ABB Example Program¶

This section introduces the example program provided with Mech-Center and the operations required to perform an actual pick-and-place task.

The example program MM_Sample is stored in XXXX/Mech-Center-xxx/Robot_Interface/ABB/sample of Mech-Center’s installation directory.

Check the section corresponding to your own application setup:

Obtain Vision Results from Mech-Vision
Obtain Planned Path from Mech-Viz

Before running the program, please make sure that:

You have loaded the Standard Interface program onto the robot and can establish communcation with Mech-Center.
You have completed the extrinsic parameter calibration with the calibration program or by manually adding calibration points.
Mech-Vision and Mech-Viz projects are created and set to autoload.
The Project list in Mech-Center ‣ Deployment Settings ‣ Mech-Vision is synced by clicking on , and the order of Mech-Vision projects have been adjusted according to actual needs.
The TCP has been correctly specified.
The robot speed is set to a low value, so that the operator can notice any unexpected behavior before accidents occur.

Obtain Vision Results from Mech-Vision¶

PROC Vision_Sample_1()
  !**********************************************************
  FUNCTION:Eye to Hand simple pick and place with Mech-Vision
  ! mechmind, 2022-5-1
  !**********************************************************
  AccSet 100, 100;
  VelSet 100, 5000;
  MoveAbsJ Home\NoEOffs,v3000,fine,Gripp1TCP;!move robot home position
  MoveL camera_capture,v500,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  PoseNum:=0;
  !Set ip address of IPC
  MM_Init_Socket "127.0.0.1",50000,60;
  WaitTime 0.1;
  !Set vision recipe
  MM_Switch_Model 1,1;
  !Run vision project
  MM_Start_Vis 1,1,2;
  WaitTime 1;
  MM_Get_VisData 1,LastData,PoseNum,Status;
  IF Status<>1100 THEN
      Stop;
  ENDIF
  MM_Get_Pose 1,pickpoint,label,speed1;
  MoveL RelTool(pickpoint,0,0,-100),v1000,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  MoveL pickpoint,v300,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  Stop;
  !Add object grasping logic here.
  MoveL Offs(pickpoint,0,0,100), v1000, fine, Gripp1TCP;
  MoveL waypoint1,v1000,z50,Gripp1TCP;
  MoveL RelTool(drop,0,0,-100),v1000,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  MoveL drop,v300,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  Stop;
  !Add object releasing logic here.
  MoveL Offs(drop,0,0,100), v1000, fine, Gripp1TCP;
  MoveAbsJ Home\NoEOffs,v3000,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  RETURN ;
ENDPROC

Program Logic¶

Move the robot to HOME position.
Move the robot to the image-capturing pose.
Initialize communication with MM_Init_Socket.
If parameter recipes are used in the Mech-Vision project, the recipe to be used is set with MM_Switch_Model.
Run the Mech-Vision project with MM_Start_Vis.
Wait for 1 second. Under Eye-In-Hand, this WaitTime instruction is required to make sure the robot stays still until image acquisition is completed. Under Eye-To-Hand, this WaitTime instruction can be replaced with MoveL or MoveJ.
Obtain the vision results from Mech-Vision.
Check if the returned status code indicates any error. If an error code is returned, the program is stopped.
Move the robot to the picking pose and perform picking.
Move the robot to a waypoint between the picking pose and placing pose.
Move the robot to the set placing pose and perform placing.
Return the robot to HOME position.

The following parts should be modified according to your actual needs.

Define the TCP¶

The TOOL is defined as Gripp1TCP. Change the value of Gripp1TCP to the actual TCP values.

Define HOME position¶

Set the Home position in Home.

Teach the image-capturing pose¶

Record the image-capturing pose in camera_capture.

Teach the Waypoint(s)¶

Waypoints are intermediate poses between the picking pose and placing pose. They are used to ensure that the robot doesn’t collide with the surrounding when moving between the picking and placing poses.

You can add one or more waypoints to waypoint.

Teach the Placing Pose¶

Record the placing pose in drop.

Define Z-Offset from Picking/Placing Pose¶

Z-offset distances relative to the tool frame from the picking/placing pose are used to ensure collision doesn’t occur when the robot is approaching or departing the picking/placing pose.

Adjust the following commands according to your actual needs.

MoveJ RelTool(pickpoint,0,0,-100): the Z-offset when approaching the picking pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the picking pose.
MoveL Offs(pickpoint,0,0,100): the Z-offset when departing the picking pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the picking pose.
MoveL RelTool(drop,0,0,-100): the Z-offset when approaching placing pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the placing pose.
MoveL Offs(drop,0,0,100): the Z-offset when departing the placing pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the placing pose.

Add Object Grasping and Releasing Logics¶

Add logic for controlling the tool action when picking or placing the object.

Obtain Planned Path from Mech-Viz¶

PROC vision_sample_2()
  !**********************************************************
  ! FUNCTION:Eye to Hand simple pick and place with Mech-Viz
  ! mechmind, 2022-5-1
  !**********************************************************
  AccSet 100, 100;
  VelSet 100, 5000;
  MoveAbsJ Home\NoEOffs,v3000,fine,Gripp1TCP;!move robot home position
  MoveL camera_capture,v500,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  PoseNum:=0;
  !Set ip address of IPC
  MM_Init_Socket "127.0.0.1",50000,60;
  WaitTime 0.1;
  !Set vision recipe
  MM_Switch_Model 1,1;
  !Run Viz project
  MM_Start_Viz 1;
  WaitTime 0.1;
  !set branch exitport
  MM_Set_Branch 1,1;
  !get planned path
  MM_Get_VizData 2, LastData, PoseNum, VisPosNum, MM_Status;
  IF MM_Status<>2100 THEN
      Stop;
  ENDIF
  FOR i FROM 1 TO PoseNum DO
      count:=i;
      MM_Get_Pose count,P{count},label1{count},speed{count};
  ENDFOR
  !follow the planned path to pick
  FOR j FROM 1 TO PoseNum DO
      count:=j;
      MoveL p{count},v1000,fine,Gripp1TCP;
      IF count=VisPosNum THEN
          Stop;
          !add object grasping logic here
      ENDIF
  ENDFOR
  !go to drop location
  MoveL RelTool(drop,0,0,-100),v1000,z50,Gripp1TCP;
  MoveL drop,v500,fine,Gripp1TCP;!drop point
  stop;
  !add object releasing logic here
  MoveL Offs(drop,0,0,100), v1000, fine, Gripp1TCP;
  MoveAbsJ Home\NoEOffs,v3000,fine,Gripp1TCP;
  RETURN ;
ENDPROC