4. Communicating over cyclic protocols

Our robots can also be controlled using the following three cyclic protocols: EtherCAT, EtherNetIP, and PROFINET. These protocols are described in Section 5, Section 6, and Section 7, respectively. While inherently different, they share the same cyclic data format and API, so we will cover all common concepts in this section.

With cyclic protocols, the robot is controlled using cyclic data fields, which are detailed in this section. PLCs use these fields to activate, configure, move, and monitor the robot. The cyclic data payload format is identical across all supported protocols.

Some TCP/IP commands are not available when using cyclic protocols, such as the command SetNetworkOptions for changing network settings, or the commands for creating, modifying, and deleting offline programs.

4.1. Types of cyclic protocol commands

Cyclic data output is used to control the robot’s state, trigger actions, or send motion-related commands. Cyclic data input provides feedback from the robot such as status and joint positions.

Below, we briefly describe how our cyclic protocol API handles each type of action.

4.1.1. Status change commands

Some fields (bits) directly control the robot’s state, such as:

• PauseMotion

• ClearMotion

• SimMode

• RecoveryMode

• BrakesControl

Set these bits to change the robot’s state. The robot confirms completion via the corresponding status bit in the cyclic data input (Section 4.5.1, Section 4.5.2).

Note

Do not rely on cycle count or time delay to confirm a state change. Always check the corresponding confirmation bit (Section 4.5.1, Section 4.5.2) before assuming the robot has completed the state change.

4.1.2. Triggered actions

Some fields (bits) in the cyclic data directly trigger actions on the robot, such as:

• Activate

• Deactivate

• Home

• ResetError

• ResumeMotion

To trigger an action, set the corresponding bit to 1, and clear it (reset it to 0) only after the action is completed. Completion is confirmed by the corresponding status bit in the cyclic data input (Section 4.5.1, Section 4.5.2).

Note

Do not rely on cycle count or time delay to confirm action completion. Always check the corresponding confirmation bit (Section 4.5.1, Section 4.5.2) before assuming the robot has completed the action.

4.1.3. Motion-related commands

There are three types of motion-related commands that can be sent using cyclic protocols:

• Instantaneous commands (e.g., SetWorkZoneLimits) that are executed immediately by the robot;

• Queued commands (e.g., MoveJoints) that are queued and executed one after another;

• Velocity-mode commands (e.g., MoveJointsVel) that are executed continuously until a new command is received (or until the configured velocity timeout is reached).

The next section provides a detailed explanation of how these motion-related commands are used.

4.2. Using motion-related commands

Motion-related commands are sent to the robot via:

• three cyclic data fields, MotionCommandID, MoveID, and SetPoint (Table 5 and Table 6), and

• six command arguments (Table 7).

4.2.1. MotionCommandID

Each motion-related command has a unique ID (Table 8). Entering this ID in the MotionCommandID field specifies which command to send.

Note

The field name MotionCommandID is retained for historical reasons, although it is also used to send commands other than motion commands, such as configuration commands (e.g., SetWorkZoneLimits).

4.2.2. MoveID and SetPoint

The combination of MoveID and SetPoint fields is used to send cyclic or non-cyclic commands (Section 4.4.2):

• The SetPoint bit enables or disables command reception by the robot. When cleared, the robot ignores the MotionCommandID and MoveID fields;

• The MoveID field determines the command type: cyclic (MoveID is 0) or non-cyclic (MoveID is not 0, with a new command queued each time the MoveID value changes).

Warning

Ensure SetPoint is cleared (0) when connecting to the robot, or it may unexpectedly execute a command.

4.2.3. Sending non-cyclic commands

This section explains how to send non-cyclic commands (i.e., configuration or motion commands). For cyclic commands (i.e., velocity-mode commands), see Section 4.2.4.

Commands are sent by changing the MoveID field to a different non-zero integer (while SetPoint is set to 1).

• Configuration commands (e.g., SetWorkZoneLimits) execute immediately. The robot confirms completion by updating its MoveID field (Section 4.5.2) to match yours;

• Motion commands (e.g., MoveJoints) are added to the motion queue and processed sequentially. The robot confirms that the command was added to the queue (not yet executed) by updating its MoveID field (Section 4.5.2) to match yours.

The following sequence must be followed:

• At connection, clear both the MoveID and SetPoint fields;

• Then, to add a motion command to the robot’s motion queue:

  • Set MotionCommandID to the desired command;

  • Enter the command arguments;

  • Change MoveID to a different non-zero integer value;

  • Set SetPoint to 1.

