Universal Robots have a robust interface to allow PLCs to control the robot while programs are running. However, if a robot program is not loaded or the program is stopped due to a safety condition, a dedicated function block (and lots of additional code) is needed on the PLC side.
The Robot27 Connect UR Cap allows a PLC to run dashboard commands on the robot (such as play, stop, pause, restart safety, etc) even while the robot program is paused, stopped, or not loaded with no additional PLC programming.
This software can start automatically each time the robot is turned on by saving the started connection to the default installation file for the robot. By writing specific integer values to an input integer register on the robot, the PLC is able to issue commands while programs are not running. It also allows for the same PLC to obtain and monitor the state of the “is remote” status of the robot by reading a specific Boolean output register on the robot
