Conveyor Tracking Setup

Description

The Conveyor Tracking Setup allows the movement of up to two separate conveyors to be configured. The Conveyor Tracking Setup provides options for configuring the robot to work with absolute or incremental encoders, as well as linear or circular conveyors.

 
Defining a Conveyor

  1. In the Header, tap Installation.

  2. Under General, select Conveyor Tracking.

  3. Under Conveyor Tracking Setup, in the dropdown list select Conveyor 1 or Conveyor 2.
    You can only define one conveyor at a time.

  4. Select Enable Conveyor Tracking

  5. Configure Conveyor Parametersand Tracking Parameters.

 
Conveyor Parameters
Incremental Encoders
These can be connected to Digital Inputs 8 to 11. Decoding of digital signals runs at 40 kHz. Using a Quadrature encoder (requiring two inputs), the robot can determine the speed and direction of the conveyor. If the direction of the conveyor is constant, a single input can be used to detect Rising, Falling, or Rise and Fall edges which determine conveyor speed.
Absolute Encoders
These can be connected through a MODBUS signal. This requires a Digital MODBUS Output register is preconfigured under the Fieldbus section
 

Tracking Parameters
Linear Conveyors
When a linear conveyor is selected, a line feature must be configured in the Features part of the installation to determine the direction of the conveyor. Ensure accuracy by placing the line feature parallel to the direction of the conveyor, with a large distance between the two points that define the line feature. Configure the line feature by placing the tool firmly against the side of the conveyor when teaching the two points. If the line feature’s direction is opposite to the conveyor’s movement, use the Reverse direction button. The Ticks per meter field displays the number of ticks the encoder generates when the conveyor moves one meter.
Circular Conveyors
 
When tracking a circular conveyor, the conveyor center point must be defined.
  1. Define the center point in the Features part of the installation. The value of Ticks per revolution must be the number of ticks the encoder generates when the conveyor rotates one full revolution.
  2. Select the Rotate tool with conveyor checkbox for the tool orientation to track the conveyor rotation.

 

When using a conveyor, the robot can be configured to track its movement. A program node, Conveyor Tracking, is available for tracking a conveyor. When the Conveyor Tracking defined in the installation is configured correctly, a linear or circular conveyor can be tracked. The node can be added from the Wizard Program node under the Structure tab. While the program is executing under the Conveyor Tracking node, the robot will adjust its movements to follow the conveyor. Other movements are allowed while tracking the conveyor but are relative to the motion of the conveyor belt.
Quadrature Input schematic