• To stop the robot immediately, set the PauseMotion or ClearMotion bit.

Warning

The MoveID, MotionCommandID, and command arguments (Section 4.4.2) must not be changed until the robot acknowledges the previous command by returning the corresponding MoveID (Section 4.5.2).

Warning

Change the MoveID only after (or in the same cycle as) MotionCommandID and arguments, or the robot may receive a mix of old and new MotionCommandID and arguments.

4.2.4. Sending cyclic commands

Cyclic commands, i.e., velocity-mode commands (MoveJointsVel, MoveLinVelWrf, and MoveLinVelTrf), are executed continuously while MoveID is 0 and SetPoint is 1. The desired velocity can be changed at any time during this period.

The following sequence must be followed:

• At connection, clear both the MoveID and SetPoint fields;

• To start moving the robot:

  • Set MotionCommandID to the desired velocity-mode command ID;

  • Enter the six command arguments;

  • Set SetPoint to 1.

• To change the velocity, modify the six arguments. The robot will apply the new velocities on the next cycle;

• To stop the robot, reset SetPoint to 0, set all velocity arguments to zero, or set the PauseMotion or ClearMotion bit.

Warning

To change to a different velocity-mode command ID, ensure that you change MotionCommandID and all the arguments in the same cycle to prevent a command to be executed with the arguments that belongs to another command. Alternatively, you may change SetPoint to 0 before changing the command and arguments.

Warning

Using a position-mode command in cyclic mode (e.g., MoveJoints), with MoveID set to 0 and SetPoint set to 1, will quickly fill the motion queue with copies of the same command every cycle, which is certainly not the desired result.

4.3. Cyclic data format

The robot cyclic data includes output fields for sending commands and actions to the robot, as well as input fields that report the complete robot status, position, and configuration.

Section 4.4 and Section 4.5 provide the necessary details to identify each field across all supported cyclic protocols. The binary format of the cyclic data is identical for all protocols.

Protocol-specific details are provided in Section 5, Section 6, and Section 7.

You will also find standard cyclic protocol definition files in the robot firmware package:

• EtherNetIP: Meca500_vX.X.X.X.eds

• PROFINET: GSDML-V2.42-Mecademic-meca500-XXXXXXXX.xml

• EtherCAT: Meca500_EtherCAT_ESI_vX.X.X.X.xml

These files can be imported into your PLC to automatically describe the robot and populate a structure with all its cyclic fields.

4.4. Cyclic output format

The cyclic output (sent to the robot) contains fields for sending commands and actions.

The total size of the cyclic output is 60 bytes, divided into the following sections:

• Robot control: Controls the general robot state (activation, simulation mode, recovery mode, etc.);

• Motion control: Controls robot motion (pausing, resuming, sending motion commands, etc.);

• Motion-related commands: ID and arguments of the command to execute;

• Host time: Synchronizes the robot’s time with the host time;

• Brake control: Controls the robot’s brakes when deactivated;

• Dynamic data configuration: Selects which dynamic data the robot reports in its cyclic input payload.

4.4.1. Robot control

The RobotControl section in the cyclic output controls general robot states. Changes to bits in this output trigger robot actions, depending on the conditions.

Table 4 RobotControl (Offset 0, size 4, EtherCAT index 7200h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
DeactivateRobot	Bool	0:0	1	1600h:1	Deactivates the robot (see DeactivateRobot) when set to 1. Deactivation is confirmed by the Activated status bit (Section 4.5.1).
ActivateRobot	Bool	0:1	1	1600h:2	Activates the robot (see ActivateRobot) when set to 1, but only if the Deactivate bit is 0. Activation is confirmed by the Activated status bit (Section 4.5.1).
Home	Bool	0:2	1	1600h:3	Homes the robot (see Home) when set to 1 (if the robot is activated but not yet homed). Homing is confirmed by the Homed status bit (Section 4.5.1).
ResetError	Bool	0:3	1	1600h:4	Resets the error (see ResetError) when set to 1. The reset is confirmed when ErrorCode becomes 0 (Section 4.5.1).
ActivateSim	Bool	0:4	1	1600h:5	Enables (set to 1) or disables (set to 0) the default simulation mode type (only applies when the robot is deactivated and has no safety stop signal). See ActivateSim. The simulation mode status is confirmed by the SimActivated bit (Section 4.5.1). Note that the type of simulation mode (fast or normal) is not reported in cyclic protocols. Also, to change the default simulation mode type, use the TCP command SetSimModeCfg.
EnableRecoveryMode	Bool	0:5	1	1600h:6	Enables (set to 1) or disables (set to 0) recovery mode (see SetRecoveryMode). The recovery mode state is confirmed by the RecoveryMode status bit (Section 4.5.1).
DisableEtherCAT	Bool	0:6	1	1600h:7	Disables the EtherCAT protocol when set to 1.
(Reserved)		0:7	25		Reserved for future use.

