We have a line with multiple dual FlexPicker IRB360 Master/Slave Controller Cells. All of the Windows XP SP3 PC’s that are running Pickmaster keep having problems. Item positions and scene information from robot controller has been discarded because it was too old. All of the PC’s are on the same ethernet network meaning that they can ping from one to the other. Is it possible that the PC’s are trying to TimeSync to one another. We have disabled the Windows Time service, thinking that this may eliminate any cross traffic trying to connect to the internet or other PC’s. Any thoughts???
Hi,
Do you get the problem occasionally, or always?
Is there a firewall enabled on any of the PC’s (Windows or any addtional)? This can cause problems in the time sync communication, so you would have to disable it.
Are the controllers connected to the PC via the LAN port and not the service port? I think the time sync only works on the LAN port.
/Fredrik
Fredrik,
We are definitely in the LAN port not the service port. I will double check the Windows Firewall settings, I am not sure. Normally we set them to OFF.
While you are at it.. Also check that there is no other firewall installed and activated (e.g. McAfee or similar).
/Fredrik
All firewalls are off!
Hi,
If you have not already done this, open PickMaster and go to File->Options and verify that the “Controller Network Adapter” property is set to the IP address of the PC network port that communicates with the robot LAN port (normally 192.168.8.x).
/Fredrik
First general recommendation is:
If the PC’s are on the same network, they shall have the same sub net (vvv.xxx.yyy.zzz, where only zzz differs), same sub net mask (255.255.255.0) and same gateway (even if it doesn’t exist). Same applies to the controllers.
There shall be no cameras connected to the controller network router/switch, nor shall they be configured with the same sub net as any robot/PC network.
When the PC’s are started up, it may take up to a minute to determine the mastership of the time sync.
I can almost promise you that the easiest thing to do is to first start up one PC. When it is up and running all the other can be turned on. They will then detect the master and put themselves as slaves.
We have made each machine a seperate Pickmaster network. This seems to have alleviated the intercommunications issues! We are using the spare port in the GigE network card that you provided to be used by the camera as a spare for outside communications. This way all traffic is being routed appropriately. So far this seems to have worked!!!