You're reading the documentation for an obsolete version. For the latest released version, please have a look at mp1.3.

Release Notes

Motion Plus 1.2.1

The 1.2.1 release requires Polyscope 5.21.2 and the urcap file MotionPlus-1.2.38.urcap.

Bugs Fixed

  • Fixed a bug where running a program that jogs an axis when the axis is configured but not enabled will appear to run on the Polyscope teach pendant but no motion occurs.

  • Fixed a bug where enabling and jogging an axis, then toggling the Polyscope simulation button or opening the Polyscope move-to window, followed by commanding the axis to jog again could result in the axis rapidly moving back to its zero-position and then completing the jog motion.

Motion Plus 1.2.0

The 1.2.0 release requires Polyscope 5.21 and the urcap file MotionPlus-1.2.38.urcap.

New Features and Improvements

  • Linear axes are now available. Up to six axes (rotary or linear) are supported.

  • Axes can be configured in any kinematic arrangement provided they don’t form closed kinematic loops.

  • Any number of axis groups can now be commanded to move in parallel at a time.

  • All the axes in a group no longer need to be enabled when jogging an axis group. Now only the axes whose target positions are commanded to change must be enabled.

  • Small performance improvements in the controller execution time while running programs that manipulate axis groups.

  • We have relaxed the conditions for when protective stops are produced when an axis has a fault, is unexpectedly disabled, or status updates are no longer received from EtherCAT drives. They now occur only if a URScript attempts to jog the afflicted axis. This should make it easier to recover from protective stops involving the external axes.

  • The calibrate_linear_axis command has a new argument called is_mounted with a default value of false to help users calibrate linear axes when the robot is mounted to the axis.

  • EtherCAT start error details are now displayed on the URCap installation page, rather than in popup message dialogues.

  • Maximum filename length increased from 25 characters to 70 characters in Export Log dialog of MotionPlus URCap installation page.

  • Timeouts for Start Service and Stop Service buttons for MotionPlus URCap installation page increased from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.

  • URCap will now check the UR SW version on startup and disable itself if an incompatible version is detected.

  • Added new URScript functions ethercat_read_axis_sdo() and ethercat_write_axis_sdo() to read and write SDOs for an external axis drive.

  • URCap frontend log messages are now captured in the PolyScope log file.

  • Added support for infinite timeouts to ethercat_* functions.

Bugs Fixed

  • Fixed a bug where a movel_with_axis_group performed with frame tracking on and only changes the orientation of the TCP in the tracked frame could cause rapid changes in axis velocity

  • Fixed a bug where a user could encounter an “axis position is not known” error while the EtherCAT master is running immediately after calling axis_group_update_axis().

  • Fixed a bug where a user could encounter an error saying “An enabled external axis is no longer receiving drive status updates” after running a MotionPlus program then changing installation files and running a non-MotionPlus program.

  • Fixed an issue where a protective stop would occur if an external axis goes into Safe Torque Off while the robot is paused or in Safeguard Stop.

  • Fixed a bug where a spike in velocity could occur if an axis_group_speedj or an axis_group_movej immediately follows a movec_with_axis_group and the axes are still moving.

  • Fixed a numerical issue where a discontinuity in axis velocity could occur between two xxx_with_axis_group commands if no change in axis velocity is needed between the two commands.

  • Fixed a bug where a system with multiple axis groups configured and one axis group is performing coordinated motion with the robot and the others are jogging could result in the Polyscope speed slider being ignored by the jogging axis groups.

  • Fixed a bug where the robot joints could not be jogged on the Polyscope jogging screen after an axis faults and with the robot attached to the axis.

  • EtherCAT master could crash during initialization due to malformed log statements.

  • EtherCAT master could send out extra PDOs when UR Program was temporarily blocked (e.g. closing many XML-RPC connections) causing some EtherCAT drives (e.g. Mitsubishi) to fault.

  • The ethercat_home_axis() function would return before homing had fully completed.

  • Runtime error for external axis being unexpectedly disabled would be raised if one left an axis enabled at the end of a program and then loaded and started a new program not using the EtherCAT Master.

  • Selected EtherCAT network interface would be forgotten by MotionPlus Service if service crashed and then restarted itself.

  • EtherCAT master would sometimes deadlock on shutdown.

  • Warning popup for Simulated EtherCAT network being used as fallback would erroneously appear whenever an installation file was loaded that did not contain a saved EtherCAT interface.

  • The ethercat_home_axis() function could take longer than the requested timeout to actually time out.

  • MotionPlus Service could crash if ethercat_home_axis() was called before EtherCAT Master was started.

  • Stopping the program while EtherCAT homing was in progress would not cause the homing operation to stop.

  • EtherCAT error 305.9 would sometimes be reported after the EtherCAT Master was started.

  • MotionPlus Service could crash if ethercat_config_axis() was called within an invalid slave address.