Starting Troubleshooting Work; Intermittent Errors; Tools - ABB IRB 6400R Product On-Line Manual

1 Fault tracing guide
Sometimes errors occur which neither refer to an error message nor can be remedied
with the help of an error message.
To make a correct error diagnosis of these particular cases, you must be very experi-
enced and have an in-depth knowledge of the control system. This section of the Prod-
uct Manual is intended to provide support and guidance in any diagnostic work.

1.1 Starting Troubleshooting Work

Always start off by consulting a qualified operator and/or check any log books availa-
ble to get some idea of what has happened, to note which error messages are displayed,
which LEDs are lit, etc. If possible, look at the control system's error log; if there are
any error messages there, it can be accessed from the Service menu. On the basis of
this error information, you can start your analysis using the various tools, test pro-
grams, measuring points, etc., available.
Never start off by wildly replacing boards or units since this can result in new errors
being introduced into the system.
When handling units and other electronic equipment in the controller, the wrist
strap in the controller must be used to avoid ESD damage.

1.1.1 Intermittent errors

Unfortunately, intermittent errors sometimes occur and these can be difficult to rem-
edy. This problem can occur anywhere in the robot and may be due to external
interference, internal interference, loose connections, dry joints, heating problems, etc.
To identify the unit in which there is a fault, note and/or ask a qualified operator to note
the status of all the LEDs, the messages on the teach pendant, the robot's behaviour,
etc., each time that type of error occurs.
It may be necessary to run quite a number of test programs in order to pinpoint the
error; these are run in loops, which should make the error occur more frequently.
If an intermittent error occurs periodically, check whether something in the environ-
ment in which the robot is working also changes periodically. For example, it may be
caused by electrical interference from a large electric plant which only operates
periodically. Intermittent errors can also be caused by considerable temperature
changes in the workshop, which occur for different reasons.
Disturbances in the robot environment can affect cabling, if the cable screen connec-
tions are not intact or have been incorrectly connected.

1.1.2 Tools

Usually, the following tools are required when troubleshooting:
- Normal shop tools
- Multimeter
- Oscilloscope
- Recorder
Product Manual
Fault tracing guide
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