4.4.2. Motion control

The MotionControl section in the cyclic output controls robot motion. Changes to bits in this output trigger robot actions, depending on the conditions.

Table 5 MotionControl (Offset 4, size 4, EtherCAT index 7310h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
MoveID	Integer	4	16	1601h:1	A user-defined number. Changing it triggers the command specified in MotionCommandID to be added to the motion queue. Reception of the command is confirmed by the MoveID status bit (Section 4.5.2). See Section 4.2 for details.
SetPoint	Bool	6:0	1	1601h:2	Must be set to 1 for commands to be sent to the robot. See Section 4.2 for details.
PauseMotion	Bool	6:1	1	1601h:3	Pauses robot motion without clearing commands in the queue (PauseMotion). Pause is confirmed by the Paused status bit (Section 4.5.2).
ClearMotion	Bool	6:2	1	1601h:4	Clears the motion queue and pauses the robot (ClearMotion). This action is confirmed by the Cleared status bit (Section 4.5.2). Once confirmed, this bit can be reset; robot motion remains paused and new commands can be added to the motion queue (but will only execute once motion is resumed). Note that as long as the ClearMotion bit is set, the robot will refuse to add any commands to the motion queue.
ResumeMotion	Bool	6:3	1	1601h:5	A rising edge (value changed from 0 to 1) resumes robot motion (ResumeMotion) if the following conditions are met: - PauseMotion and ClearMotion are cleared; - No safety stop signals are active. Resuming also clears resettable safety stops (such as P-Stop 2 or enabling device released safety stop signals). It also clears collision and work zone events. Motion resume is confirmed when the Paused status bit is cleared (Section 4.5.2).
UseVariables	Bool	6:4	1	1601h:6	When set, the robot interprets float arguments (Section 4.4.3) as the cyclic ID of variables to use as function arguments. See Managing variables with cyclic protocols for details.
(Reserved)		6:5	11		Reserved for future use. Must be 0.

4.4.3. Motion-related commands

The MotionCommand section in the cyclic output is used to specify the command to execute (Table 6) and its arguments (Table 7).

The list of valid MotionCommandID values is provided in Table 8, along with the expected arguments for each command.

Table 6 MotionCommand (Offset 8, size 4, EtherCAT index 7305h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
MotionCommandID	Integer	8	32	1602h:1	The ID of the motion-related command to execute. See Table 8 for command IDs and Using motion-related commands for more information.

Table 7 MotionCommandArgs (Offset 12, size 24, EtherCAT index 7306h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
Argument 1	Real	12	32	1602h:2	First argument of the motion-related command, if applicable.
Argument 2	Real	16	32	1602h:3	First argument of the motion-related command, if applicable.
Argument 3	Real	20	32	1602h:4	First argument of the motion-related command, if applicable.
Argument 4	Real	24	32	1602h:5	First argument of the motion-related command, if applicable.
Argument 5	Real	28	32	1602h:6	First argument of the motion-related command, if applicable.
Argument 6	Real	32	32	1602h:7	First argument of the motion-related command, if applicable.

