Overview
Overview
About this manual
Robot Application Builder (RAB) is a software tool, which enables programmers to develop customized operator interfaces for the IRC5 robot controller.
The purpose of this manual is to help software developers get started with RAB application development.
Usage
Robot Application Builder targets two different platforms. To develop a FlexPendant application you use the FlexPendant SDK. To develop a PC application, on the other hand, you use the PC SDK. This manual covers application development using both of these SDKs.
Who should read this manual?
This manual is mainly intended for software developers, who use RAB to create robot applications adapted to end-user needs, but is also useful for anyone who needs an overview of Robot Application Builder.
Prerequisites
The reader should
• be familiar with IRC5, the FlexPendant and Robot Studio.
• be used to Microsoft Visual Studio and Windows programming.
• be familiar with one of the .NET programming languages C# or Visual Basic.NET. For
PC applications Visual J# and Visual C++ should also work.
• be used to object oriented programming.
Organization of chapters
Most chapters in this manual deal with topics that apply to both platforms (PC and
FlexPendant). Chapter 5, 6 and 9, however, cover the FlexPendant SDK specifically, whereas chapter 7 deals only with the PC SDK. Code samples are written in C# and Visual Basic. The manual is organized as follows:
Chapter
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3HAC028083-001 Revision: D
Contents
Introduction. Terminology. Safety.
Installation and setup. Development environment . Virtual robot technology.
Two run-time platforms: PC and FlexPendant. Selecting the platform. Software architecture. Run-time environment for PC/FlexPendant applications. How clients access controller resources and communicate with the robot controller.
Application configuration. Life cycle of a FlexPendant application. Upgrades and compatibility.
Developing RAB applications. Analysis and design. Important programming issues: controller events and threads, UAS, exception handling. Online help.
Using the FlexPendant SDK. Visual design support. GUI controls. Launching standard views. Data binding. How to add controller functionality using the
Controller API. Programming issues and code samples in VB and C#.
How to develop well performing and robust FlexPendant applications. Memory management, performance and reliability. Exception handling.
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