Tecnomatix KUKA RCS installation steps

Installation and configuration for KUKA RCS

In this article we present the steps to install RCS for the Kuka OLP. 

Steps for installation and configuration:

1 - Download RCS media in the required controller version (Rcs server + TuneAddon)

Link to download: https://support.sw.siemens.com/en-US/product/288782031/download/PL20200514141538323 

It is necessary to download the RCS server and TuneAddon on the corresponding version of the Kuka controller. In the example we are going to configure, I downloaded the version files: 8.2_r02, 8.3_r21 and 8.5_r16.

• TuneAddOn for 8.1 and 8.2:  rcs_kuka_PC_WIN_8.1_8.2_TuneAddOn_01_03_2018_PC.zip 
• TUneAddOn for 8.3 to 8.7: rcs_kuka_PC_WIN.83_87.TuneAddOn.19_09_2022.zip 
• RCS server version 8.2 R02: rcs_kuka_PC_WIN_krc8.2_r02.00_12.06.2013_PC.zip 
• RCS server version 8.3 R21: rcs_kuka_PC_WIN_krc8.3_r21.00_25.06.2018_PC.zip
• RCS server version 8.5 R16: rcs_kuka_PC_WIN_krc8.5_r16.00_14.02.2020.zip

2 - Create a folder that will be the root of the RCS. Extract the RCS server file and place TuneAddon inside the RCS server bin folder.

Example of RCS server folder structure, saving everything in "C:\RCS"

Copy the TuneAddon files "rcskrc1_tune.exe" into the folders of the corresponding versions of the Kuka controller:

3 - Configure the rrs.xml file to point out the RCS versions that Process Simulate will have available for selection within "Controller Settings" or "Robot Properties". The rrs.xml is the folder "C:\Program Files\Tecnomatix_2307\eMPower\Robotics\OLP".

In the Kuka OLP manual inside the “C:\Program Files\Tecnomatix_2307\eMPower\Robotics\OLP\Kuka-Krc\Doc” has an HTML document with an example of how rrs.xml must be written.

Example below:

4 - Configure the license entry within the Windows registry

• Open the Windows registry and go to “HKEY_LOCAL_Machine\Software\wow6432\Flexlm License Manager”

• For a a floating license, create the variable KUKAROB_LICENSE_FILE with the value 27000@my_license_server. This way, RCS will pick up the license at the door and on the specified server

• For nodelocked license save the license in a folder and create the variable KUKAROB_LICENSE_FILE with the value pointing to the license file C:\RCS\license\my_license_file.lic. This way, RCS will fetch the license instead of the license server.

5 - Open Process Simulate and load a study with the a Kuka Robot

6 - Go to Robot Setup, load the Machine Data Files (MADA) which consists of the folders "R1 /Steu/Config"

• If you don't have MADA, you can use the robot backup. Another option is to download the MADA compatible with your KUKA controller from the support website: https://support.sw.siemens.com/pt-BR/product/288782031/download/PL20190919120210281 
• You can validate the MADA x Controller version in the Mapping Table within the Kuka RCS documentation: https://support.sw.siemens.com/pt-BR/product/288782031/download/PL20200514141517940 

7 - Open Robot Properties and select the KUKA OLP, desired version of OLP controller, enable the simulation to run in RRS mode (step 2 in the image below) and select the RCS version in the "RCS version" field (defined in rrs.xml)

Click on the RCS activation button (step 3 in the image below)

If the RCS is validated and initialized successfully you will be able to use the RCS.

8 - Test running a simulation and validate the operation of the RCS. In the bottom left corner you will see that RRS was used instead of MOP

This document has been tested up to version 2307. If you are installing a more recent version, the installation process may change.

The binaries used in installing RCS kuka krc are the same as for Kuka-vkrc. If you want to use the same files, just add the note to the Kuka-Vkrc controller in rrs.xml as per rrs.xml attached.