The report shows for every point of the robot programs how close each robot axis comes to its software limit. Points with an axis near the limit are a risk for the commissioning and for later changes (no reserve for a correction, a different configuration, a tool change). The report works for VKRC, KRC, Fanuc, ABB and Yaskawa robots, for one program, all open programs, whole robot archives of the project tree and folders with archives on the disk.

Where:

• menu of the robot (VKRC, KRC, Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa) » Axis limit usage... - only robots of this manufacturer; the active program of the manufacturer is checked in the list;
• project tree, context menu of a robot » Axis limit usage of <robot>... - all programs of the archive of the robot;
• command API: axis_limits (see VeRa / command API).

License: the basic license of the robot (the same license which allows saving its programs).

Usage of an axis

  middle = (lower limit + upper limit) / 2
  half   = (upper limit - lower limit) / 2
  usage  = |axis value - middle| / half * 100 %

• 0 % - the axis is in the middle of its software range, 100 % - on the software limit, over 100 % - outside of the limit;
• Margin - the distance in degrees from the axis value to the nearer limit; the side (+ / -) shows which limit is near;
• a point is a warning when its worst axis reaches the threshold (default 90 %, setting Settings » General » Axis limit usage: warning threshold);
• wrist singularity - a point is also a warning when axis 5 (KUKA A5, Fanuc J5, ABB axis 5, Yaskawa B) is closer than the set angle to 0° (default 5°, 0 = off): axes 4 and 6 are in one line and a Cartesian motion through the point turns them very fast or stops with an error. The row shows the axis with its angle (e.g. A5 1.20°) and a note. By default only Cartesian motions are checked (VKRC LIN / KLIN / SLIN / CIRC / KCIR / SCIR, KRC LIN / CIRC / SLIN / SCIRC, Fanuc L / C, ABB MoveL / MoveC, Yaskawa MOVL / MOVC / MOVS), for an arc the target and the auxiliary point; PTP / joint moves near the singularity are only counted (option include PTP / joint moves).

What is checked by default

• Programs: only motion programs with points - VKRC UP, Folge and Makro with motions (never Makrostep, Makrotrigger, Makrosps, Makrosaw), KRC programs with KRL motions, Fanuc TP programs with a /POS section and J / L / C / A motions, ABB modules with Move instructions, Yaskawa JOBs with MOV instructions. Other files are not read; the summary only counts them (skipped: n without points / not a motion program);
• no KUKA system files in archives and folders: names starting with $ and the folders System, Mada, TP, STEU, VW_User, Roboter below KRC; programs added one by one and open programs are always read;
• threshold 90 % - shown are only points with an axis at or above it (only these axes) and points without a result;
• wrist singularity below 5° for Cartesian motions (see above) including the auxiliary points of arcs;
• VW User of every VKRC / Fanuc robot in the header (see below).

Options to extend the report

Option	Field in the window	API parameter	Default
KUKA system files in archives / folders	Include system files	includeSystem	off
wrist singularity also for PTP / joint moves	include PTP / joint moves	wristIncludePtp	off
every point with all axes, values and limits	Show all points	showAll	off
warning threshold [%]	Threshold	threshold (+ remember)	90 (program setting)
wrist singularity angle [°], 0 = off	Wrist singularity below	wrist (+ remember)	5
file masks of archives / folders	File masks	masks	programs of the robot
scope: open programs, programs, robot projects, archives / folders	Check (list)	open, files, projects, folders (or scope + paths)	active program (API)
only one controller type	menu of the robot	vendor	all
result file: PDF, HTML, XLSX, CSV	Result	format + save	table only

VW User version

The header gives the VW User of every VKRC and Fanuc robot (also the column VW User of XLSX / CSV and vwUser of the API), the same way the editor reads it - nothing is guessed:

• VKRC: KRC\R1\VW_User\vw_usr_s.src - Tech_*.Name[] (e.g. KS26.01.005_20180529) or else &COMMENT; when the &COMMENT of vw_usr_s.src, vw_usr_r.src or vw_user.src differs it is shown too (e.g. KS26.01.005_20180529 (vw_usr_s.src); &COMMENT KS26 (vw_user.src));
• Fanuc: the backup files usersdat.va (LOG_UD_NAMES), prgstate.dg (VW_USER PC, Comment) and version.va (VAG_UPDATE) - the first one found; a different VAG_UPDATE is shown too;
• nothing found: unknown (...) with the reason.

What the report shows (default): only the warnings - points with an axis at or above the threshold, and in the row only these axes (e.g. A4 96.0 %, A6 92.1 %), points near the wrist singularity - and the points without a result (one line per program and reason, with the list of the points). Values below the threshold are not shown. The header gives the numbers: programs and points checked, warnings, points below the threshold (not shown), points without a result, and the programs without warnings by name only. Show all points (off by default) lists every point with all axes, values and limits - for example for XLSX / CSV. A note of a point (e.g. not reachable with this S/T within the software limits) is a second line Note: ... under the point (in the window a child line); in XLSX / CSV it is the column Note.

