ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
1/10
Author, telephone
Table of Content
GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
Release Information.......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Installation ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Hardware and Software requirements ............................................................................................................................. 3
Compatibility .................................................................................................................................................................... 5
FlexPendant SDK ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Updates in FP SDK 5.14.02 vs. 5.14 .................................................................................................................................. 6
Updates in FP SDK 5.14 vs. 5.13 ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Updates in FP SDK 5.13 vs. 5.12 ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Information 5.14.02 ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Information 5.14 .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Information 5.13 .............................................................................................................................................................. 8
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.14.02 PDD ............................................................................................... 9
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.14.01 PDD ............................................................................................... 9
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.14 PDD .................................................................................................... 9
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.13 PDD .................................................................................................... 9
Known Limitations ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Product Support ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
2/10
Author, telephone
General
Release Information
The information should be considered as last minutes information and most up-to-date.
For more information please visit Robot Release Information (RRI) Homepage:
http://roboticsportal.se.abb.com/prod/!display?action=page&id=351
Introduction
This file contains release notes for FlexPendant SDK 5.14.02.
FlexPendant SDK 5.14.02 can be used for free by anyone who wants to develop a
customized FlexPendant operator interface, for the IRC5 controller.
No license is required to develop applications using FlexPendant SDK. However to run a
FlexPendant application on a IRC5 robot system the option “FlexPendant Interface” is
required.
Previously PC SDK and FlexPendant SDK were distributed as the product Robot Application
Builder (RAB). Starting with RobotWare 5.13, PC SDK and FlexPendant SDK are distributed
together with RobotStudio. The SDKs are not affected by this change.
FlexPendant SDK 5.14.02 is included in the RobotStudio installer, which can be downloaded
for free, from the RobotStudio Community.
For download, updates and information, visit the RobotStudio Community:
http://www.robotstudio.com/community
.
Here you will also find the User Forum, where developers discuss software problems and
solutions online.
The installation includes the following:
Software
FlexPendant SDK (5.14.02)
Visual Studio project templates (5.14.02)
Documentation
Application manual – FlexPendant SDK (5.14.02), Rev - (Html Help and Pdf).
FlexPendant SDK Reference Documentation (5.14.01), documentation of class libraries
with method signatures in C# and Visual Basic (Html Help).
FlexPendant Style Guide (Html Help)
Tools
ABB Compliance Tool – this is automatically run when compiling a FlexPendant SDK
application, creating the *.gtpu.dll.
After installation the documentation can be launched from Windows Start Menu;
“Programs\ABB Industrial IT\Robotics IT\Robot Studio 5.14\SDK”.
In no event shall ABB be liable for incidental or consequential damages arising from use of
this product, of the software and hardware described in relating product documentation.
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
3/10
Author, telephone
Installation
Before you start the installation you are recommended to read chapter 2, Installation and
development environment, in the FlexPendant SDK Application Manual which is available
on the Documentation DVD in PDF format.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional development environment is used to develop
FlexPendant SDK applications.
Visual Studio project templates and control templates, will be installed and made available
to Visual Studio, by the FlexPendant installation.
For the project templates to be installed you need to install Visual Studio 2008 Professional
on the computer before you install FlexPendant SDK.
You need administrator permissions on the computer that you are using.
To install FlexPendant SDK click RobotStudio on the RobotWare & RobotStudio DVD. If you
select the default installation option Full, FlexPendant SDK will be installed. If you want to
install only FlexPendant SDK and not RobotStudio select the installation option Custom.
FlexPendant SDK 5.xx will be installed side by side with any previous major version of
FlexPendant SDK 5.xx, while minor versions within a release will update to the latest one.
The default installation path is C:\Program Files\ABB Industrial IT\Robotics
IT\SDK\FlexPendant SDK 5.14.
Hardware and Software requirements
PC software requirements
Operating Systems
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
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Author, telephone
Microsoft Windows XP SP3 – 32bit edition
Microsoft Windows 7 – 32bit edition
Microsoft Windows 7 – 64bit edition
RobotStudio
RobotStudio 5.14.02 is needed for building a test system and for debugging and testing in
the virtual environment.
Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional is required to develop applications for the
FlexPendant.
Note! FlexPendant SDK is developed and tested for the English version of Visual Studio.
Note! Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 does not support FlexPendant application development.
Please see http://robotstudio.com/forum.
FlexPendant hardware requirements
The following FlexPendant device versions are supported :
SxTPU-1 (executes with .NET CF 2.0 and WinCE 4.2) Limited support
SxTPU-2 (executes with .NET CF 2.0 and WinCE 5.0)
SxTPU-3 (executes with .NET CF 3.5 and WinCE6.0)
IRC5 controller software requirements
- RobotWare option "FlexPendant Interface" for communication with a real IRC5 controller.
- RobotWare version 5.14.
Note! Applications developed with FlexPendant SDK 5.14 require RobotWare version 5.07
or higher on the IRC5 controller.
It is recommended that FlexPendant SDK 5.14.02 applications should be used with
RobotWare 5.14.02.
