Installation and Commissioning

RobComm 3.07 FactoryWare7.1 RobComm 3.0RobComm is a powerful toolkit for developing PC-based user interfaces for robotsystems.RobComm frees you from the underlying communication protocols, so you spend timedesigning a user interface, not writing communication software. Typical applicationsthat would make use of RobComm include:- File servers.- Cell controllers.- Statistical process control supervisors.- Other applications where a graphical operator interface or remote processmonitoring and control are desired.RobComm is a collection of ActiveX Controls (OCXs). The operation of these controlsis configured via the control’s properties. RobComm includes three robot-specificOCXs: the Helper control, the ABB Button control, and the Pilot Light control.Together they present a flexible, comprehensive communication interface to the S4.In designing PC user screens, these RobComm controls may be used in combinationwith Microsoft ActiveX controls and the thousands of other ActiveX controls availablefrom third-party suppliers. In addition, the user application can be tested using theDeskWare VirtualRobot application (see section 6.5), permitting off-line verificationof the operator interface and rapid deployment into production.The User ApplicationDesigned to leverage industry standard development tools, RobComm supports 32-bitWindows applications created with Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, orWonderware InTouch 7.0. Thus, users benefit from the wide availability of third-partycomponents (known as ActiveX controls) that support these developmentenvironments, further reducing development time and effort.Visual Basic is generally preferred for rapid development of user interface screens,whereas Visual C++ may be needed in complex installations that require integrationwith other programming libraries.RobComm is designed such that multiple applications, including multi-threadedapplications, can communicate with multiple S4 controllers without conflict.Applications developed with RobComm will work over a serial line to one robot, orover Ethernet to multiple robots.Visual Basic source code for two sample applications is included to illustrate the useof RobComm and accelerate the learning curve.Product Specification RobotWare for BaseWare OS 3.1 63