For Live data, Historical data, Datalogging to MQTT broker, and Alarming you'll need to set up a data source and add variables. This article shows you how to do this for communication with a robot from Universal Robots.

• Prepare the UR robot
• Add a data source
• Add variables
• Test variables
• Live data, Historical data, Alarming

Additional information:

• Troubleshooting
• CSV file contents and details

Prepare the UR robot

Install the StrideLinx connector URcap
The "StrideLinx connector" URCap adds ready-to-use nodes that you can easily drag-and-drop in your Universal Robot program for use with Live data, Historical data, and Alarming. Additionally, the URCap installs a VNC server for easy remote access.

1. Contact us for the "StrideLinx connector" URCap and install it.

Activate the VNC server
The VNC server enables you to remotely access the screen of the UR robot. After you activate it, you can easily and securely access it remotely using our VNC service.

2. Go to the StrideLinx Connector page on the UR robot and enable the VNC Server.
3. Enter a VNC server password. The recommended length is 6-8 characters. The view only password is optional and enables a connection that allows users to only view, not control, the screen.

Activate data publishing
If you wish to use Live data, Historical data, or Alarming, data publishing needs to be enabled.

4. Turn on Publish data for Cloud Logging and Cloud Notify, enter the StrideLinx router's LAN IP address, and choose a password of at least 6 characters, you will need this later.

Live data and historical data
If you wish to use Live data or Historical data you may need to make changes to your program.

You can use your program variables by adding nodes to your program. However, a large amount of built-in variables from your UR robot are already available without needing to make any changes to your program. The full list of these built-in variables can be viewed here: CSV file contents and details.

5. Drag-and-drop the StrideLinx - Variable Logger node to your BeforeStart initialization cycle and add any variable you'd like to use. The node will then only run once, but the data will be logged in the background. Note that the variables need to be assigned an initialization value before they are called by the StrideLinx node.

Alarming
If you wish to use Alarming you will need to make changes to your program.

6. 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.

Add a data source

The robot will need to be added as a Plain-text TCP data source.

7. Go to Fleet Manager > Devices and click on your device name.
8. In the left menu, at Services, click on the icon and select Data source > Plain-text TCP.
9. Enter the requested information (details below) and click on Add.

   Field	Description
   Name	Enter a name for the data source.
   Identifier	The identifier is entered automatically and ensures that every data source remains unique, even if they share the same name.
   IP address	Enter the IP address of your UR robot.
   Password	Enter the password that you chose at Activate data publishing.
   Polling sleep time	This setting is not applicable and can be ignored.

Add variables

Once you've added a data source, you can start adding variables.

If you did not add the StrideLinx - Variable Logger node to your program in Prepare the UR robot, you can only log the UR robot's built-in variables. If this is intentional, skip to step 13.

10. Under your  Data source, go to Variables and click onAdd variable.
11. Enter the requested information (details below) and click on Add.

    Field	Description
    Name	Enter a name for the variable.
    Identifier	The identifier is entered automatically and ensures that every variable remains unique, even if they share the same name.
    Type	Below you'll find a table containing all available data types and their equivalents in the StrideLinx Cloud. In UR robot In StrideLinx Cloud String String Boolean Boolean Integer Int32 or UInt32 Float Float32 Position String Array String
    Address	The StrideLinx Cloud Address you entered in the StrideLinx - Variable Logger node.
    Factor	Multiplies the value. Leave empty if the data type is boolean. This factor is automatically applied to all data visualization in StrideLinx Cloud components, both Live and Historical, and when exporting that data to a CSV file. Entering a factor in a data component overrules this factor. This factor does not apply to log triggers, alarms and datalogging to MQTT broker.
    Unit	Displayed behind the value (e.g. kg).

12. Repeat step 1 for every variable that you added in the StrideLinx - Variable Logger node. Alternatively, you can also click Import from CSV-file near the top right corner to add variables in bulk instead.
    
    • The structure of the CSV file is explained here: Import variables: CSV file structure.
    • Using Export to CSV-file and Import from CSV-file enables you to easily copy variables from one device to another device. Alternatively, you can also use device templates.

You'll need to import the CSV file containing the UR robot's built-in variables, even if you do not intend to use these variables.

13. Click on Import from CSV-file near the top right corner.
14. Select the StrideLinx connector data source CSV file (included in your URCap zip file) and click on Open. Details about the CSV file can be viewed at CSV file contents and details.

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.

15. Click on Push config to device in the top right corner.

Test variables

The variables test is recommended to check if all added variables are configured correctly. It shows the value of all variables if everything is configured correctly and shows an error if something is not configured correctly.

16. Click on Run test near the top right corner.
    • The test will attempt to update values every 0.5 seconds.
    • Is the test showing unexpected values? Check the addresses and data types of the variables. Additionally, you can consult the Troubleshooting section for in-depth assistance.
    • Is the test showing a timeout error? Check that the data source is configured correctly and the robot is connected and powered on. If you are still getting a timeout error, contact your IT to make sure the test is not blocked. The test sets up an outgoing connection from your computer to the StrideLinx router using:
      

      Port	Transport protocol	Application protocol
      443	TCP	WebSocket

Live data, Historical data, Alarming

Now that the data source and variables have been set up, you can continue below.

17. Click below to continue in the feature specific articles.
    
    • Live data
    • Historical data
    • Datalogging to MQTT broker
    • Alarming

Appendix: Troubleshooting

On the StrideLinx Connector page on the UR robot the current status will be displayed:

Active
 Disabled or not configured correctly
 Error

This will be followed by a message that is self-explanatory in most cases, but additional information can be found below.

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

Error: Could not connect to the StrideLinx router

This error message means that:

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

Error: Could not register on the StrideLinx router

This error message means 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. Follow the steps starting at Add a data source.
• The Plain-text TCP data source has not yet been pushed to the StrideLinx router. Don't forget the final step in Add variables.
• 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 UR robot.

Error: Logging is not fully confgured on the platform

This error message means that the Logging part of the URCap is 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. 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 node in the UR robot have not all been added to the data source in the StrideLinx Cloud yet.
  • the variables have an incorrect data type or setting.

Error: The variable .. is not defined

This error message means the URCap tried to log a variable before that variable was initialized. Moving the initialization of your variables before the StrideLinx - Variable Logger node will resolve this error.

Appendix: CSV file contents and details

A large amount of built-in variables from your UR robot are readily available for use in Live data, Historical data, and Alarming. We've created a CSV file (included in your URCap zip file) that you can import into your Plain-text TCP data source in the StrideLinx Cloud.

Not included in this list are any variables that you added yourself using the StrideLinx - Variable Logger node.