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
5/10
Author, telephone
Compatibility
The APIs in the FlexPendant SDK 5.14.xx are backwards compatible with the APIs in
FlexPendant SDK 5.13. There are no breaking changes.
FlexPendant SDK compatibility between RobotWare releases cannot be absolutely
guaranteed. The goal is to be 100% compatible and the development team tries hard to
achieve this. Due to necessary upgrades in the Microsoft platforms or new demands
breaking changes sometimes cannot be avoided. There is more specific information on
compatibility issues further down in this document.
Note! No guarantee is given for backward compatibility between a specific version of
FlexPendant SDK and earlier versions of RobotWare. Compatibility between RobotWare
revisions is however guaranteed (FP SDK 5.14 will be compatible with RW 5.14.02 etc).
Compatibility
Compatibility FlexPendant SDK 5.09 vs. 5.08:
· FlexPendant SDK 5.09 is compatible with FP SDK 5.08.
Compatibility FlexPendant SDK 5.10 vs. 5.09:
· FlexPendant SDK 5.10 is compatible with FP SDK 5.09.
Compatibility FlexPendant SDK 5.11 vs. 5.10:
· FlexPendant SDK 5.11 is compatible with FP SDK 5.10.
Compatibility FlexPendant SDK 5.12 vs. 5.11:
· FlexPendant SDK 5.12 is compatible with FP SDK 5.11.
Compatibility FlexPendant SDK 5.13 vs. 5.12:
· FlexPendant SDK 5.13 is compatible with FP SDK 5.12.
Compatibility FlexPendant SDK 5.14 vs. 5.13:
· FlexPendant SDK 5.14 is compatible with FP SDK 5.13.
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
6/10
Author, telephone
FlexPendant SDK
Debugging the FlexPendant device
The requirements and procedure for for setting up and using the Visual Studio debugger on
the FlexPendant device, differs depending on the OS, Visual Studio version and
FlexPendant version you are using.
Please refer to the User Forum, for the latest information.
http://robotstudio.com/forum/
Updates in FP SDK 5.14.02 vs. 5.14.01
The FlexPendant user interface now supports the Romanian language.
Updates in FP SDK 5.14.01 vs. 5.14
No updates.
Updates in FP SDK 5.14 vs. 5.13
FP SDK: ListView.ColumnClick event
The event ColumnClick was added to the ListView control of the FlexPendant SDK. This event is
raised when a clickable column header is clicked. The column header is clickable if the
ListView.View property is set to View.Details, the ListView.Sorting property is set to either
SortOrder.Ascending or SortOrder.Descending and the property ColumnHeader.HeaderSorter of
the column is set..
Updates in FP SDK 5.13 vs. 5.12
No updates.
Information 5.14.02
No information.
Information 5.14
FP SDK: GetEventLogCategory(CategoryType) obsolete
The number of event log categories are not fixed. RobotWare applications may install their
own categories. This functionality was introduced in an earlier version of RobotWare. This is
now reflected in FlexPendant SDK.
As a result the method EventLogDomain.GetEventLogCategory(CategoryType type) is
obsolete. The method GetEventLogCategory(int id) shall be used instead.
The identities of the available event log categories can be found using the method
EventLogDomain. EventLogCategory[] GetCategories() and the EventLogCategory.Id
property.
FP SDK: ControllerFileSystemInfo.Attributes
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
7/10
Author, telephone
The new property ControllerFileSystemInfo.Attributes lets you retrieve the .NET
FileAttributes information.
FP SDK: Module.GetText
The method ABB.Robotics.Controllers.RapidDomain.Module.GetText(TextRange range)
makes it possible to get a portion of the module text.
FP SDK: Retrieve text range for RAPID language elements
The following properties make it possible to retrieve the text range for various RAPID
language elements.
Module
- DataDeclarationList
- RoutineDeclarationList
- TextRange
- TypeDeclarationList
Routine
- DataDeclarationList
- StatementList
RapidData
- DeclarationRange
FP SDK: ListView column sorting is incorrect
The sorting of the ABB.Robotics.Tps.Windows.Forms.ListView control has been updated. The
property ColumnHeader.HeaderSorter can be used to enable sorting on any column in the list
view. Previously, if the ColumnHeader.HeaderSorter property was set for a column other than the
first one (the left-most column), the sorting was always decided by the content of the first column.
This has been corrected. The property ListView.SelectedIndex is updated when the list is sorted
by clicking a column header.
FP SDK: ListView.ColumnClick event
The event ColumnClick was added to the ListView control of the FlexPendant SDK. This
event is raised when a clickable column header is clicked. The column header is clickable
if the ListView.View property is set to View.Details, the ListView.Sorting property is set to
either SortOrder.Ascending or SortOrder.Descending and the property
ColumnHeader.HeaderSorter of the column is set.
FP SDK: TextBox scroll buttons
TextBox control of the FlexPendant SDK was not rendered correctly, when the scroll buttons
where visible and the text was cleared. The scroll buttons remained visible until the text was set.