Table 8 MotionCommandID numbers

ID	Description
0	No movement: all six arguments are ignored.
1	MoveJoints†
2	MovePose†
3	MoveLin†
4	MoveLinRelTrf†
5	MoveLinRelWrf†
6	Delay†
7	SetBlending†
8	SetJointVel†
9	SetJointAcc†
10	SetCartAngVel†
11	SetCartLinVel†
12	SetCartAcc†
13	SetTrf†
14	SetWrf†
15	SetConf
16	SetAutoConf†
17	SetCheckpoint†
18	Gripper action: argument 1 is 0 for GripperClose and 1 for GripperOpen
19	SetGripperVel†
20	SetGripperForce†
21	MoveJointsVel†
22	MoveLinVelWrf†
23	MoveLinVelTrf†
24	SetVelTimeout†
25	SetConfTurn†
26	SetAutoConfTurn†
27	SetTorqueLimits†
28	SetTorqueLimitsCfg†
29	MoveJointsRel†
30	SetValveState†
31	SetGripperRange†
32	MoveGripper†
33	SetJointVelLimit†
34	SetOutputState (Not available on this robot)
35	SetOutputState_Immediate (Not available on this robot)
36	SetIoSim (Not available on this robot)
37	VacuumGrip (Not available on this robot)
38	VacuumGrip_Immediate (Not available on this robot)
39	VacuumRelease (Not available on this robot)
40	VacuumRelease_Immediate (Not available on this robot)
41	SetVacuumThreshold (Not available on this robot)
42	SetVacuumThreshold_Immediate (Not available on this robot)
43	SetVacuumPurgeDuration (Not available on this robot)
44	SetVacuumPurgeDuration_Immediate (Not available on this robot)
45	MoveJump (Not available on this robot)
46	SetMoveJumpHeight (Not available on this robot)
47	SetMoveJumpApproachVel (Not available on this robot)
48	SetTimeScaling†
49	SetMoveMode†
50	SetMoveDurationCfg†
51	SetMoveDuration†
60	SetPayload†
100	StartProgram†
150	SetJointLimits†
151	SetJointLimitsCfg†
152	SetWorkZoneCfg†
153	SetWorkZoneLimits†
154	SetCollisionCfg†
155	SetToolSphere†
156	SetCalibrationCfg†
200	RebootRobot
1002	Clear robot homing, forcing drive reinitialization on the next activation, similar to ActivateRobot(1)
10,000 to 19,999	Set a robot variable (see Setting a variable)

^† Argument count and type match those of the related TCP/IP command. Extra arguments are ignored.

4.4.4. Host time

The HostTime section in the cyclic output synchronizes the robot’s date/time with the host’s (see SetRtc).

Table 9 HostTime (Offset 36, size 4, EtherCAT index 7400h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
HostTime	Integer	36	32	1610h:1	Current time in seconds since UNIX epoch (00:00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970). If non-zero, the robot updates its time to this value (same as SetRtc). This ensures accurate timestamps in robot logs, as the robot resets its time on reboot.`

4.4.5. Brake control

The BrakesControl section in the cyclic output controls the robot’s brakes when it is deactivated.

The robot has brakes on joints 1, 2, and 3.

The brakes behave as follows:

• Brakes disengage automatically when the robot is activated (it holds position when not moving);

• Brakes engage automatically when the robot is deactivated (including safety signals or power off);

• While deactivated, the brakes can be controlled using the fields in Table 10.

Danger

Disable brakes with caution; without brakes, all links will collapse downward. The brakes control fields will be removed in the upcoming firmware release.

Table 10 BrakesControl (Offset 40, size 4, EtherCAT index 7410h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
BrakesControlAllowed	Bool	40:0	1	1611h:1	Must be set to 1 to allow brakes control through cyclic data. This bit ensures that the brakes are not inadvertently disengaged if cyclic data sent to the robot contains all zeros.
BrakesEngaged	Bool	40:1	1	1611h:2	If set to 1, the brakes are engaged. If 0, the brakes are disengaged, and the robot may fall under the effects of gravity. This bit is ignored if the BrakesControlAllowed bit is cleared or if the robot is activated.
(Reserved)		40:2	30		Reserved for future use. Must be 0.

4.4.6. Dynamic data configuration

The DynamicDataConfiguration section in the cyclic output determines which dynamic data the robot reports in each of the 4 available dynamic-data slots in its cyclic input payload.

When a specific dynamic data type is chosen (in Table 11), the robot will return the corresponding values in Table 22, Table 23, Table 24, or Table 25.

If dynamic data type 0 (Automatic) is used, the robot cycles through available dynamic data types, reporting a different type each cycle.

See Table 12 for a list of available dynamic data types.

Note

A delay of one or two cycles may occur before a change to the requested dynamic data type takes effect.

Table 11 DynamicDataConfiguration (Offset 44, size 16, EtherCAT indices 7420h, 7421h, 7422h, 7423h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
DynamicDataTypeID 0	Integer	44:0	32	1620h:1	Dynamic data type for index #0 (see Table 12).
DynamicDataTypeID 1	Integer	48:0	32	1621h:1	Dynamic data type for index #1 (see Table 12).
DynamicDataTypeID 2	Integer	52:0	32	1622h:1	Dynamic data type for index #2 (see Table 12).
DynamicDataTypeID 3	Integer	56:0	32	1623h:1	Dynamic data type for index #3 (see Table 12).

