The "StrideLinx connector" URCap adds ready-to-use Cloud Notify nodes that you can easily drag-and-drop in your Universal Robot program. The Cloud Notify function enables you to always be kept up-to-date about important machine events.

To use the "StrideLinx connector" URCap for Cloud Notify, you first need to install the URcap on your robot. Then you need to set up the communication protocol in the StrideLinx Cloud and import the variables. This article will take you through all of these steps.

Please use the links below for easy navigation

• Install the StrideLinx connector URcap
• Select a communication protocol
• Add variables
• Test variables
• Manage variables

Additional information:

• Troubleshooting
• CSV file contents and details

Install the StrideLinx connector URcap

To use Cloud Notify on your Universal Robots robot, you first need to install the StrideLinx connector URcap. In addition to Cloud Notify, this URcap also enables the use of a VNC service and Cloud Logging.

• Contact us for the "StrideLinx connector" URCap and install it.
• Go to the StrideLinx Connector page on the robot, enable the VNC server, and enter a VNC server password with a recommended length of 6-8 characters.

Select a communication protocol

The second step in Cloud Notify is setting up a data source. This is done by selecting a communication protocol and defining the variables. This article shows you how to do this for the Universal Robots URcap using Plain-text TCP.

You first have to select a communication protocol. This is the protocol that the StrideLinx router will use to communicate with the UR robot.

• Go to the StrideLinx Cloud Fleet Manager app, which is accessible from the Apps menu in the top right corner if you are currently in a different StrideLinx Cloud app.
• Open the Main menu , go to Devices , and select the concerning device.
• Click on the Add a serviceicon in the left menu, select [Data source], and then select [Plain-text TCP].
• Enter the requested information (details below) and click on [Add].

• Go to the StrideLinx Connector page on the UR robot, enable publishing data for Cloud Notify, enter the StrideLinx router's IP address, and enter the password that you chose at the previous step.

Add variables

The next step is to add the variables to the StrideLinx Cloud. You can use a large amount of built-in variables from your robot without making any changes to your program. Please follow the steps below to import variables.

Please note that it's required to import these variables for Cloud Notify to work, even if you don't intend to use any of the built-in variables.

• Go back to where you were in the StrideLinx Cloud.
• Expand the Data source service and go to [Variables].
• Click on [Import from CSV-file] in the top right corner of the screen.
• Select the "StrideLinx connector" data source CSV file (downloadable here:) and click on [Open]. Details about the CSV file can be viewed at CSV file contents and details.

To add custom alarms throughout your program, please:

• Drag-and-drop the "StrideLinx - Notify"-node anywhere in your program and as often as you like. Enter an alarm message and select a priority.

You have now made the changes in the StrideLinx Cloud, but these are not yet active in your device. You will need to push your changes to your device for them to take effect.

• Go back to where you were in the StrideLinx Cloud.
• Click [Push config to device] in the top right corner.

Test variables

The test utility is used to check if all the added variables are set correctly. It shows the communication status with the PLC and displays each variable's current value if everything is configured correctly and the UR robot's program is running. If not, the values will stay empty. The test utility will attempt to update values every 0.5 seconds. Please follow the steps below to test your variables.

• Expand the Data source service, go to [Variables], and click on [Run test] at the top.

A connection will now be set up to stream the data directly to your computer, using:

You will see live values of all variables, if the configuration is set up correctly and the UR robot's program is running.

Manage variables

You can view all defined variables on the variables page:

• Expand the Data source service and go to [Variables].

You can [Edit] individual variables, [Remove] individual or a selection of variables, and export all or a selection of variables.

Variables can be selected by clicking the checkbox on the left, or you can select them all by clicking the checkbox at the top.

Troubleshooting

Go to the StrideLinx Connector page on the robot and you'll see the current status:

• Green = Active
• Orange = Disabled or not configured correctly
• Red = Error

This will be followed by a(n error) message that is self-explanatory in most cases. However, there are 4 messages that require a little more explanation:

• "Could not connect to the StrideLinx router"
• "Could not register on the StrideLinx router."
• "Logging is not fully confgured on the platform"
• "The variable .. is not defined"

"Could not connect to the StrideLinx router"

This error message means that:

• The IP address entered on the StrideLinx Connector page, on the robot, is not the same as the StrideLinx router's LAN IP address.

"Could not register on the StrideLinx router."

This error message means the Notify part of the URCap cannot communicate with the Plain-text TCP data source in the StrideLinx router. Common causes are:

• The Plain-text TCP data source has not yet been created and/or pushed to the StrideLinx router.
• The Plain-text TCP data source has not been configured correctly:
  • the entered IP address does not match the IP address of the UR robot.
  • the password does not match the password on the StrideLinx Connector page on the robot.
  • the variables have not yet been imported (The CSV file you are importing includes in the URcap .zip package).
• Cloud Notify has not yet been activated and/or pushed to the StrideLinx router.

"Logging is not fully confgured on the platform"

This error message means that the Notify part of the URCap in not the same as in the StrideLinx Cloud. Common causes are:

• The Plain-text TCP data source has not been configured correctly:
  • the built-in variables have not yet been imported (The CSV file you are importing includes in the URcap .zip package). This is required even if you don't intend to use any of the built-in variables.
  • the variables that you added to the StrideLinx Variable Logger function in the UR have not all been added to the data source yet.
  • the variables have an incorrect data type or setting.

"The variable .. is not defined"

This error message means the URCap tried to log a variable before it was assigned. Moving your assignments before the "StrideLinx - Variable Logger"-node will resolve this error.

CSV file contents and details

If you're using Cloud Logging or Cloud Notify, you can use built-in variables from your UR robot without having to make any changes in your program. We've created a CSV file () that you can import into your Plain-text TCP data source in the StrideLinx Cloud.