Setting Up the Robot System and Network for FCI

Operating the Robot

Before proceeding, review the following safety considerations:

1. Ensure the Arm is mounted on a stable base that cannot topple over, even during fast motions or abrupt stops.

2. Verify that the cable connecting Arm and Control is firmly attached on both sides.

3. Connect the external activation device to the Arm’s base and keep it accessible to stop the robot at any time.

This list is non-exhaustive. The robot manual contains a dedicated chapter on safety and is available via the Franka World Hub.

Installing the FCI Feature

To operate the robot through the Franka Control Interface, the corresponding Feature must be installed. Check Desk –> Settings –> System –> Installed Features.

If FCI is not installed, synchronize it from your Franka World account to your controller. You must have an FCI license and a registered controller in your account. Refer to the Franka World user manual for details.

Setting Up the Network

Good network performance is critical when using FCI. A direct connection between the workstation PC and Franka’s Control is recommended.

The Control and workstation must appear on the same network. For this tutorial, the following static IP addresses are used:

The Control’s address (172.16.0.2) is referred to as <fci-ip> in the following sections.

The configuration consists of two steps:

• Configuring Control’s network settings.

• Configuring your workstation’s network settings.

Control Network Configuration

Before configuring, ensure the robot is installed and tested according to the documents shipped with it.

For system version >= 5.5.0, configure Control’s network via the settings interface. You may temporarily connect through the Arm’s base port. Refer to Connecting a user interface device in the robot manual.

After applying the settings, connect the workstation LAN port to the Control unit.

Linux Workstation Network Configuration

On Ubuntu 16.04 (GUI):

1. Open the Network Connection widget, select the wired connection, and click Edit.

2. In the IPv4 settings tab, set the method to Manual and enter the values:

Hint

This disables DHCP. When no longer using FCI, revert the Method to Automatic (DHCP).

3. Save changes and reconnect. Test connectivity using Network bandwidth, delay and jitter test. Desk can now be accessed via the assigned IP in your browser.

Preparing the Robot for FCI in Desk

Ensure the robot’s brakes are unlocked and the activation device released. The robot is ready when the blue LED is active.

Activating FCI Mode

In Desk:

1. Release the robot brakes.

2. Expand the top menu and click Activate FCI.

FCI Mode in Franka Emika Robot (FER)

Once FCI mode is activated, a pop-up confirms the mode is active and Desk interactions are disabled. The pop-up must remain open while working with FCI.

FCI Mode in Franka Research 3

After activation, a pop-up appears requiring user confirmation.

Verifying the Connection

The IP of the Control’s LAN port is referred to as <fci-ip> in the following examples.

Ensure the robot is prepared for FCI usage in Desk. Run the echo_robot_state example from libfranka:

./examples/echo_robot_state <fci-ip>

The program prints the current robot state to the console. Refer to RobotState for field explanations.

{
  "O_T_EE": [0.998578,0.0328747,-0.0417381,0,0.0335224,-0.999317,0.0149157,0,-0.04122,-0.016294,
             -0.999017,0,0.305468,-0.00814133,0.483198,1],
  "O_T_EE_d": [0.998582,0.0329548,-0.041575,0,0.0336027,-0.999313,0.0149824,0,-0.0410535,
               -0.0163585,-0.999023,0,0.305444,-0.00810967,0.483251,1],
  "F_T_EE": [0.7071,-0.7071,0,0,0.7071,0.7071,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0.1034,1],
  "EE_T_K": [1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1],
  "m_ee": 0.73, "F_x_Cee": [-0.01,0,0.03], "I_ee": [0.001,0,0,0,0.0025,0,0,0,0.0017],
  ...
}