Bin Picking Tutorial: Setting up Photoneo Bin Picking Studio with FANUC robots

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1. Prerequisites

Please make sure that your Fanuc controller meets following criteria:

- System version 8.10 and higher (Versions 6.40 - 7.70 are also supported with certain limitations)

- R632 Karel - Karel option available

- R648 User Socket Msg - Socket Communication option available

Click Menu -> Status -> Version ID -> Next -> F3[ORDER FI] to verify that required options are installed on robot controller:


Fanuc tutorial Step1.png

2. Fanuc Controller Setup

2.1 Set IP Addresses of Ethernet Ports

As a first step we need to configure controller IP addresses of robot controller.

On Pendant Press Menu -> Setup -> Host Comm -> TCP/IP:


Fanuc tutorial Step2.png


Two Ethernet ports should be available, it is recommended to configure Port#1 for communication with Vision Controller. Adapt an IP address of Port#1 to meet you network configuration:


Fanuc tutorial Step2 2.png


If you use ROBOGUIDE for workcell commisioning, configure Port#2 for transferring files between robot controller and your PC. Adapt an IP address of Port#2 to meet you network configuration:


Fanuc tutorial Step3.png


2.2 Configure TCP/IP Server

Photoneo Fanuc Module requires State Server to run as a background task on the robot controller. Configured TCP/IP server is necessary for this purpose.

Press Menu -> Setup -> Host Comm -> F4[SHOW] and select Servers


Fanuc tutorial Step4.png


Select S3 slot - we keep S1 and S2 slots reserved for user application.


Fanuc tutorial Step5.png


Configure TCP/IP server S3 as shown in the figure below:


Fanuc tutorial Step6.png


2.3 Configure TCP/IP Client

The main Photoneo Bin Picking application works in client mode. Configured TCP/IP Client is necessary for this purpose.

Press Menu -> Setup -> Host Comm -> F4[SHOW] and select Clients


Fanuc tutorial Step4.png


Select C3 slot - we keep C1 and C2 slots reserved for user application.


Fanuc tutorial Step7.png


Configure TCP/IP client C3 as shown in the figure below:


Fanuc tutorial Step9.png


2.4 Change Cartesian Origin of Robot

The Cartesian origin of Fanuc robots is different than the Cartesian origin of robot models used in the Photoneo Binpicking Studio. In order to ensure successful calibration, we need to apply predefined offset in Z axis in UFRAME.

Press Menu -> Next -> System -> Variables and scroll down until you find system variable named GROUP. (Use Shift button to speed up scrolling)


Fanuc tutorial Step10.png


Press Enter to open GROUP menu and select UFRAME option as shown in the figure below:


Fanuc tutorial Step11.png


Edit the Z value according to the Offset table below and the arm you are using for your application.


Fanuc tutorial Step12.png


A table of offsets for specific robot models is shown in the figure below:


Fanuc tutorial Offset table small.png


NOTE: Be careful since this change might affect your previously taught Cartesian positions !!!


2.5 Load Photoneo Fanuc Module Files

The Photoneo Fanuc Interface consists of two Karel binaries and approximately 20 TP programs. All these files needs to be copied to robot controller in order to get Photoneo Fanuc Module up and running.

Extract Photoneo Fanuc Module archive (.zip file) which you received with Photoneo Bin Picking Studio to the USB stick and plug it to Teach Pendant.

Press Menu -> File -> File -> F5[UTILS] and select Set Device:


Fanuc tutorial Step13.png


Select USB on TP (UT1:) option as shown in the figure below:


Fanuc tutorial Step14.png


Press F2[DIR] to open Photoneo Fanuc Module directory:


Fanuc tutorial Step15.png


Select *.*(all files) and press F3[LOAD] and YES to load all the files from Photoneo Fanuc Module to the robot controller:


Fanuc tutorial Step16.png


Press Select button to verify that all TP and Karel programs were successfully loaded:


Fanuc tutorial Step17.png


2.6 Enable Autostart of State Server

As a next step we need to configure State Server to start automatically after boot.

Press Menu -> Next -> System -> Variables and scroll down to find SHELL_CFG variable


Fanuc tutorial Step18.png


Edit SHELL_NAME and SHELL_EXT to the state as shown in the figure below:


Fanuc tutorial Step19.png


Cycle power to apply all changes. Press FCTN -> NEXT -> CYCLE POWER and confirm YES.


Fanuc tutorial Step20.png


If everything was set correctly you should see that PHOSTATE: Waiting for connection on the User screen immediately after the boot:


Fanuc tutorial Step21.png


2.7 Teach Home, Start and End positions

A crucial step of bin picking configuration is related to teaching home, start, and end poses. Home position of robot should be taught in a way that robot is outside of the scanning area. Start position should be taught in a way in which robot gripper is approximately above the center of the bin. End position can be similar to start position or slightly shifted towards placing area. Do not place end pose far away from bin since it might significantly affect dynamic trajectory planning, increase total planning time and cause planning errors.

Press Data to visualize Data Registers screen. As you can see on the figure below, Photoneo Fanuc Module has automatically added comments to Data Registers R[1] - R[24] that are utilized for bin picking application.

NOTE: Prevent using registers R[1]-R[24] in your application!!!


Fanuc tutorial Step22.png


In order to switch from Standard Registers to Position Registers press F1[TYPE] -> Position Registers


Fanuc tutorial Step23.png


Similarly to Standard Registers, Photoneo Fanuc Module has automatically added comments to Position Registers utilized for bin picking application. As you can see in the figure below - Photoneo Fanuc Module utilize PR[1]-PR[9] for home, start, end + calibration positions and PR[20]-PR[120] for trajectory transfers. PR[10]-PR[19] are left free for user application.

NOTE: The default range of position registers is usually PR[1] - PR[100]. For proper functionality of Photoneo Fanuc Module it is highly recommended to increase the range up to 120 position registers or more. Since this is a maintenance operation, please contact your local Fanuc support to help you with this step. Be careful since you might loose your previously taught positions and other register data during this operation!

Jog robot to Home position, select PR[1] and press Shift + F3[RECORD] to record position to PR[1]. You should see that asterisk has changed to R sing after successful operation.


Fanuc tutorial Step24.png


For proper operation we need to switch internal position representation from Cartesian to Joint. In order to achieve that press F4[Position] ->F5[REPRE] -> Joint


Fanuc tutorial Step26.png


Confirm switching position representation by pressing Continue. Repeat the same procedure for Start and End poses.

NOTE: If you utilize Calibration poses in your application, these don't need to be switched to Joint representation.


Fanuc tutorial Step27.png


At this point your Robot Controller is configured to work with Photoneo Binpicking Studio. However you should adapt the TP code to meet the precise requirements of your application. This may involve updating part placing, gripper commands or application logic. The following section of the tutorial provides some basic examples of how this can be programmed as well as a detailed explanation of the Photoneo TP API.

3. TP API

4. Runtime

Now you are ready to start the bin picking application. Press Select button and choose PHO_MAIN program:


Fanuc tutorial Step28.png


Make sure that the Bin Picking application on the Vision Controller side is running and waiting for a connection:


[[File: ]]


Start the PHO_MAIN program in Manual or Auto mode and if everything was configured properly you should see that PHOCLIENT has established connection with Vision Controller:


Fanuc tutorial Step29.png


As soon as the trajectory to the first localized object is calculated, the robot should start executing motion.

NOTE: Ensure that you are ready to halt motion execution immediately. It is strongly recommended to reduce the speed to 10% of maximum during initial bin picking tests.