources.