R2000iA and R-J3iB

[ValentijnvanB]

Hello, I have some questions about using ROS on a R-J3iB.

Which version of KAREL do I need?
Which distribution of ROS do I need?
Is it even possible to use ROS with this controller for the R2000iA?
If yes, what are all the requirements?

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,

Valentijn

[gavanderhoorn]

Which version of KAREL do I need?

this is going to be more about the version of the system software.

For a discussion around the use of fanuc_driver on that controller series, see #326. Unfortunately the OP there never responded.

Is it even possible to use ROS with this controller for the R2000iA?

as long as the Karel programs work, you should be able to use fanuc_driver (and/or fanuc_driver_exp with it).

Note we do not currently have a robot support package for the R-2000iA series though, so that would have to be created.

Do realise though: it's not going to be anywhere near real-time. Whether performance is sufficient would depend on your use-case (and trajectories).

[gavanderhoorn]

@ValentijnvanB: were you able to get things to work?

[ValentijnvanB]

@gavanderhoorn The cables to the controller have been fixed and it turns on, sadly with many errors that need to be fixed first. I will try and get permission to turn it on again though, so I can see if the controller has R648 and R632, hopefully it does.

[gavanderhoorn]

On an R-J3iB you'd likely only really need R648.

[ValentijnvanB]

Between software features as seen on the TP I can find dozens except those two, do you maybe know if there is another way I can connect ros to my controller, or is this quite impossible? Atleast I think I am in the right menu, menus-status-versionid-config

[ValentijnvanB]

I do have normal socket messaging, SKMG

Click to expand

[gavanderhoorn]

If you don't have R648 you (obviously) can't use fanuc_driver (nor fanuc_driver_exp).

do you maybe know if there is another way I can connect ros to my controller, or is this quite impossible?

Well .. everything is possible. It just depends on how much time and effort you're willing to spend on this.

Theoretically, any interface over which you can supply the controller with 'trajectory points' could be used. But it would require custom code, which I guess is what you were trying to avoid by using fanuc_driver.

Seeing as you have HMI Device, you could perhaps take a look at what is discussed in gavanderhoorn/fanuc_driver_exp#12, but you might (also) need R553, not sure on R-J3iB.

At the other end of the spectrum (ie: no real-time control at all, even if with delays) would be generating TP programs based on ROS JointTrajectorys, uploading those using FTP and then starting them remotely. You would probably not need any additional options for that (FTP support is typically always present), but it would of course be rather different from using a driver which offers more online control.

I do have normal socket messaging, SKMG

that's unfortunately not something we can use from Karel (nor TP).

[ValentijnvanB]

Not yet, I tried FTP, but seeing as I can't transfer ls files to the robot and can't compile ls files, because I don't have maketp.exe, this is not feasible.
I want to try to use the serial connecter on the controller, but my 25pin RS-232 to USB won't come until tomorrow afternoon.
And I already asked Fanuc to sell roboguide and R648 to me, but they sadly have not responded yet. They have also not responded to my roboguide trial request.

[gavanderhoorn]

@ValentijnvanB: have you had any luck getting things to work in the meantime?

[ValentijnvanB]

@gavanderhoorn No, I have not. Seeing as some cobots without vendor lock-in are cheaper than buying all software packages for the fanuc, a cobot was ordered. This cobot is ootb compatible with ros/python/c++. Thank you for helping me at the beginning of my internship though. I really appreciate it.

[gavanderhoorn]

Seeing as some cobots without vendor lock-in are cheaper than buying all software packages for the fanuc, a cobot was ordered.

won't change anything probably, but might be nice to give this feedback to Fanuc.

Thank you for helping me at the beginning of my internship though. I really appreciate it.

np.

[ValentijnvanB]

@gavanderhoorn It probably won’t change anything, since they are the giants in this market. I’ll give them this feedback after my internship, though.