Get started with LabVIEW

Overview

The library is based on LabVIEW's native functions that allow the execution of .NET code. More information : https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361R-01/lvconcepts/using__net_with_labview/

However, the library has been tested and optimised for ease of use in LabView.

To get started, you can either use the examples provided or start your VI from scratch by following the tutorial below.

Prerequisites

• You must have .NET installed on the same computer as LabVIEW (Go to the Windows "Turn Windows feature on and off" screen and check ".NET Framework 3.5)

• Check that the DLL "UnderAutomation.UniversalRobots.dll" is not blocked in the properties of the file

• Then you can start :)

Get started from samples

• Please go to the download page
• Download the LabVIEW example ZIP archive
• Unblock the zip once downloaded by checking the "unblock" box in the file properties
• Unzip the archive (do not drag and drop files out of the zip)
• Open the file Demo.lvproj (the examples are provided in several versions of LabVIEW). Please contact us if you cannot load it.
• You may get a "Load warning summary" popup. You can ignore it, it will not appear again once you have saved the project.

If LabVIEW fails to load the DLL, there is a problem, check that the file is among your local files and is unblocked. LabView can also ask you to browse manually to this file.

• You can now execute one of the proposed VI, be careful to read the block diagram to specify the specific IP address of your robot.

Front panel

RTDE sample diagram

Primary interface and dashboard sample diagram

Get Started from scratch

• Please go to the download page
• Download the LabVIEW example ZIP archive
• Unblock the zip once downloaded by checking the "unblock" box in the file properties
• Unzip the archive (do not drag and drop files out of the zip)
• Copy the library file LabVIEW\Library\UnderAutomation.UniversalRobots.dll in your future LabVIEW project folder
• Open LabVIEW and create a new VI
• All interesting block diagrams are in Connectivity / .NET, you can pin this category
• Instanciate a new UR instance with block "Constructor Node"

• A popup should appear. Click "Browse" and select the library file UnderAutomation.UniversalRobots.dll, expand namespace and then select UR. Click OK and congratulations, you now have an instance of your UR cobot.

• You can now connect to the robot by calling the Connect method. To do this, place an "Invoke Node" block and link its input to the new instance of UR.

• Select method Connect(ConnectParameters parameters) in the dropdown block list.

• This method asks for a ConnectParameters as argument, which contains all the robot info and services to be started. So please instantiate the ConnectParameters class in the same way as above for UR.

• With these blocks you can access the .NET methods described in the rest of the documentation