Axis values and software limits

Robot	Axis values of a point	Software limits
VKRC	inverse kinematics with the configuration S / T of the point	$machine.dat: $SOFTN_END / $SOFTP_END
KRC	E6AXIS / AXIS - from the program, E6POS / POS - inverse kinematics with S / T	$machine.dat: $SOFTN_END / $SOFTP_END
Fanuc	J[] - from the program, P[] - inverse kinematics with CONFIG (group 1)	$MRR_GRP[1].$LOWERLIMS / $UPPERLIMS
ABB	jointtarget - from the program, robtarget - inverse kinematics with cf	MOC.cfg: -lower_joint_bound / -upper_joint_bound
Yaskawa	PULSE - from the program, RECTAN - inverse kinematics with RCONF	SC.PRM axis range (when found), else the kinematics file of the robot

Only the robot axes are checked (not the external axes). A point which cannot be calculated gets the reason as its note instead of a result - for example a robot configuration which is not loaded, a mounting or a kinematics which is not supported, a point without a solution for its configuration, a point not taught (KUKA axis values 999, Fanuc point without position data), a Fanuc motion to a position register PR[n] (its value is set while the program runs), a Fanuc Cartesian point with UF:F / UT:F (joint points J[] with them are checked). A KUKA robot on the linear unit ERSYS is not supported (the kinematic chain of the unit is not confirmed) - its Cartesian points get this error, the same as in the point table. A point used several times in a program is shown once (its first motion). A Cartesian point which lies outside of a software limit by the inverse kinematics with complete robot data gets the note not reachable with this S/T within the software limits (point probably never taught). Windows of the editor which appear while a program is read (for example Unbalanced ;FOLD / ;ENDFOLD structure) are closed by the report and their text is shown as a note of the program.

Settings window

The menu commands open the settings of the report first; the report starts with Generate report. The last choices are kept.

• Check - any combination of: Open programs in the editor (with unsaved changes), the robot projects of the project tree, archives / folders and programs added with Add archive / folder... and Add programs... (Remove deletes an added entry);
• File masks - programs of archives and folders, separated by ;; empty = the programs of the robot (VKRC folge*.src; up*.src, KRC *.src, Fanuc *.ls, ABB *.mod; *.modx, Yaskawa *.jbi); KUKA system files and files without motions are skipped (see What is checked by default); Include system files reads the system files too;
• Threshold, Wrist singularity below (degrees, 0 = off), include PTP / joint moves and Show all points (off: only the warnings, see above);
• Result - the table in the window and optionally a file: PDF, HTML, Excel workbook (XLSX) or CSV.

The table is sorted by the usage (largest first) and can be sorted by any column; a double click opens the program at the point; the tooltip of the column of the axes shows all axes with values and limits. Copy copies the table, Save report... saves the last report as PDF, HTML, XLSX or CSV.

Command API

{"cmd":"axis_limits", "open":false, "files":["D:/cell/R1/KRC/R1/UPs/UP42.src"],
 "projects":["K1TUVR215060R01"], "folders":["D:/archives/R03"], "masks":["up*.src"],
 "threshold":90, "wrist":5, "wristIncludePtp":false, "includeSystem":false, "remember":false, "showAll":false, "vendor":"VKRC",
 "format":"pdf", "save":"D:/reports/axis_limits.pdf", "maxRows":500, "dialog":false}

• the sources can be combined; "projects":["*"] = all robots of the project tree; without a source the active program is checked; short form "scope":"file|open|projects|folders" + "paths";
• threshold - default: the program setting; wrist - wrist singularity angle in degrees (0 = off, default: the last value of the window, 5); wristIncludePtp (default false) - wrist singularity also for PTP / joint moves; includeSystem (default false) - KUKA system files in archives / folders; "remember":true stores them as the settings;
• format + save - the report file (pdf, html, xlsx, csv);
• "dialog":true - opens the settings window with these values ("run":true - and generates the report there);
• showAll - every point and axis (default false: only warnings and points without a result);
• answer: summary, programs, points, above, belowThreshold, withoutResult, wristSingularity, wristSkipped, programsWithPoints, skippedNoPoints, systemFilesSkipped, vwUser (robot: version and source), withoutWarnings (programs), rows (point, program, line, worstAxis, usage, side, marginDeg, wristAxis / wristDeg, axes with value, limits and usage, axisSource, note), saved;
• progress: lines axis_limits: start / n/m files ... / end in dres.log (every 3 s); while the report runs in its window the API command status has the field progress.

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