Integration of Robotiq gripper on Fanuc CRX

bcastets

Have you ever integrated Robotiq gripper on Fanuc CRX ?

I would like to share with you some work done by Fanuc US team.

They made an integration using the Karel routine attached to this post.

Here below are the comments of the developer who made this integration:

Robotiq_cmd.pc takes 3 arguments, arg1 is position, arg2 is speed, arg3 is force.  Each should be an integer values 0-255 (0 is open/minimum, 255 is closed/max).  Currently this is open loop so there is nothing that listens for a status from the gripper after the command was sent. 

Verify these in the System Variables:
* You need to update $TLIF to get voltage to the EOAT.  Set $TLIF.$POWER_VOLT[1] = 2 for 24V supply.  Power cycle to apply it.
* Set $TLIF.$BAUD_RATE to 3
* Set $TLIF.$DO_MODE[1] and [2] = 0
* Power cycle. 

The connection is made using modbus RTU at the wrist.

The bolt pattern of Fanuc CRX is same as UR: 

50 mm PCD with 4 x M6 threads

Our eSerie serial coupling (GRP-ES-CPL-062) can be used to make the connection at the wrist. Connector and pinout match Fanuc CRX.

Please share your integration experience on this post !

bcastets

I got feedback that a software license would be required to compile the Karel routine.

bcastets

I am wondering about the electrical connection at the wrist of the robot. CRX manual illustration of the connector is difficult to understand.

Here below is eSerie serial coupling pinout:


Here below is CRX EE interface pinout:


Connector datasheet:
https://ca-en.alliedelec.com/m/d/741df2a90ab8d03ba5c3068f60cf8f66.pdf

bcastets

I got confirmation that UR eSerie and Fanuc CRX have the same wrist connection.

The drawing of the wrist connector in Fanuc manual is a bit confusing with the pin 8 indicated on connector index instead of the center but it is the same connector.

bcastets

Another way to integrate Robotiq gripper on Fanuc CRX would be to use the Robotiq IO coupling which would give possibility to control the gripper from wrist IO.

This would work only if CRX and UR CB have

• Same IO pinout
• Same type of IO (NPN/PNP)

I could not found information about the type of IO at the wrist of fanuc CRX.

bcastets

Here is an example of 2F integration on Fanuc CRX:
https://wilderdx.com/

bcastets

I got some more information about Fanuc CRX wrist IO type.

• The digital IO of Fanuc CRX can both use NPN or PNP so there is not problem of IO type compatibility
• Documentation shows that pinout of UR IO does not match Fanuc CRX IO pin out however from what I heard from Fanuc UR CB and Fanuc CRX should have same pinout. Fanuc may have a mirrored representation of the pinout. 

Here below is UR pin out :

Here below is fanuc pin out :

If as Fanuc said the pinout of UR and CRX match, it should be possible to use Robotiq UR IO coupling (IO-CPL-UR-CB-KIT) to integrate Robotiq grippers.

a_machinist

Hi, I recently received 2 CRX and I already have a double Hand-E setup with IO couplings.  Would it be possible to control my grippers independently?

bcastets

@a_machinist
You should be able to control 1 gripper with the IO coupling. We did not get any feedback about users who use the IO coupling on CRX but on the paper it should work.

Unfortunately it is not possible to control 2 grippers with IO coupling. This coupling is designed to be used by only 1 gripper.

Serial communication is probably the best to control a dual gripper on CRX but it require some Karel coding.

If you manage to use the IO coupling on CRX, please share your experience ! I would be curious to know if the integration works well like this.