ABB RobotWare 6 Automatic Calibration
This topic introduces the process of automatic calibration via Standard Interface communication between the ABB RobotWare 6 robot and Mech-Mind Vision System.
Preparation before Calibration
Make preparation before calibration according to the camera mounting method.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye to Hand method, see Preparation before Calibration in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-to-Hand Setup.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye in Hand method, see Preparation before Calibration in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-in-Hand Setup.
Pre-calibration Configuration
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Open Mech-Vision, and click the Camera Calibration button in the toolbar. The Configuration before Calibration window will be prompted.
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Confirm that the checks are performed, click I’ve finished all checks, and then click Next.
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In the Select how to calibrate window, select the New calibration radio button, and then click the Next button.
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In the Select calibration task window, select Hand-eye calibration for listed robot from the drop-down list box, click the Select robot model button to select the robot model used by the project, and then click the Next button.
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In the Select camera setup window, select the camera mounting method in this project, and then click the Next button.
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In the Calibration method and robot control window, select Automatic and Standard Interface, and then click the Calibrate button to go to the Calibration window.
Calibration Procedure
Conduct calibration according to the camera mounting method.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye to Hand method, see Calibration Procedure in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-to-Hand Setup.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye in Hand method, see Calibration Procedure in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-in-Hand Setup.
Precautions
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When you proceed to the third calibration step (connecting the robot) and you click Start interface service button in the Connect the robot window, the button will change to Waiting for the robot to connect.... If the interface service is already started, you do not need to perform this operation.
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When the button displays Waiting for the robot to connect..., perform the following steps on the robot side. Then, continue the calibration in the software.
1. Select and Modify Calibration Program
In the manual mode, select , and locate and open the program module MM_Auto_Calib in T_ROB1. Ensure that the IP address of the MM_Init_Socket line in the program module is the IP address of the IPC, and the port is the same as the setting in Mech-Vision. For detailed instructions on the operation, refer to select and modify the communication test program.
2. Teach Calibration Start Point
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Move the robot to the start point for calibration.
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Select the line in the image below and then select Modify Position. Select Modify in the dialogue box to save the robot’s current pose to P0.
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If there is a 7th axis which is controlled by the robot on site, modify “IsAxis7 :=0;” to “IsAxis7 :=1;” and modify the value of Axis7 accordingly (Axis7 = XX, XX refers to the current value of the 7th axis). If there is not a 7th axis, or the 7th axis is controlled by a PLC, you may skip this step.
3. Run Calibration Program
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In the manual mode, select in the interface of the program MM_Auto_Calib.
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After selecting MM_Calibration, select OK.
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Switch the key in the controller to the automatic mode, and ensure that the motor indicator light is on.
If the Auto Condition Reset warning (which resets the program pointer to the main program) appears in the teach pendant interface, the program cannot run normally in the subsequent steps.
In this case, you can switch to the manual mode, select , set Reset to No, and then try again.
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Follow the steps in the image to modify the speed to 25%.
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Press the start key when the interface displays the content below. When, in the Configuration window in Mech-Vision, the current status changes to connected and the button Waiting for the robot to connect changes to Disconnect, click Next. Next, proceed to the fourth step of the calibration process (i.e. setting the movement path).
Change the Extrinsic Parameter File
If the camera’s extrinsic parameter file has been used by a Mech-Vision project, you need to change the extrinsic parameter file used by the Mech-Vision project to a new one after you finish the hand-eye calibration.
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Select the Capture Images from Camera Step.
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In the Step Parameters panel, click
of the Calibration Parameter Group parameter, and select the newly calibrated extrinsic parameter file.
Calibration-Related Status Codes
During automatic calibration via Standard Interface communication, the vision system returns data together with the status code to the robot. Status codes, which are categorized into error codes and normal status codes, indicate the command execution status. Calibration related status codes are listed in the tables below.