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BLUEPRINTLAB REACH ALPHA RS1-1100 Integration Manual

Robotic manipulator for portable rov operators
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REACH
ALPHA
INTEGRATION MANUAL
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www.blueprintlab.com
tel: +61 (2) 9519 7651
email: info@blueprintlab.com

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Summary of Contents for BLUEPRINTLAB REACH ALPHA RS1-1100

  • Page 1 REACH ALPHA INTEGRATION MANUAL www.blueprintlab.com tel: +61 (2) 9519 7651 email: info@blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    5.2.4 Controller Mapping in Kinematics (Global) Mode (Pro Only) 5.2.5 Kinematics Mode (End-Effector Coordinates) (Pro Only) 5.2.6 Controller Mapping in Kinematics (End-Effector) Mode (Pro Only) 5.3 HMI Advanced Setup 5.3.1 Gamepad Advanced Setup 5.3.2 3D Mouse Advanced Setup 5.4 Master Arm Control 6 PLATFORM INSTALLATION blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 3 6.1 Hardware Mounting Setup 6.2 Software Setup for Hardware Constraints and Requirements via Reach Control 7 ADDITIONAL REACH CONTROL WIDGETS 7.1 Monitor Panel 7.2 Measure Tool 7.3 Data Logger 7.3.1 First Time Setup or Editing of Data Logger Settings 7.3.2 After First Time Setup 7.4 Camera 7.5 Light 8 MAINTENANCE...

  • Page 4: Overview

    Small Size A standard external diameter of 40mm and weight of less than 900g in water, the Reach Alpha provides unparalleled functionality for unmanned remotely operated vehicles where size and weight are critical. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 5: Reach Product Codes

    1.2 Reach Product Codes Throughout this manual, actuators will be referred to by their product codes as listed below. RS1-1100 - Single Function Rotate Stage RS1-1400 - Single Function Bend Stage RS1-1300 - Single Function Linear Stage RS1-2140 - Dual Function Rotate/Bend Stage RS1-2130 - Dual Function Rotate/Linear Stage RS1-5001 - 5 Function Manipulator 2 Single &...

  • Page 6: Interfacing

    5 Pin HUMG CCP. It is important that the serial device and the RS1 Actuator share a common ground. Failing to do so could damage the device. Figure 3. 5 Pin HUMG SeaCon Connector RS232 - Male Face View When using a RS485 version Pin 4 is A and Pin5 is B blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 7: Reach Alpha

    3 Reach Alpha 5 3.1 Dimensions and Coordinates Figure 4. Joints and Origin Figure 5. Joint Limits Figure 6. Zero Point/ Travel/ Direction & Zero Point Figure 7. Axis Length...

  • Page 8: Specifications

    Communication Full Duplex RS232 or Half Duplex RS485 Connector Teledyne 6 Pin IE(W)-55 Impulse Kinematic, Dynamic, and Other Properties The Blueprint Lab Github repository contains documents regarding the Kinematic and Dynamic properties of Reach System manipulators. Available at: https://github.com/blueprint-lab blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 9: Interfacing

    3.3 Interfacing Mechanical The Reach Alpha offers a variety of mounting configurations. These are easily implemented using the supplied two-part mounting kit. This kit is designed to absorb moderate shock to help protect the Reach Alpha from external impact. Figure 8. Mounting Dimensions of Mounting Kit Electrical The standard interface for the Reach Alpha is a Teledyne 6 Pin IE(W)-55 Impulse Connector.
  • Page 10 Reach Alpha will respond to demands on either RS232 or 485 without needing to be configured. Data being transmitted from the R5M will be done via both COM ports. For more information on the serial protocol please refer to the Serial Protocol Document at https://github.com/blueprint-lab. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 11: Bench Setup

    4 Bench Setup Prior to vehicle integration activities, a bench level test is recommended in the first instance. This builds familiarity from the ground up and assists with product acceptance. The following procedure will walk you through the bench setup procedure. You Will Need •...
  • Page 12 Install the latest version of Reach Control by double clicking on the supplier installer .exe file and following the installation wizard. Run the application on the completion of install or via the start menu. If you need a copy of Reach Control supplied, please contact Blueprint Lab (info@blueprintlab.com). Step 5 - External Control Setup Two external controllers can be used to control manipulators via Reach Control.
  • Page 13 Step 6 - Communication Setup This step connects the control PC or Laptop to the manipulator. To access the CONNECTIONS setup tool, see Figure 12. Figure 12. Connection Setup 1. Reach Control creates a single connection by default if no other connections were already setup. 2.
  • Page 14 For example: : If you have one Alpha 5 and one Master Arm, click on the “Add” button on the bottom right product tab (RIGHT ARM). If not already set, select the product type you have (Alpha 5) via the Product Select dropdown list. On the top right, select the Controller Select dropdown and click ‘Master Arm’. blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 15 Figure 15. VEHICLE SETUP options 3. Set the product type you have, such as Alpha 5 or Alpha Dual Bend, by selecting it via the “Product Select” dropdown. 4. Set your chosen products to their respective connections by via selecting it via the “Connection Select”...
  • Page 16 Connect the positive (PWR+) of the Alpha 5 to the positive terminal of the power supply and turn on the power supply. If you are using a wall adapter connect the XT30 Connector as shown and then plug the adapter into the wall. blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 17 Step 10 - Power On and Condition Check Turn the power supply on. Five seconds after powering the manipulator the MONITOR panel will begin to show data readings for all joints on the manipulator. To access the MONITOR panel, see Figure 13. Figure 17.

