Hello all! I am running a 6502 microprocessor controlling a Rhino XR-3 MarkIII controller. I am wondering how to go about interfacing the Robot using assembly/ machine language? Right now I am using RoboTalk to control the robot. Also, how would I find out how RoboTalk is controlling the robot. What I would like to do is have LabView control the robot but I'm not sure how. Please Help.

This robot controller seems to be in production right now. Does its command language or operating system offer a way to enter and run assembly (or even machine)-language routines? If not, and assuming it has the operating system in (E)EPROM in a socket, it would be pretty easy to change out; but re-creating the routines for the 8-axis control may turn into a lot of work. I doubt that Rhino is going to be anxious to give you their source code.

You might as well see what support they'll give; but in situations like this we all need to remember that my project is not their project. They're usually there to make money, and if we take more of their time and require more support than their pricing allowed for, they might pull even what support they were already offering.

I would have questions organized and ready before contacting them, along with "if--then" senarios about answers so as not to keep them waiting while you decide what to do with an answer that's not your favorite. Ask if there are third-party vendors who could help, or any user groups or internet resources where you can find out what you need without bothering Rhino too much. Feel them out for helpfulness and don't make them wish they hadn't sold you the unit. That of course goes for WDC, CMD, or any other company as well. As kind of an "interest group", it's in our best interest not to make companies sorry they made and sold a 6502-based product.

Hopefully few on this forum need this business advice; but I offer it because there have been times that our own company has lost a lot of money on customers who didn't realize (or didn't care) what they were costing us in unplanned levels of support. Our profit from selling the product was lost several times in the effort to help them get going with what turned out to be a very off-the-wall setup. It makes us reluctant to sell to customers whom we suspect may do this to us again. In my less experienced years, I know I caused other companies some consternation like this myself.

If you can come up with more specific questions, there are several knowledgeable people in this forum who will be pleased to help.

_________________
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>Hello all! I am running a 6502 microprocessor controlling a Rhino XR-3 MarkIII controller. I am wondering how to go about interfacing the Robot using assembly/ machine language? Right now I am using RoboTalk to control the robot. Also, how would I find out how RoboTalk is controlling the robot. What I would like to do is have LabView control the robot but I'm not sure how. Please Help.

Since I don't believe the information was published about the
internals of the MARK III controller (memory map, I/O ports, etc.)
about the only way to go about it would be to disassemble the ROM
and figure out the architecture of the system. From there you could
write your own assembly code and burn it in a new ROM. The main
thing you will have to watch out for is that you will have total
control of the robots motors and could easily damage the robot if you
don't follow similar movement procedures as the original ROM. The
existing code should handle all the initialzation of the arm as well
as add some safeguards to prevent damage. This is common on several
other robots where it will either stop moving an axis or move another
axis as well to prevent binding.

The best thing you might want to do is snoop on the Serial line as
you send RoboTalk commands to it. Write down what each code does
and then you could write your own program on the PC to send out
whatever codes you need. I have never seen Labview so I don't know
if that could do it.

Good luck,

Robert