Remove existing I/O, clean KSS, etc

[tom66]

#848

KRC2ed05, running KSS 5.6.10

I’d like to clean out all the existing stuff from the previous owner, removing the grippertech, spottech and all that peripheral treasure that I don’t need. They had many plugins but I’m just going to be doing 4 or 5 basic I/O’s through a wago 750.

I’ve been trying to reinstall KSS entirely and start with a blank-ish slate, but I’m stopped by not having a ps2 keyboard (I think? ref [SOLVED] KUKA KRC2 Windows fail) so that’s on it’s way. I’m not super clear on how exactly to reinstall KSS anyway, is this all it is?:

0) create clone drive, put it somewhere safe

1) hold shift key (on ps2 keyboard)

2) power on controller

3) release shift key after windows screen fully loaded

4) navigate to d:/KRC1_CD and run SETUP.exe

I can’t stop Kuka cross / HMI from auto starting, so unless I can safely kill tasks through the task manager I’m waiting for the keyboard.

In the meantime, I’m trying to calibrate the robot (using robodk, I have the wrong robot type at the moment.) but when I start the positions program, I get an error message waiting for an input to turn on:
Any ideas where this is checking for the input? The closest I’ve gotten is the config.dat file with the error message.

Next idea was to try replacing machine.dat and robcor.dat like this thread suggests: Clean $config, cell.dat and sps.sub, etc. Not sure where cell.src fits in, but I didn’t have one in my R1 folder & adding one had no effect.

Here is an archive from this morning before I started fighting too much, any insight would be huge.

ol33100r01.zip

[tom66]

#952

I copied a very minimalist config.dat from the KRC1_CD folder, and replaced the R1/system dat file (renamed original to ogconfig.dat and moved to a R1/system/backupinfo folder). Cold booted, and surprise, the original config.dat was there again. I tried again in case I had copied the wrong file, same thing.

seems like config.dat would be triggering the issues I’m having but apparently I’m still a level too deep.

[Leo]

#953

Don’t copy files with windows explorer or other windows tools, alway use krc HMI. Or do a boot of the system without starting kuka system (i.e. pressing shift on a real keyboard (not kcp) at the cold start of windows, then you can copy files with windows explorer.

Don’t create backup files in subfolders of R1, copy them to a separate folder under C:\ or D:\. All folders under R1 will be copied at bootup of the robot system into the vxworks system of the robot. If you have files with same global variables this will lead to many failures and confusion.

[Tom66]

#955

Thanks hermann, I had done it this way with our other robot and it worked fine so I didn’t think anything of it. I’ll do as you suggested instead, and see if moving the backup config file to D:\ does the trick.

Although I’m waiting for the ps2 keyboard to arrive, my usb keyboard doesn’t have any effect.

[skyone]

#956

Odd. Any ed05 KRC2 should have the USB port working 100%.

Protip: before making ANY changes to this robot, CLONE THE HARD DRIVE!!!! I cannot stress this enough. If you manage to break something badly while making mods, recovery could be impossible without getting original install CDs from KUKA. Especially since it sounds like this particular KRC2 might not be entirely standard.

Also, I wouldn’t be too aggressive about “cleaning” this robot. Just clearing the /R1/Programs, and commenting out the missing I/O hardware, should be enough. GripperTech and SpotTech shouldn’t get in your way.

[tom66]

#957

Our other ed05 had no problems with the KSS reinstall that way, this one really makes me scratch my chin for this and other little things. I’ve got two clones tucked away, so I’m good to go there.

The plugins I’d like gone are welding ones (including the cover I/O that’s stopping my programs), there are 3 pages on the left of the TP home screen with buttons like “dress tip”, “measure tip”… things like that. Eventually I’ll have an operator running this cell and the fewer buttons they can press, the better. With some thought maybe I’ll get to only needing an ext start button, right now I need the pig functional before I can put lipstick on it!

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