  • Page 18: Control

    (see Figure 19). For rotate joints, clicking on the arrows will rotate the joint in the direction of the arrow. Similarly, clicking on the jaw arrows will either open or close the jaws. Figure 19. Control Panel features blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 19 The selected action is determined by the active control mode, which is selected by the “Control Mode Select” buttons (see Figure 19). The active control mode is determined by the orange “Control Mode Select” button. The selectable control modes are: 1.

  • Page 20: Human Machine Interface (Hmi)

    These can be changed in the settings panel. The mounting orientation selected during the installation setup will dictate the direction of rotation (see Section 5). • When the Kinematics Icon (Reach Control Pro feature) is white the controller is being used in Manual Mode. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 21: Controller Mapping In Manual Mode

    5.2.2 Controller Mapping in Manual Mode Figure 22. Controller Mapping in Manual Mode 5.2.3 Kinematics Mode (Global Coordinates) (Pro Only) In Kinematics mode the movements are performed in the world frame in accordance with the orientation of the base given in Figure 23. This mode is useful when trying to track a straight line with respect to the base where manually combining joint movements may prove difficult.

  • Page 22: Controller Mapping In Kinematics (Global) Mode (Pro Only)

    Figure 23. Kinematics Coordinate Reference Frame (Global Mode) 5.2.4 Controller Mapping in Kinematics (Global) Mode (Pro Only) blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 23: Kinematics Mode (End-Effector Coordinates) (Pro Only)

    5.2.5 Kinematics Mode (End Effector Coordinates) (Pro Only) When used in End Effector Coordinate mode, the manipulator moves in the frame of the end-effector (Figure 24). This is useful when following lines that are not at right angles with the base. Set the end- effector (probe) orthogonal to the object you are trying to follow and then control in end-effector kinematics mode.

  • Page 24: Controller Mapping In Kinematics (End-Effector) Mode (Pro Only)

    Reach Control provides a way of setting custom mappings for the Gamepad and 3D Mouse. 5.3.1 Gamepad Advanced Setup The user can set custom mappings for Gamepads (e.g. Xbox Controller). There are multiple axes that can be edited, allowing for multiple commands. To access the Gamepad customisation menu, see Figure 25. blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 25 Figure 25. HMI Gamepad Advanced Setup • Map Select: Dropdown box that allows you to choose from a list of Gamepad mappings, including your own custom saved settings. The mapping chosen gets set and can be used immediately. • Delete: Deletes the currently set mapping from the saved list. •...

  • Page 26: Mouse Advanced Setup

    DBR: Alternative for setting the axis control direction for the associated button. The button on the left sets the direction of control. For example, if you want to have a button control a joint in the positive direction and another button for controlling in the negative direction. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 27: Master Arm Control

    5.4 Master Arm Control Information regarding control of Alpha 5 manipulators with the Master Arm control can be found in the Master Arm Operator’s Manual available from Blueprint Lab (info@blueprintlab.com). Figure 27. Master Arm Control Mapping for the Alpha 5...

  • Page 28: Platform Installation

    The rear mounting bracket can either be secured with 2 x M5 bolts from the top or with 4 x M4 bolts into the tapped holes on the bottom. Figure 31. M4 from bottom Figure 30. M5 from Top blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 29 Step 3 Attach the manipulator by feeding the base through the O-ring and securing it with locking nut at the desired orientation. Figure 32. Insert through O-ring and Tighten Locking Nut Step 4 Connect the manipulator cable by inserting the female Impulse connector and rotating the locking nut. Connect the manipulator to the host PC running Reach Control using the same steps given in Section 3, per your specific communication and power setup.

  • Page 30: Software Setup For Hardware Constraints And Requirements Via Reach Control

