Move the robot from a PC

This article shows how to move a Yaskawa Motoman robot from a PC, without a job, in C# or Python. It gives a complete program that switches the servo on, moves the tool 50 mm up in a straight line, waits for the end of the move and goes back.

Prerequisites

• The SDK is connected to the controller: see Connect to your robot.
• The controller accepts the remote commands. See Prepare the controller.
• The cell is safe for a move: nobody in the cell, the safety functions active. Test at low speed first.

Which move to choose

Example

using UnderAutomation.Yaskawa;
using UnderAutomation.Yaskawa.HighSpeedEServer;

public class HowToMoveRobot
{
    static void Main()
    {
        
        var robot = new YaskawaRobot();
        robot.Connect("192.168.0.1");

        // 1. Remote mode, no alarm
        RobotStatusData status = robot.HighSpeedEServer.GetStatusInformation();
        if (!status.CommandRemote) throw new InvalidOperationException("Enable the remote mode");
        if (status.Alarming) robot.HighSpeedEServer.AlarmReset(AlarmResetType.Reset);

        // 2. Servo on
        robot.HighSpeedEServer.SetServo(true);

        // 3. Read the current position, then move 50 mm up in a straight line, at 20 mm/s
        RobotPositionCartesianData start = robot.HighSpeedEServer.GetRobotCartesianPosition();

        robot.HighSpeedEServer.MoveCartesian(
            start.X, start.Y, start.Z + 50, start.Rx, start.Ry, start.Rz,
            PositionCommandClassification.Cartesian_MM_S, 20,
            PositionCommandOperationCoordinate.Robot,
            posture: start.Form,
            commandtype: PositionCommandType.StraightAbsolute);

        // 4. The method returns when the controller accepts the move: wait for the target, 30 s at most
        DateTime timeout = DateTime.Now.AddSeconds(30);
        while (Math.Abs(robot.HighSpeedEServer.GetRobotCartesianPosition().Z - (start.Z + 50)) > 0.5)
        {
            if (DateTime.Now > timeout) throw new TimeoutException("Target not reached");
            Thread.Sleep(100);
        }

        // 5. Back to the start, joint interpolated, at 10 %
        robot.HighSpeedEServer.MoveCartesian(
            start.X, start.Y, start.Z, start.Rx, start.Ry, start.Rz,
            PositionCommandClassification.LinkPercent, 10,
            PositionCommandOperationCoordinate.Robot,
            posture: start.Form,
            commandtype: PositionCommandType.LinkAbsolute);

        robot.Disconnect();
        
    }
}

The program:

1. checks the remote mode and resets a pending alarm;
2. switches the servo on;
3. reads the current position and sends a straight move 50 mm above it, at 20 mm/s, with the same posture;
4. reads the position every 100 ms until the robot is within 0.5 mm of the target, with a timeout of 30 s;
5. goes back to the start with a joint move at 10 % of the maximum speed.

Wait for the end of a move

MoveCartesian and MoveJoints return when the controller accepts the move. To chain moves or to act after a move, wait for the target as in the example. Send the next move only after the end of the previous one.

With the Ethernet Server

The Ethernet Server has the same moves, with one method per type: MoveLinear, MoveJoint, MoveIncremental, MovePulseJoint and MovePulseLinear. The speed of a linear move is in mm/s or in percent, and the target can be in a user frame or in the tool frame.

var robot = new YaskawaRobot();
robot.Connect(parameters);
robot.EServer.SetServo(true);

// Straight line to X=400 Y=0 Z=300 (mm), Rx=180 Ry=0 Rz=0 (degrees), at 50 mm/s, tool 0
robot.EServer.MoveLinear(HostControlSpeedType.MillimetersPerSecond, 50,
    HostControlCoordinateSystem.Base, 400, 0, 300, 180, 0, 0);

// Joint move to another target, at 10 % of the maximum speed
robot.EServer.MoveJoint(10, HostControlCoordinateSystem.Base, 400, 100, 300, 180, 0, 0);
robot.Disconnect();
}

Check the target before the move

The offline kinematics tell if a target can be reached, and with which joint angles, before you send it. An empty list of solutions means that the robot cannot reach the target.

Troubleshooting

• The robot moves by the values instead of going to them: MoveCartesian uses StraightIncrement when commandtype is not given. Pass StraightAbsolute or LinkAbsolute.
• Servo OFF or Turn ON the servo power: switch the servo on before the move.
• Command remote not set: see Prepare the controller.
• The robot takes another configuration: pass the posture of the start position (Form) to MoveCartesian.
• A speed or frame setting error: check the pair of PositionCommandClassification and command type, and the tool and user frame numbers.

What to read next

• Motion: all the arguments of the moves.
• Get the robot position.