Fieldbus and protocols
Two tabs configure how the Robot talks to other controllers: Modbus/TCP for connections the Robot opens itself, and OPC UA for the server the Robot exposes.
Modbus/TCP
A Modbus/TCP connection points at a Modbus server — a PLC, a gripper controller, a scanner. Configure the connection once here, then reference it wherever you need it.
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Name | How the connection is identified when selecting it elsewhere |
| Host IP | The server's address |
| Port | The TCP port, conventionally 502 |
| Unit ID | The Modbus unit (slave) ID to address |
Use Add Connection to create one. Entries fall back to Connection 1, Connection 2 and so
on if unnamed.
Using a connection
Once configured, a connection can be used three ways:
- Bound to a Variable. Map a Variable to a register on the connection, and the Flow reads and writes an ordinary Variable — see Mapping a Variable to a fieldbus.
- Directly from a Node. The Modbus/TCP Condition Node branches on a register, and the Set Modbus/TCP Node writes one, without a Variable in between.
Prefer a Variable when the same value is read in several places or needs to appear on a Dashboard; prefer the Nodes for a one-off read or write inside a single Flow.
Deleting a connection that Variables are still mapped to leaves those Variables broken. They show up under the Problematic filter in the Variables menu — check there after removing a connection.
OPC UA (Beta)
The OPC UA tab manages the certificates for the Robot's OPC UA server, so an OPC UA client can connect securely.
OPC UA is a beta feature and only appears when the Robot's update channel is set to Beta — see System settings.
Server certificate
The certificate the Robot presents to clients. The tab shows its issuer and validity, and whether it has expired, and lets you download or delete it.
Deleting the server certificate stops OPC UA clients from being able to connect at all. The tab warns you before it does this.
Trusted client certificates
The clients the Robot will accept. Upload a client's certificate to trust it; the list shows each certificate's issuer and validity so you can spot one that has expired.
Uploading a certificate whose name already exists replaces the existing one, and you are asked to confirm first.
An expired certificate on either side stops the connection, and the symptom is a client that simply cannot connect. When OPC UA stops working after a period of running fine, check the validity dates here first.
Profinet
Everything on the PLC side is documented separately, in the
Profinet manual — wiring the Robot to the PLC, the TIA Portal setup, the
RobCo_* datatypes, the function block, and the data fields on the wire.
Useful starting points: Connecting the Robot, TIA Portal setup and the data field reference.
On the Robot side there is nothing to set up in this tab. Unlike Modbus/TCP, Profinet is configured per Variable rather than per connection: enable Profinet on a Variable and give it an offset and byte length, as described in Mapping a Variable to a fieldbus.