Difference: TwodxRobotCalibration (21 vs. 22)

Vacuum set points

• vacuum set points for insertion and extraction are contained in the file ~/robot_software/robot_control_programs/robot_parameters.py
  • they can be changed due to drift in the potentiometer on the microscope.
  • values in file are (readings on EM)/100
  • current values are
    • insertion: 0.5
    • extraction: 2.15

Torque settings

• torque settings are set on a per axis basis (per motor) in robot_parameters.py file (~/robot_software/robot_control_programs/robot_parameters.py)
• look for the following lines

torque_value = [[90,90],[40,40],[90,90],[40,40]]

Coordinates for robots during normal insertion procedure

• coordinates are stored in the controller in particular registers - to find the relevant register
  • open ~/robot_software/robot_control_programs/robot_parameters.py
  • scroll down and coordinates for insertion have values of 6011-6018
  • register 6018 corresponds to fully inserted holder
• find xyz coordinates for register 6018
  • select tab SCARA moving tools
  • retrieve coordinates for register 6018
  • values will be printed on the console

The documentation files for the different robot positions can be found below:

• Scara:
  • Documented on 09/28/2009 by Minghui, showing the table scara.txt: This is the calibration file for Scara robot

• Cartesian:
  • Documented on 09/04/2009 by Minghui, showing the table catesian.txt: This is the calibration file for Cartesian robot

Alignment of Robot relative to the EM goiniometer

• The holder is inserted in the microscope with the goniometer set to the coordinates of the preset loading position. The gripper of the Cartesian robot is in an open position and moved so that it wraps closely around the handle of the grid-holder. Through the holes in the gripper, use a caliper to measure the distance from the surface of the gripper to the handle:
  • drop calipers through hole in one of the grippers (30.16)
  • then rotate gripper +90deg and measure again (30.63) - be careful about wires at end of gripper
  • rotate gripper -180deg (29.81)
  • rotate gripper -90 (30.16)
  • above values indicate that there is a 0.35 runnout, corresponding to a 0.17mm displacement of the holder horizontally

• With the gripper grabbing the handle of the grid-holder, move the holder towards the insertion hole of the goniometer. Once the tip has just entered the hole, rotate the gripper +120deg, then back to 0deg, and finally to -120deg. Note the distance between the tip and the walls of the hole in the goniometer. If it is equidistant, the the robot arm and the goniometer are coaxial.

hand Controller Operation

• Confirm the connection between the hand controller and the control box of the robot that you want to control.
• If necessary to change connection, shut off the power, and switch the hand controller to the correct control box.
• Start the iRobot software and in the window "Robot Control and Automatic Sample Changing" choose the MANUAL ROBOT MOTION tab.
• Choose the tab MANUAL MOTOR MOVES and enable. Insert password: nysbc1
• In the hand controller push ESC until the display does not change, thereafter Manual, Point, and Jump (and Edit or Teach depending on what you want to do). Insert the number of the point you want to move to (see documentation files for the different robot positions above) press enter (the button marked =>) and the display will show the coordinates of this point.
• Use the iRobot "Manual Robot Motion" window to move the robot to the desired position.
  • select axis
  • select increment to move (will default to smallest increment whenever you change the axis of motion, distances are in mm)
  • move robot manually to desired coordinates with gripper relaxed

edit robot coordinates

• Confirm the connection between the hand controller and the control box of the robot that you want to control/edit.
• If necessary to change connection, shut off the power, and switch the hand controller to the correct control box.
• Start the iRobot software and in the window "Robot Control and Automatic Sample Changing" choose the MANUAL ROBOT MOTION tab.
• Choose the tab MANUAL MOTOR MOVES and enable. Insert password: nysbc1
• In the hand controller push ESC until the display does not change, thereafter Manual, Point, Jump, and Edit. Insert the number of the point you want to edit to (see documentation files for the different robot positions above) press enter (the button marked =>) and the display will show the coordinates of this point. Write down these original coordinates for reference.
• Use the arrow-bars on the hand controller to move to the value that will be edited (X, Y, Z, or R). Overwrite the old value with the new. Once finished editing, press ENTER on the hand controller to save the changes and then escape on the hand controller to return to the main menu.

insert holder into the microscope manually

how to update register positions upon realignment

• Set ALLOWTOPICVIEW =

-- DavidStokes - 17 Sep 2009