    To access the INSTALLATION tool, see Figure 34. Figure 34. Installation panel and access Step 2 Select the product to configure via the “Product Selector” dropdown. See Figure 35. Figure 35: Product selection, device prefix, product inversion, and heartbeat requests editor blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 31 Step 3 If you require more than one manipulator on the same RS232 or RS485 communications bus, then follow the steps below. 1. Ensure you know which manipulators are required and which are designated the first and second. 2. Connect both manipulators to Reach Control. 3.
  • Page 32 By adding obstacles to the workspace restrictions, the manipulator will ensure that it does not enter those areas preventing damage to itself and the vehicle. Use the 3D Visualisation Tool to set workplace restrictions. To edit these obstacles, see Figure 37. blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 33 Figure 37. Installation obstacles setup You can set workspace restrictions via the ‘Obstacles’ section. To add an obstacle to the workspace restrictions: 1. Ensure the Alpha 5 is connected and communicating with Reach Control. 2. Ensure the installation tab has the Alpha 5 selected. 3.
  • Page 34 1. Select which manipulator you wish to calibrate, via the dropdown box above the ‘AUTO LIMIT’ button. 2. Calibrate the product by clicking the ‘AUTO LIMIT’ button. This will actuate the push rod to self-determine its limits based on the attached tool. Figure 39. END EFFECTOR panel blueprintlab.com...
  • Page 35 Step 9 If you have the probe holder version of the manipulator, then you must set your probe parameters. To access the PROBE INSTALLATION panel, see Figure 40. 1. Ensure the manipulator is connected and communicating with Reach Control, 2. Press the “Refresh” button to get the current probe parameters. 3.

  • Page 36: Additional Reach Control Widgets

    The pin icon sets the origin to the current end effector location and zeros the measurement readout. • The plus icon saves the measurement and adds it to the list. It also resets the origin to start a new measurement from the current position. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 37: Data Logger

    7.3 Data Logger (full version only) The data logger tool provides a means to log data from your manipulator. This is recorded in the comma- separated value (.csv) format, which is compatible with most spreadsheet document editors (e.g. Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice). The data logger remembers the latest settings and are loaded on start of Reach Control.

  • Page 38: After First Time Setup

    Reach Control’s main screen. This button will flash orange when logging data. Toggling it off will pause the logging. See Figure 43. NOTE: If the Data logger is disabled (ENABLE button is off) or there is an error, the ‘Log Data’ buttons will not flash and recording will not happen. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 39: Camera

    • ENABLE button: Used to set the datalogger’s settings and create the file. This must be turned on to record data. The datalogger is enabled when ENABLE button is orange, and off when it is white. • Log Data buttons: These are used to start/stop logging data. The datalogger must be enabled before this button records data.

  • Page 40: Light

    The FIRMWARE ONLINE and FIRMWARE LOCAL tools are designed to update the firmware on the various manipulators including the Alpha 5. Using these software maintenance tools comes at a risk. Please ensure that updates are recommended by Blueprint Lab (info@blueprintlab.com) before proceeding. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 41: Reach Control - Software Update

    Figure 46. CONFIGURATION panel tabs for software/firmware updates. General tab (left) and Reach Alpha tab (right). 8.1 Reach Control - Software Update Reach Control updates are designed to provide extra features and/or stability fixes. It may be necessary to install the updates to gain the extra functionality. To access the SOFTWARE UPDATE tool, see Figure 47. Figure 47.

  • Page 42: Firmware - Online Update

    5. If the software update process completes with errors, make sure you have an internet connection and restart the process beginning at Step 1. If errors persist please contact Blueprint Lab (info@ blueprintlab.com). 8.2 Firmware - Online Update It may be necessary to update the firmware on your Alpha 5 to allow additional features, bugfixes, and compatibility with Reach Control releases.
  • Page 43 13. Once the update is complete, if all the of the boxes at the bottom of the tool are green, then the product is online. See Figure 51. 14. If the firmware update process completes with errors, power cycle the Alpha 5 and restart the process beginning at Step 1. If errors persist please contact Blueprint Lab (info@blueprintlab.com).

  • Page 44: Firmware - Local Update

    ‘CANCEL’ will stop the update. 8. If you wish to power cycle: Turn off the manipulator’s power source, click ‘YES’, then power on the manipulator. This will then start the update. 9. If you choose ‘NO’, the update will begin as it is. blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 45: Configuration File Upload

    See Figure 55. 12. If the firmware update process completes with errors, power cycle the Alpha 5 and restart the process beginning at Step 1. If errors persist please contact Blueprint Lab (info@blueprintlab.com). 8.4 Configuration File Upload Config Files are used to update parameters on your Alpha 5.
  • Page 46 Figure 58. Config Update Successful (Left) and Config Update Failed (Right) 8. If the upload process completes with errors, power cycle the Alpha 5 and restart the process beginning at Step 1. If errors persist please contact Blueprint Lab (info@blueprintlab.com). blueprintlab.com...

  • Page 47: Module Replacement

    8.5 Module Replacement In the instance a module needs to be replaced (such as swapping an end-effector between a grabber and a pan-tilt unit), please carefully follow the steps laid out below. It is recommended that you contact your supplier prior to performing this procedure if it is your first time. 1.
  • Page 48 Insert male module into female. Ensure grease is applied to both surfaces. 13. Tighten Grubscrew. CONTACT US For more information please contact Blueprint Lab: info@blueprintlab.com +61 (2) 9519 7651 3 Applebee St, St Peters, NSW 2044, Australia blueprintlab.com...

This manual is also suitable for:

Reach alpha rs1-1400Reach alpha rs1-1300Reach alpha rs1-2140Reach alpha rs1-2130

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