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⚠️ The user is responsible for uploading the correct safety program and testing its functionality. Not properly testing the safety system may lead to severe injuries or even death. ⚠️

Upload TwinSAFE project with TwinSAFEloader

Introduction

It is possible to upload an TwinSAFE project to the TwinSAFE logic module without the help of TwinCAT. Beckhoff provides for this purpose TwinSAFEloader software. This can run from your own computer or from the Motion Controller.

Requirements programming computer

  • TwinSAFE project (bin-file) with the project CRC

When own computer is used for uploading:

Prepare the motion controller

  1. Log in via SSH on the motion controller (default credentials are: username “admin”, password: “vectioneer”:
ssh admin@192.168.2.100
  1. Prepare the communication path between the EtherCAT master and TwinSAFE_Loader

Switch the EtherCAT mailbox on:

ethercat_mbg &
  1. In case you want to run TwinSAFE_Loader from the Motion Contoller, you need to add a link to the correct libraries. TwinSAFE_Loader requires libraries to be installed in /lib64.

Create the link /lib64 that point to /lib:

sudo ln -sf /lib /lib64

Check TwinSAFE logic devices

  1. Navigate to the folder where TwinSAFE_Loader and the TwinSAFE project file are located.

Uploading can be either via your local computer or from the Motion Controller. In the latter case, make sure both TwinSAFEloader.bin as well as your Safety Project bin-file are on the Motion Controller and navigate to that folder.

  1. Find all TwinSAFE logic devices:
./TwinSAFE_Loader.bin --gw 192.168.2.100 --list FSoE_Logic_devices.txt
subcommand Description
–gw address of the motion controller. Per default is this “192.168.2.100”.
–list returns information of all TwinSAFE logic devices in a text file. This file must be named, otherwise the command does not work.

If TwinSAFE_loader is ran from the Motion Controller directly, it is also possible to use “localhost” instead of “192.168.2.100”.

  1. See which devices are available.

Display the content of the text file:

cat FSoE_Logic_devices.txt

This will result for the GCC (Generic Control Cabinet) default configuration as the following:

EtherCAT address;FSoE address;type;project crc;name
1001;1;EL6910;0x535b;EL6910, TwinSAFE PLC

Here we see the EtherCAT address that we need to send the new TwinSAFE logic binary to. NOTE: sometimes there are multiple devices that can run the twinSAFE logic. Make sure you choose the correct one. For the GCC Safety application this is the EL6910 on position 1001.

Upload the new Safety Program

./TwinSAFE_Loader.bin --gw 192.168.2.100 --user Administrator --pass TwinSAFE --slave 1001 --proj ./GCC_Safety_V120.bin
subcommand Description
–slave EtherCAT address of the TwinSAFE logic module where the TwinSAFE program shall be uploaded to. In the GCC application this is 1001 per default.
–user user that uploads the TwinSAFE program. Per default this is “Administrator”.
–pass password used for uploading the TwinSAFE program. Per default this is “TwinSAFE”.
subcommand Description
–slave EtherCAT address of the TwinSAFE logic module where the TwinSAFE program shall be uploaded to. In the GCC application this is 1001 per default.
–user user that uploads the TwinSAFE program. Per default this is “Administrator”.
–pass password used for uploading the TwinSAFE program. Per default this is “TwinSAFE”.
–proj This is binary of the TwinSAFE Project that needs to be uploaded.

You will get the response like below:

2020-09-01T14:17:04+0000 Info: TwinSAFE Loader - v7
2020-09-01T14:17:04+0000 Info: 'Administrator' is downloading 'GCC_Safety_V120' to EL6910 @1
2020-09-01T14:17:06+0000 Info: Download of 'GCC_Safety_V120' (0xcca4) to EL6910 @1 completed

Activate the TwinSAFE project

The project will only be active after it is activated. This is done by sending the project CRC is send. The project CRC can be found back on the title page of the documentation.

⚠️ The user is responsible for uploading the correct safety program and testing its functionality. Not properly testing the safety system may lead to severe injuries or even death. ⚠️

⚠️ By activating the TwinSAFE project you accept that the responsibility of the project on the system and that the system is tested.⚠️

./TwinSAFE_Loader.bin --gw 192.168.2.100 --user Administrator --pass TwinSAFE --slave 1001 --proj ./GCC_Safety_V110.bin --crc 0xcca4
subcommand Description
–crc This is project CRC as in the documentation. This CRC address should also be returned by TwinSAFE_loader in the last step.

You will get the response like below:

2020-09-01T14:21:04+0000 Info: TwinSAFE Loader - v7
2020-09-01T14:21:05+0000 Info: Project activation successful

Switch off the EtherCAT mailbox and reboot

On the Motion Controller:

pkill ethercat_mbg
sudo reboot

Check the functionality of the Safety Project

For the Vectioneer GCC the following needs to be tested:

Triggers:

  • press emergency stop
  • delay the watchdog pulse
  • make the no-estop input false

Responses:

  • STO channel 1: 1>0
  • STO channel 2: 1>0

Also test that the STO outputs remain low until an Acknowledge command is given.