This has been corrected.
FP SDK: ForeColor when disabled
The FP SDK controls; CheckBox, Led, Switch, RadioButton and Button now uses
System.Colors.GrayText (the same as Color.Gray) as ForeColor when disabled. This is
consistent with other FP SDK controls that are grayed out when disabled. Previously a lighter
color, sometimes unreadable, was used.
FP: Tasks listed in alphabetical (DSE7963)
The RAPID tasks shown on the FlexPendant are presented in this order: normal (motion)
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
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Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
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tasks in alphabetical order followed by background (non-motion) tasks in alphabetical
order.
This applies to, e.g.:
- The task selection panel of QuickSet
- The scope selector in Program Data
- Production Window
- Program Editor
FP SDK: TpsCtrlTitlePanel (DSE9846)
The following corrections have been made to the
ABB.Robotics.Tps.Windows.Forms.TpsCtrlTitlePanel control of the FlexPendant SDK. This
control is used within e.g. TpsForm and GTPUMasterDialog. The text of the control was truncated
inaccurately if an image wider than 16 pixels was used as its icon. An icon image larger than 16 x
16 pixels is scaled down to 16 x 16 pixels. A memory leak that occurred when the Text or Title
property of the control was set, has been removed.
Information 5.13
FP SDK: PictureBox multiple states
The design time behaviour of property AllowMultipleStates of type
ABB.Robotics.Tps.Windows.Forms.PictureBox has been corrected.
A dialog that lists its options, is now presented when the property is changed.
FP SDK: Rapid.GetRapidData
The method Rapid.GetRapidData now returns null if the requested data does not exist. This
agrees with the documentation. Previously, the method incorrectly threw a
NullReferenceException if the data did not exist.
FP SDK: SetProgramPointer(Module,row)
The method in FP SDK SetProgramPointer(Module,row) is now working according to description.
GTPUMessageBox could disable view
This information applies to the ABB.Robotics.Tps.Windows.Forms.GTPUMessageBox class
of the FlexPendant SDK.
If a view modal message box was shown while a system modal dialog was active, e.g. when
changing to auto mode or using a system modal message box, the view would be disabled
after the message box was closed. The only way to correct this was to close the view and
open it again.
This has now been corrected.
Note:
GTPUMessageBox.Show(null, ....) shows a system modal message box
GTPUMessageBox.Show(view, ....) shows a view modal message box
Conversion of VS 2005 solution to VS 2008
The post build step must be manually modified if a VS 2005 project is converted to a VS 2008
project.
Below are examples of the post build commands for a VS 2008 project. Note that the VS
2008 installation path as well as the FP SDK install location is used in the command.
5.12:
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
9/10
Author, telephone
call "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86 "C:\Program
Files\ABB Industrial IT\Robotics IT\Robot Application Builder 5.12\FlexPendant
SDK\abbct.exe " "$(TargetDir)$(TargetName).dll" 5.13:
call "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86 "C:\Program
Files\ABB Industrial IT\Robotics IT\SDK\FlexPendant SDK 5.13\abbct.exe "
"$(TargetDir)$(TargetName).dll"
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.14.02 PDD
-
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.14.01 PDD
RobotStudio installation removes 5.13 SDK files DSE10707
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.14 PDD
FP: Tasks listed in alphabetical order DSE7963
FP SDK: TpsCtrlTitlePanel DSE9846
Corrected “Product Defect Document” 5.13 PDD
ABB AB Robotics
PRU
SEROP
Title
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02
Ref
RP5.15
Department
DMRO/PRS
Date
2011-10-14
Filename
Release Notes FlexPendant SDK
5.14.02.doc
Page
10/10
Author, telephone
Known Limitations
There may be trouble debugging the first generation of FlexPendant device
( SXTPU1) with VS 2008.
When creating an FPSDK project for VB using an empty form (the default) as the
startup view, an error message may be displayed in the designer the first time the
viewer is opened. The problem does not occur when the startup type is Form, or in
C#. Work around: Close and re-open the designer
Due to a Microsoft bug the ImageList.Dispose method does not work, causing a
memory leak. Microsoft’s advice is to set the ImageList to null instead of calling
Dispose. This way the memory will correctly be reclaimed by the garbage collector.
avoid:
imageList.Dispose();
use:
imageList = null;
In FlexPendant SDK the property IsLocal on the class RapidData, returns true for
shared data, even though such data is visible from all modules.
The declarations of default zonedata and speeddata has been moved from module
BASE.SYS in each task, and are now installed as shared data.
If an application used to create a RapidData object representing for example
"v1000", the IsLocal property returned false in RobotWare 5.12, but will return true in
RobotWare 5.13."
The GUI controls introduced in FlexPendant SDK 5.12 are not documented in FlexPendant
SDK Application Manual.
Product Support
For technical support please turn to your local ABB office.
http://www.abb.com/contacts
For help, advice and the latest updates please visit the User Forum.
http://www.robotstudio.com/forum
