Command Slave 2.0 Overview

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• How does command slave work?
• Benefits of using Command Slave (Rockwell AOI 2.0 specific)

Flexibility of doing robot motion from a ladder logic environment. This feature is available for the RC8/RC8A Controller

How does command slave work? This function is to control robots with a PLC programming language by connecting a PLC and an RC8 Series robot controller through a high-speed field network. Main supported brands are Rockwell AOI (Ethernet/IP), Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 via ProfiNET, and CODESYS via EtherCAT.

Benefits of using Command Slave (Rockwell AOI 2.0 specific)

1. All programming can be done from Studio 5000 so strong pacscript programming knowledge isn’t required
2. Most commonly used functions for RC8 are available through AOI function blocks.
3. Helps Denso utilize some of Rockwell’s distribution chain
4. Easy setup and integration with Denso robots
5. Less robot CPU usage when running TSR programs
6. Can control multiple robots with a single PLC 

Things to consider before starting using this feature.

1. Not all commands are available via Command Slave.
2. Your overall code may be longer since programming out of the controller adds overhead to manage communication.
3. Due to the nature of how ladder programs execute it could be harder to troubleshoot motion programs.

How to get started?

• Introduction to Rockwell Command Slave AOI 2.0
• Command Slave AOI Usage
• Command Slave Setup
• Importing the AOI Library File