Using the Controller

V+ Operating System User's Guide

Using the Controller

You interact with the controller by:

Entering commands and responding to system requests by typing entries at the command line. This is the most basic type of interaction and is used by all Adept controllers. For details on the basics of the command line, see Using the V+ Command Line.

Using a pointing device to make selections. This type of interaction is used with programs written for the Adept graphics-based systems. For details on graphical user interface basics, see Using the Graphics-Based Interface.

Initiating actions and responding to system requests with the MCP or T1 pendant. The MCP or T1 pendant is generally used with motion systems.

Use of the MCP is described in the Adept MV Controller User's Guide. Use of the T1/T2 pendant is described in the Adept T2 Pendant User's Guide.

The following are the minimum steps required to get an Adept system up and running.

Install the Equipment and Set the Hardware Configuration

All the equipment must be installed and tested. The Adept MV Controller User's Guide or the Adept SmartController User's Guidecovers installation and hardware configuration of the controller. As delivered from Adept, all systems have their hardware configuration set to the most common defaults. You will not have to perform any hardware configuration changes if these defaults are acceptable to your installation. The controller hardware configuration options are detailed in the corresponding controller user's guide.

In addition to the controller, your system may include the following:

An Adept robot, or a motion device and the AdeptMotion VME or Adept SmartMotion system option.
Installation of the Adept robot or motion device should be covered in the documentation provided with that robot or motion device.
Interconnection of the robot with the Adept controller is covered in the robot instruction handbook.
The motion servo hardware configuration is covered in the AdeptMotion VME User's Guide and the Adept SmartMotion Installation Guide. See the SmartMotion Developer's guide for details on software configuration for systems using the Adept SmartMotion option.

Safety equipment.
In workcells with robots or motion devices, it is critical that sensors be placed that will prevent personnel from entering the workcell when the motion device may move. Make sure this equipment is installed and functioning properly before proceeding.
The interconnection of safety devices to the Adept controller is covered in the Adept MV Controller User's Guide or the Adept SmartController User's Guide.

Peripheral input/output devices.
The Adept MV Controller User's Guide or the Adept SmartController User's Guidecovers the physical interconnect of I/O devices.
The V+ Language User's Guide covers programming considerations for accessing the peripheral devices.

Moving conveyors.
The V+ Language User's Guide describes programming considerations for coordinating robot motions with a conveyor belt connected to one of the external encoder ports on the controller.

Cameras and strobe lights (requires the AdeptVision option).
The AdeptVision User's Guide details installing and configuring cameras and strobe lights.

Installing or Upgrading the V+ System

Your Adept controller ships from the factory with the V+ operating system installed and configured. The procedure for installing or upgrading a V+ system is described in the Instructions for Adept Utility Programs.

Power Up the System

Before turning on the controller, make sure:

All safety devices are installed and operating correctly.

For MV controllers with a floppy disk drive, the cardboard shipping disk has been removed from the optional floppy drive.

The workcell is free of obstructions and personnel.

WARNING: Do not turn on the controller unless all safety devices are in place and operating correctly. Make sure the workcell is free of obstructions and personnel.

WARNING: Do not connect any cables or make any hardware configuration changes with the controller turned on.

To Power Up the Controller

With a graphics-based system, turn on the monitor when using a VGB system or the PC in an AdeptWindows system.

With a nongraphics-based system that uses a ASCII terminal, turn on the terminal.

Turn on the controller by moving the power switch on the controller chassis to the ON position ("|"). Turn on the System Power switch.1The controller will perform a series of self-tests and load the operating system. The AWC controller will look to the B: drive for an operating system and load the operating system. If the operating system files are not found on the first drive, the controller will look to successive drives for the files. In 040 and 060 processor systems the controller will look to the A drive for the operating system and load the files from the A drive. If the operating system files are not found on the A drive, the controller will look to the C drive for operating system files. In order to start up successfully, there must be operating system files on either the A, B, C, or D drive.

NOTE: The search order for loading the operating system in AWC processor systems can be either A, B, C, D or B, A, C, D. This order depends on the setting of the configuration option and the presence or absence of an SIO module. The factory setting is A, B, C, D.

The system power-up and boot procedures will take about a minute or longer if loading from a floppy disk. When startup is complete, a screen similar to the figure V+Startup Display will be displayed (on nongraphics-based terminals, the display will fill the entire screen instead of a window on the monitor). The exact wording will vary depending on the software version and installed options of your system.

When the start-up (boot) process is complete, the cursor will appear next to the system prompt. (The V+ system prompt is a period.) If you have a graphics-based system or an AdeptWindows PC based system, read Using the Graphics-Based Interface for details on how to use the window and pointer-device features. For nongraphics-based systems, read Using the ASCII Terminal for details on using the character-based terminal.

V+ Startup Display

To Power Up the Motion Device

Each time the controller is turned on, a start-up calibration procedure must be performed for the motion device. The CALIBRATE command performs this start-up procedure. Programs that send instructions to a motion device will not execute properly unless this start-up procedure is completed.

When the controller is first turned on, power is not sent to the motion device. To enable power, enter the command:

ENABLE POWER

(See the next section for complete details on entering commands.)

The system begins executing a command as soon as you press the ENTER or RETURN key (these keys are identical-some keyboards are marked Return, some are marked Enter). The symbol "¿" indicates that the ENTER or RETURN key should be pressed.

WARNING: When CALIBRATE is entered, the motion device will move. Before you enter this command, make sure the workcell is free of obstructions and that all personnel are out of the workcell.

Once robot power (HIGH POWER) has been enabled, the motion device start-up calibration must be performed. To perform start-up calibration, enter the command:

CALIBRATE

The motion device will proceed through a series of motions to verify its current location and the state of its position encoders. Once the calibration procedure is complete, robot control programs can be executed. The calibration procedure is not required for the following:

All Adept Viper robots and the Adept Cobra s350 robot. The auto-calibrate bit has been set for these robots, which causes these robots to be automatically calibrated when the system is turned on. Therefore, it is not necessary to use the CALIBRATE command with these robots.

Systems (such as stand-alone vision systems) that do not have an attached motion device.

NOTE: To enable HIGH POWER on Category 1 and Category 3 systems, you must press the HIGH POWER On/Off button on the CIP within a programmable amount of time. Failure to press the HIGH POWER On/Off button will result in a time-out error.

To Reenable Power After an Emergency Shutdown

When a PANIC button is pressed or other emergency stop switch is tripped, HIGH POWER is immediately removed from the motion device. Power is also removed from the device if a servo error is reported. Servo errors occur if the motion device cannot attain a desired location (for example, if the device runs into something).

Before the motion device can be used again, you must enter the command:

ENABLE POWER

You do NOT have to reissue the CALIBRATE command.

NOTE: You can also enable power by pressing the COMP/PWR button on the manual control pendant.

¹This switch provides terminals for the user to connect an AC power source. If this option is not used on your system, the switch will be inactive.