Working with the user created system

You can create your own system and simulate the robot operation on your PC.

Follow the steps below:

Create a new virtual controller (Connection setting)
Connect with the virtual controller
Configure a robot
Display the [Robot Simulator] window
Place the objects
Create a program
Operate the robot by executing the program
Measure the robot operation time
Test the collision detection

Create a new virtual controller (Connection setting)
1. Click the [PC to Controller Communications] button on the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar. The [PC to Controller Communications] dialog box is displayed.
2. Click the [Add] button. The [New Controller Connection] dialog appears.
3. Select the [Connection to new virtual controller], and then select [RC800 Series] as the [Controller series].
4. Click the [OK] button.
5. A new virtual controller named "Virtual 1" is created. Click the [Apply] button.
  
  KEY POINTS
  
  Program total execution time
  
  In the virtual controller, the total execution time of programs is limited to one hour.
  
  If total execution is over one hour, a warning message appears.
  
  You can execute the program again after the warning is displayed. The total execution timer will be reset.
6. Click the [Close] button to return to the Epson RC+ 8.0 main window.
Connect with the virtual controller

Select the created "Virtual 1" from the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Connection] list box. When the connection is complete, the [Connection] list box shows "Virtual 1".
Configure a robot

In this tutorial, a C4-B601S robot model is used.
1. In the Epson RC+ 8.0 menu, select [Setup]-[System Configuration].
2. Select [Controller]-[Robots] from the dialog tree. The message “There are currently no robots in the system. Please register your robot" will appear.
3. Click the [Add] button to open the [Add New Robot] dialog box. Input the robot information as follows:
  [Robot Name]: robot1
  [Robot Serial #]: 1
  [Motion System]: Standard
  [Drive Unit]: CU
  [Robot Family]: Six Axis
  [Series]: C4-B
  [Robot]: C4-B601S
4. Click the [OK] button. The message "Restarting Controller" appears.
5. When the message disappears, click the [Close] button to return to the Epson RC+ 8.0 main window.
Display the [Robot Simulator] window

Click the toolbar- [Simulator] button. The following window appears.
Place the objects

For this tutorial, we will add a box to the layout.
1. Click the [Box] button on the toolbar.
2. Click the [Layout] tab and select "SBox_1" from the [Layout] tree. Change the [Position] of the property grid. For this tutorial, enter X = 400, Y = 300.
  
  TIP
  
  To save the layout change, execute the Epson RC+ 8.0 menu-[File]-[Save].
Create a program
1. Create a new project
  1. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 menu-[Project]-[New Project].
  2. Enter a new project name. For this tutorial, enter "Test".
  3. Click the [OK] button. Then, the project "Test" is created.
2. Operate the robot and teach points.
  1. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar- [Robot Manager] button to display the [Robot Manager].
  2. Click the [Motor: Off] button. The message to confirm the operation appears. Click the [Yes] button.
  3. In the [Robot Simulator] window, move the robot joint to a point where it does not interfere with the box. A robot joint can be moved by clicking the [Rotate/Jog] button on the toolbar and dragging the joint.
  4. Click the [Teach] tab in the upper right corner of the simulator window to display the [Teach] panel.
    
    Click the [Teach] button. The message to confirm the operation appears. Click the [Yes] button.
  5. The [New Point Information] dialog appears. Click the [OK] button.
  6. Select “P1 - (undefined)” from the [Point] list box on the lower right.
  7. Click the toolbar [Rotate/Jog] button and drag the joint to a position where it does not collide with the box.
  8. Click the [Teach] button from the [Teach] tab. The message to confirm the operation appears. Click the [Yes] button.
  9. The [New Point Information] dialog appears. Click the [OK] button.
  10. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Save all files] button to save the P0 and P1 data.
    
    TIP
    
    You can also use the [Jog & Teach] window to move the robot.
3. Create and execute a program with robot motion.
  1. Create the following program in Main.prg program.
```
Function main
  Go P0
  Go P1
Fend
```
  2. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Build project] button. The program will be built. When the build is complete, the message "Build complete, no errors" appears in the status window.
Operate the robot by executing the program
1. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Run Window] button. The following window appears.
2. Click the [Start] button. When the message "Are you ready to start?" appears, click [Yes]. The program starts and the robot moves in the 3D display.
Measure the robot operation time

The elapsed program run time (cycle time) is displayed in the Tool bar of the [Robot Simulator] window. The displayed time is an estimated time from when the program is executed using the [Start] button in the [Run] window until the program ends.

The following describes how to measure the operation time between two points (P0 → P1).
1. Change the program in the “Main.prg” file to the following program.
```
Function main
  Motor On
  Power High
  Speed 100
  Accel 100,100
  Go P0
Fend

Function main2
  Go P1
Fend
```
2. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Build project] button.
  
  The program will be built. When the build is complete, the message "Build complete, no errors" appears in the status window.
3. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Run Window] button.
4. Confirm that “main” is selected in the [Function] drop-down list and click the [Start] button. When the message "Are you ready to start?" appears, click [Yes].
  
  The program starts and the robot goes to P0, the point to start the time measurement, in the 3D display.
5. Select “main2” in the [Function] dropdown list.
6. Click the [Start] button. When the message "Are you ready to start?" appears, click [Yes].
The program starts and the robot moves in the 3D display. At this time, the elapsed time displayed in the upper right of the [Simulator] window serves as a guide for the operation time from P0 to P1.

KEY POINTS

When you operate the real robot, the actual cycle time will be longer than the simulated cycle time according to the model, Fine, load settings. See details below.

Simulator Specifications and Restrictions

Also, when Speed, Accel values in the program are changed, the cycle time will reflect it.

TIP

Motion command includes Move and Jump as well as Go. For information on how to use these commands, refer to the following manuals:

Help
"SPEL+ Language Reference"

Test the collision detection
1. Go back to the [Robot Simulator] window.
2. Click the toolbar [Rotate/Jog] button and drag the joint to a position where it collides with the box.
  
  When the robot joint hits the box, the display turns to red.
3. Select “P2 - (undefined)” from the [Point] list box in the [Teach] tab, and click the [Teach] button.
  
  The message to confirm the operation appears. Click the [Yes] button.
4. The [New Point Information] dialog appears. Click the [OK] button.
5. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Save all files] button to save the P2 data.
6. Click the toolbar [Rotate/Jog] button and drag the joint to a position where it does not collide with the box.
7. Click the Tool bar- [Reset Collision] button. Then, the red display returns to normal.
8. Add the following function to the “Main.prg” program file.
```
Function main3
  Go P2
Fend
```
9. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Build project] button. The program will be built.
  
  When the build is complete, the message "Build complete, no errors" appears in the status window.
10. Click the Epson RC+ 8.0 toolbar [Run Window] button.
11. Select “main3” in the [Function] dropdown list.
12. Click the [Start] button.
  
  The message "Are you ready to start?" appears. Click the [Yes] button. The program starts and the robot moves in the 3D display. When the robot joint hits the box, the display turns to red.
TIP

When a collision happens, the users can stop the controller program execution with an error. See below.

Collision detection

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