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RobFlow 4.2.0

· 4 min read
RobCo Team
Product

Highlights​

Parallel execution​

A Flow can now run several branches in parallel. It enables the user for example to send commands to peripheral devices while the Robot is executing some other tasks.

This can reduce the cycle time as you do not have to wait for the Robot to stop before you can control the periphery (e.g. a conveyor belt or an external axis).

To let branches run in parallel, you have several options:

  • Event Nodes
  • Split & Join Nodes

Event Nodes​

Event Nodes trigger the execution of a branch. All of those Event Nodes can run in parallel.

Start Node​

Will trigger a branch the moment you run a Flow. If you have several Start Nodes, all of them will start at the same time.

I/O Event Node​

Will start a new branch every time a given I/O event is triggered.

I/O Event Node

Periodic Event Node​

Will trigger a branch in the defined interval.

Split & Join Nodes​

Split Node can split one branch into multiple separate branches which will be executed in parallel while a Join Node will wait until all incoming parallel processes have finished

Split & Join Nodes

Configurable Tools & TCP​

In the Robot Configuration Menu, the user can now define Tools the Robot is using and thereby shift the TCP (Tool Center Point).

Configurable Tools & TCP

Tool Node​

With the Tool Node, the user can change the Tool which is currently used during Flow execution.

Tool Selector & Tool Display​

With the Tool Selector in the Change Robot State Drawer, the user can change the active Tool manually.

The Tool Display in the Current Robot State Drawer shows which Tool is currently active.

Cartesian Jogging with respect to the TCP​

In addition to jogging with respect to the base coordinate system, the user can now also switch to jogging within the TCP coordinate system.

Subflows​

With a Subflow you can bundle program logic into reusable snippets that can be used across all Flows. This will aid you in reducing redundancy and having a better overview.

Subflows

Minor features​

Partial pallets with start / end selection​

In the Palletizing Node, it is now possible to build partial pallets and select start and end items completely based on the item grid. With the Layer Slider on the left, you can browse through the layers and select your desired start and end items.

Partial pallets with start / end selectionPartial pallets with start / end selection

Undo / Redo​

You can now undo (CTRL/CMD + z) / redo (CTRL/CMD + y) your changes in the Flow and Subflow Editor.

Comment Node​

With a Comment Node, you can add comments to your Flow.

Velocity Scaling​

The robot’s velocity can now be adjusted while a Flow is running.

Global Velocity / Acceleration stored within Flows​

When saving a Flow, RobFlow will also save the global velocity and acceleration set at that time. This is especially helpful when having Flows which require different velocity and acceleration settings.

Miscellaneous​

  • The mini map in the Flow Editor was removed due to limited user benefit
  • I/O banks and I/Os now now be assigned custom names
  • An indicator showing the currently set payload was added to the top bar
  • Increased text contrast for better readability
  • The Control Unit can now access the internet when connecting a smartphone with USB tethering to it
  • The UI performance & responsiveness especially with bigger Flows was improved
  • Unexpected movements when turning on Free Motion while having set an invalid payload are now prevented and an error shown instead
  • Robot Configuration can now be imported and exported
  • Links to the Release Notes and API Documentation where added in the top bar menu
  • Backups of Flows and Subflows are now stored on the Control Unit for disaster recovery
  • Improved stand-still precision/performance of the Robot

Fixes​

  • Fixed conflicts when reimporting the same Flow multiple times
  • Disable move-to-target button if Free Motion is turned on
  • Wait for Robot to be idle before execution of condition-matched branch in Do-Until-Condition Node
  • Added several countermeasures for rare cases in which Flows got lost