Script Command Interface

The ScriptCommandInterface allows using functionality of the robot that would normally interrupt program execution. For this purpose a subset of the robot’s functionality is made available in specific API calls.

At the time of writing the ScriptCommandInterface provides the following functions:

  • zeroFTSensor(): Zeros the force/torque sensor.

  • setPayload(): Set the active payload mass and center of gravity.

  • setToolVoltage(): Set the voltage of the tool output.

  • startForceMode() / endForceMode(): Start and end a force mode. See the force mode example for more information.

  • startToolContact() / endToolContact(): Start and end a tool contact mode. See the tool contact example for more information.

Communication protocol

The ScriptCommandInterface communication is part of the protocol implemented in the external_control.urscript.

Data sent to the robot

The robot reads from the “script_command_socket” expecting a 32 bit integer representation of up to 28 datafields.

script_command_socket to_robot message format

index

meaning

0

script command functionality. Can be either of
  • 0: zeroFTSensor

  • 1: setPayload

  • 2: setToolVoltage

  • 3: startForceMode

  • 4: endForceMode

  • 5: startToolContact

  • 6: endToolContact

1-27

data fields specific to the command

With zeroFTSensor command

index

meaning

1-27

No specific meaning / values ignored

With setPayload command

index

meaning

1

Payload mass in kg (floating point)

2-4

Payload center of gravity in m, displacement from the toolmpount (floating point)

With setToolVoltage command

index

meaning

1

Voltage in V (Has to be 0, 12 or 24)

With startForceMode command

index

meaning

1-6

task frame (floating point, see script manual for details)

7-12

selection vector (floating point, see script manual for details)

13-18

wrench (floating point, see script manual for details)

19

force_type(one of 1, 2 and 3, see script manual for details)

20-25

limits (floating point, see script manual for details)

26

damping_factor (floating point, see script manual for details)

27

gain_scaling (not on CB3 robots) (floating point, see script manual for details)

With endForceMode command

index

meaning

1

No specific meaning / values ignored

With startToolContact command

index

meaning

1

No specific meaning / values ignored

With endToolContact command

index

meaning

1

No specific meaning / values ignored

Note

In URScript the socket_read_binary_integer() function is used to read the data from the script command socket. The first index in that function’s return value is the number of integers read, so the actual data starts at index 1. The indices in the table above are shifted by one when accessing the result array of the URScript function.

All floating point data is encoded into an integer representation and has to be divided by the MULT_JOINTSTATE constant to get the actual floating point value. This constant is defined in ReverseInterface class.

Data sent from the robot

Data is being sent from the robot to the ScriptCommandInterface only when tool contact is used. It will send either UNTIL_TOOL_CONTACT_RESULT_SUCCESS when tool contact has been established while tool contact was active or UNTIL_TOOL_CONTACT_RESULT_CANCELED if tool contact mode was ended without establishing physical contact.