Choose a protocol

This page compares the four protocols that the Yaskawa SDK uses to talk to a Motoman controller: High Speed Ethernet Server, Ethernet Server, HTTP and FTP. It says what each one does, which ports it needs, and how to use several of them in one application.

The four protocols

Nothing is installed on the controller for any of them. The offline kinematics need no protocol at all.

Which protocol for which task

The times are measured on a YRC1000micro. On the same controller, a status read takes about 10 ms with the High Speed Ethernet Server and about 20 ms with the Ethernet Server.

Enable several protocols

Each protocol has an Enable flag in ConnectParameters. Connect opens every enabled protocol, Disconnect closes them all, and Connected is true when at least one is open.

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();
}
}

Ports to open in the firewall

The ping before the connection (PingBeforeConnect) also needs ICMP.

Settings of the controller

The commands (servo, jobs, moves, writes) of the High Speed Ethernet Server and of the Ethernet Server need the remote mode: see Prepare the controller. HTTP reads in any mode. FTP needs the right account to upload or delete: see Accounts.

Write code for both protocols

The High Speed Ethernet Server and the Ethernet Server clients implement the same interfaces of the namespace UnderAutomation.Yaskawa.Common. A function that takes an IRobotClient works with robot.HighSpeedEServer and with robot.EServer.

public class ProtocolsCommonInterface
{
// Works with robot.HighSpeedEServer and with robot.EServer
static void PrintState(IRobotClient client)
{
    IStatusData status = client.GetStatusInformation();
    ICartesianPosition tcp = client.GetRobotCartesianPosition();

    Console.WriteLine($"{client.Address}: servo {status.ServoOn}, running {status.Running}");
    Console.WriteLine($"X={tcp.X} Y={tcp.Y} Z={tcp.Z}");
}
static void Main()
{

In Python, the clients have the same method names: a function that calls get_status_information() works with both, without the interfaces.

Reference

What to read next

• Connect to your robot: the settings of the controller and the connection errors.
• Ethernet Server, HTTP, FTP: the pages of each protocol.