Get started with LabVIEW

Control a Fanuc robot from LabVIEW 2010 to 2024 with the VIs of UnderAutomation.Fanuc.lvlib: Telnet KCL, FTP and SNPX. Nothing to install on the controller.

This page shows how to use the Fanuc SDK from LabVIEW, to control a Fanuc controller or a ROBOGUIDE virtual robot with Telnet KCL, FTP and SNPX. The library is a set of VIs grouped in UnderAutomation.Fanuc.lvlib, compatible with LabVIEW 2010 to 2024. Nothing is installed on the controller.

Download

The releases of Fanuc.vi contain:

the library UnderAutomation.Fanuc.lvlib, with its VIs;
the example project UnderAutomation.Fanuc.lvproj, for your LabVIEW version.

The sources are on GitHub: github.com/underautomation/Fanuc.vi. Questions and bug reports go to its issues.

Items of the Fanuc LabVIEW library

What the library does

Read and write system variables.
Read and write numeric, string and position registers.
Run, pause, hold, continue and abort programs.
Reset alarms and read the alarm history.
Set, simulate and unsimulate I/O ports (DOUT, UI, UO, GI, GO...).
Read the safety status, the current position and the diagnostics.

Demonstration video

Example application

The example project shows every VI of the library, with one tab per protocol.

Connection tab of the LabVIEW example Telnet tab of the LabVIEW example

FTP tab of the LabVIEW example SNPX tab of the LabVIEW example

Register the license

The SDK runs for 30 days without a key. After that, buy a license (see pricing): you receive a license key, to pass to RegisterLicense.vi. Call this VI each time the application starts, before ConnectToRobot.vi.

See Licensing.

Connect to the robot

ConnectToRobot.vi connects to the robot with its IP address. Booleans enable or disable Telnet, FTP and SNPX. Telnet needs its password, FTP its user and password. The VI returns an instance of the robot and of each protocol: wire them to the VIs below.

Connect to robot

Telnet KCL

Telnet KCL sends commands to the controller: reset alarms, write variables, set an I/O... It needs no option on the controller, but it must be enabled: see Enable Telnet on your robot.

Run

To run a program:

set $RMT_MASTER = 1 and $REMOTE_CFG.$REMOTE_TYPE = 1 (with SetVariableValue.vi);
turn the TP switch off;
reset the alarms.

Run

Pause

Continue

Hold

Abort

Abort all programs

Clear program

Get current position

Get variable value

Set variable value

Clear variables

Reset alarms

Set port

Simulate

Unsimulate

Unsimulate all

Telnet is connected

FTP

FTP gives access to the files of the controller, and reads and decodes the variable files (.va) and the diagnostic files (.dg).

Get current position

Get IO states

Get IO states front

Get safety status

Get all errors list

Get numeric registers

Get position registers

Get string registers

SNPX

SNPX (also known as RobotIF, Robot Interface or SRTP) reads and writes data on the robot in a few milliseconds. The TCP port of the Robot IF Server (60008 by default) must be reachable.

With the FANUC America parameters (R650 FRA, option "FANUC America Corp." in the "Advanced" tab of step 7 "Robot options" of the ROBOGUIDE workcell creation wizard), SNPX needs option R553 "HMI Device SNPX".
With the FANUC Ltd. parameters (R651 FRL), no option is needed.