We have an IRB 340 picking and placing empty make up pans. It is utilizing the Cognex 8100D/CDC200 camera package to capture image data. Every 10 minutes almost to the second we get a glitch at the pick where it misses three picks. We are getting errors 4317 and 4318. It is specific to a clock time exactly every ten minutes even if we turn off the PC and wait for 9 minutes and reboot the PC it happens almost exactly at that 10 minute clock interval. We have turned off all non essential windows services.
I.E. Windows Time, Windows Firewall, Virusscan Monitor, etc.
4317 = Scene info from Conveyor Work Area1 discarded. 0.1 seconds older than available item positions.
4318 = Item positions for Conveyor Work Area1 discarded. 0.1 seconds older than incoming scene info.
It could be an idea to try to use a clean Windows computer, i.e. not one provided by your IT-department/system administrator, but simply one with Windows and PickMaster installed and see if the problem persists.
This computer was clean, it was brand new out of the box. No I.T. work was ever done except to remove unecessary programs. The bigger problem is that it is next to impossible to find a PC that works with the hardware. We have had several new PC’s not work with the Cognex vision hardware. According to Cognex the 8100D hardware that ABB uses is no longer used by anyone except ABB. It is becoming more and more difficult to find a PC that even has a PCI slot. Everyhting here in the states is going to PCI Express and Windows Vista. Unless you can get your hands on some old stock which is quickly getting depleted. We are still awaiting a conclusion from Sweden on that issue as well.
The supply of compatible PC may be an issue on the PC “spot” market, although we do not see this happening so fast in Europe as you describe (Europe - anyone correct me if I’m wrong). However, it should be possible to find suppliers of industrial PC’s, who are able to deliver this technology over forseeable time. Further, we are of course constantly working on adopting PickMaster to new OS and HW standards as the market develops.
Regarding Cognex HW, we are aware that Cognex are phasing out products for sales to integrators. The Cognex parts in PickMaster 3 are supplied as ABB parts in our ABB standard product and as such they have a longer life length than on the open market. This is the basis of the stability in PickMaster and we will not switch to other solutions unless they are developed and proven as reliable and stable. In our roadmap, we also put great effort in maintaining compatibility over a longer time and for new generations.
Of course, we are monitoring new Cognex technology, which we will introduce when it is considered mature and stable. This will also resolve your concerns on the PC availability.