Function lecture: contact jump function

The Contact Jump function, also known as the Touch Skip Function, is an optional feature that differs from the standard "Skip Condition" command. While the standard Skip Condition sets a specific condition during programming and triggers a jump when met during robot movement, the Touch Skip Function continuously monitors disturbance torque across multiple axes. If the disturbance on any axis exceeds a predefined threshold, the system performs a high-speed jump to avoid collision alarms and maintain smooth motion continuity.

When the Touch Skip function is activated, the “SETUP/TOUCH SKIP” screen appears, allowing users to call the contact jump subroutine. This enables more flexible and dynamic control over robot movements in complex environments.

Note: To use the Touch Skip function, the system variable $MISC_MSTR.$HPD_ENB must be set to TRUE (it is FALSE by default). If it’s not enabled, change it to TRUE and restart the system.

● Enter a value in the "Sch.No." field to select or modify the condition number.

● For each axis, you can define the maximum and minimum disturbance values, and enable or disable monitoring.

In the settings shown in the figure, the J4 axis has a maximum disturbance of 3.50 [A], while the J5 axis has a maximum of 3.00 [A]. If the disturbance torque of the J4 axis reaches this level during motion, the Touch Skip condition is triggered, causing the program to jump to a specified line and abort the current motion instruction.

To monitor the disturbance status, access the STATUS-AXIS-DISTURBANCE interface. This allows you to observe real-time disturbance values for each axis and adjust the Touch Skip thresholds accordingly.

In a TP program, the Touch Skip function can be implemented like this:

1: CALL SETSKCOL (1,1);

2: CALL CLSKP_G1;

3: LP[1] 20mm/sec FINE;

4: LP[2] 20mm/sec FINE Skip, LBL[1], PR[1]=LPOS;

5: MESSAGE[TOUCH];

6: END;

7: LBL[1];

8: MESSAGE[NO TOUCH];

9: END;

Here, the SETSKCOL subroutine defines the disturbance threshold for group 1, and CLSKP_G1 activates the jump condition when any axis in group 1 exceeds the threshold. During the fourth line, if the condition is met, the program jumps to line 5 and saves the position in PR[1]. If not, it proceeds to LBL[1], executing line 8. For example, if the robot contacts a peripheral device and the J4 axis reaches its threshold, the motion is skipped to prevent damage.

By using the Touch Skip function, collisions between robots and surrounding equipment can be effectively prevented, enhancing both safety and operational efficiency in environments where interference is possible.