Acquire Image Tool Properties Conceptual Overview The process manager is an application development module within ACE. The goal is to allow for the development of packaging applications. The term “Packaging” represents a class of applications that involve belt tracking of product which is being processed by multiple robots spread along a conveyor. These robots must coordinate their actions and ensure that the finished product is adequately handled. The classic example is multiple robots placing chocolates into boxes of candy. These robots must coordinate their actions and ensure that all boxes of chocolates have all slots filled by the time the last robot is done with a given box.
In this application domain, multiple robots may be capable of processing the same part, with or without additional rules and restrictions. Additionally, robots are capable of performing multiple tasks. Lastly, multiple instances of a given product must be tracked simultaneously. These kinds of applications focus heavily on the aspect of synchronizing multiple robots where a given robot’s current behavior is selected based on availability of product. Because of the robot synchronization requirement and the fact that multiple instances of product must be tracked across multiple robot domains, these applications need to be built from a “top down” approach.
These applications start with the definition of “parts” and “targets”. Then the user describes which robots can do with parts and targets. The concepts of the locations, paths, IO are all derived from the top down approach. Top Down Approach: An Application Framework In order to correctly synchronize instances between multiple robots and controllers, the software takes a "top down" approach to defining the application. Since there is a lot of infrastructure required to track and synchronize instance information, the process manager provides a large amount of pre-packaged software and behaviors. Many of the default software behaviors can be customized.
Assuming you have a workspace that contains a controller and a robot object, an application starts with the definition of a part that needs to be picked and a belt object the part may be presented on: Once the part is created, the target where the part will be placed must likewise be defined: ACE Reference Guide, 18317-000 Rev A Page 667