Installation

MotionPlus Packages

There are two packages for MotionPlus, each with a different options available. A license file is required to run either of these packages on the UR Control box. License downloads are available through myUR.

MotionPlus Basic

This covers a single axis control over EtherCAT* without coordinated motion. It is intended for indexed positioning of an external motorized axis. It does not support multiple external axes nor does it support coordinated or synchronized motion between the robot TCP (six joints) and one or more external axes.

Motion Plus Advanced

This covers six axes, either rotary or linear across one or more axis groups over EtherCAT. It supports independent as well as “stacked” axes, and coordinated and synchronized motion with a frame attached to an axis. This is the full version of MotionPlus.

*EtherCAT is a registered trademark and patented technology, licensed by Beckhoff Automation

Terminology

EtherCAT Master

An EtherCAT network is driven by an EtherCAT Master device. The master is the only device in an EtherCAT segment that is allowed to send messages - the slaves can add data and send the frame along, but they cannot create new messages on their own.

EtherCAT Slave

An external axis (an EtherCAT servo drive) is a slave device on an EtherCAT network. It reads commands and target joint positions from the EtherCAT frame sent by the EtherCAT master and sends the actual joint positions and status information back via the EtherCAT frame.

Remove MotionPlus URCap

If you are upgrading/downgrading, we recommend that you remove the existing version of MotionPlus URCap first:

  1. Navigate to the URCap Management page. img

  2. Select the target URCap, then click the Remove button.

  3. Click the Restart button to restart Polyscope. img

Install MotionPlus URCap

Follow the standard process of installing a URCap:

  1. Download and copy the URCap package to a USB drive, and connect the USB drive to the teach pendant.

  2. Navigate to the URCap Management page.

  3. Click the Add / Install button, select the target URCap from the USB drive, then click the Open button.

  4. Click the Restart button to restart Polyscope. img

Start MotionPlus Service

  1. Connect the USB-Ethernet adapter to one of the USB ports on the UR Controller. The SS USB port (USB3 port) is recommended. img

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  2. Navigate to the MotionPlus installation tab.

  3. Select the network interface corresponding to the connected Ethernet adapter (generally, “eth1”).

    1. You may see only “sim” if the connected no adapter has been added or the added Ethernet adapter isn’t compatible.

    2. Click the Refresh button, if the adapter doesn’t show up. Restart Polyscope, if the refresh doesn’t work.

  4. Click the Start button to start the MotionPlus Service.

  5. When the service has started, the Service State will display as RUNNING

    1. In case the status does not change to RUNNING within 10 seconds, the service may have crashed, and the reason may be recorded in the MotionPlus Service log file.

    img

Export MotionPlus Service Log

The log of the MotionPlus Service can be transferred to a USB drive and viewed as a text file on any computer:

  1. Navigate to the MotionPlus installation tab.

  2. Click the Export Log button and specify the file name.

  3. Select Save to USB, you can then view the log file on another computer. img

Installation Tab User Interface

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The Installation Tab User Interface provides the following functions:

Service

  • show status of the MotionPlus Service

  • start/stop the MotionPlus Service

  • export log of the MotionPlus Service to a file

Network Devices

  • select network interface for EtherCAT communication

  • NOTE: the Simulated network interface implements a virtual EtherCAT network in which EtherCAT communication is entirely simulated.

EtherCAT Master

  • shows the EtherCAT Master status/error