Table 12 List of DynamicDataTypeID values

ID	Description
0	Automatic. The robot will automatically choose a dynamic data type and change it every cycle, going through all of them in around-robin manner. This is the easiest way for the host to receive all possible values periodically.
1	Firmware version (GetFwVersion). Values: [major version, minor version, patch version, build number].
2	Product type (GetProductType). Values: [product type] where 3 = Meca500 R3, 4 = Meca500 R4, 20 = MCS500 R1.
3	Serial number (GetRobotSerial). Values: [serial number as a 32 bits float, serial number as a 32 bits unsigned integer]. Please use the integer value. The float version may not properly represent large serial numbers and remains available only for backward compatibility.
4–10	Reserved.
11	Joint limits configuration (GetJointLimitsCfg). Values: [1/0].
12	Model joint limits (GetModelJointLimits), for joints 1, 2, and 3. Values: [q1,min, q2,min, q3,min, q1,max, q2,max, q3,max], in °.
13	Model joint limits (GetModelJointLimits), for joints 4, 5, and 6. Values: [q4,min, q5,min, q6,min, q4,max, q5,max, q6,max], in °.
14	Effective joint limits (GetJointLimits), for joints 1, 2, and 3. Values: [q1,min, q2,min, q3,min, q1,max, q2,max, q3,max], in °.
15	Effective joint limits (GetJointLimits), for joints 4, 5, and 6. Values: [q4,min, q5,min, q6,min, q4,max, q5,max, q6,max], in °.
17	Work zone configuration (GetWorkZoneCfg). Values: [work zone limits severity, work zone limits detection mode].
18	Work zone limits (GetWorkZoneLimits). Values: [xmin, ymin, zmin, xmax, ymax, zmax], in mm.
19	Tool sphere (GetToolSphere). Values: [x, y, z, r], in mm.
20	Conf and Conf turn (GetConf, GetConfTurn, GetAutoConf, GetAutoConfTurn). Values: [shoulder −1/1/NaN, elbow −1/1/NaN, wrist −1/1/NaN, last joint turn or NaN]. NaN indicates auto-conf or auto-conf-turn.
21	Motion queue parameters (GetBlending, GetVelTimeout). Values: [blending ratio percent, velocity timeout in seconds].
22	Motion queue velocities and accelerations (GetJointVel, GetJointAcc, GetCartLinVel, GetCartAngVel, GetCartAcc, GetJointVelLimit). Values: [joint velocity, joint acceleration, Cartesian linear velocity, Cartesian angular velocity, Cartesian acceleration, joint velocity limit], in percent.
23	Gripper parameters (GetGripperForce, GetGripperVel, GetGripperRange). Values: [gripper force, gripper velocity, fingers opening corresponding to closed state, fingers opening corresponding to open state]. Arguments 1 and 2 are in percentage, while arguments 3 and 4 are in mm.
24	Torque limits configuration (GetTorqueLimitsCfg). Values: [severity, detection mode].
25	Torque limits (GetTorqueLimits). Values: [motor 1 limit, motor 2 limit, …], in percent.
26	Vacuum configuration (GetVacuumThreshold, GetVacuumPurgeDuration). Values: [holdThreshold, releaseThreshold, purgeDuration]. Arguments 1 and 2 are in kPa, argument 3 is in seconds.
27	Move jump height (Not available on this robot).
28	Move jump approach velocity (Not available on this robot).
29	Move mode configuration (GetMoveMode, GetMoveDurationCfg, GetMoveDuration). Values: [move mode, severity, duration].
30	Robot calibration status (GetCalibrationCfg, GetRobotCalibrated). Values: [calibrationEnabled, calibrated].
31	Robot payload (GetPayload). Values: [m, cx, cy, cz], in kg or mm.
32	Target real-time joint velocity (GetRtTargetJointVel). Values: [ω1, ω2, …], in °/s.
33	Target real-time joint torque (GetRtTargetJointTorq). Values: [motor 1 torque, motor 2 torque, …], in percent.
34	Target real-time Cartesian velocity (GetRtTargetCartVel). Values: [ẋ, ẏ, ż, ωx, ωy, ωz], in mm/s or °/s.
36	Collision configuration (GetCollisionCfg). Values: [collision severity level].
37	Collision status (GetCollisionStatus). Values: [collision boolean state, group of colliding object 1, ID of colliding object 1, group of colliding object 2, ID of colliding object 2].
38	Work zone status (GetWorkZoneStatus). Values: [work zone breach Boolean state, group of object in breach, ID of object in breach].
40	Actual joint position (GetRtJointPos). Values: [q1, q2, q3, …]. Unit is °.
41	Actual end-effector pose ( GetRtCartPos). Values: [x, y, z, α, β, γ]. Units are mm or °.
42	Actual joint velocity (GetRtJointVel). Values: [ω1, ω2, …], in °/s.
43	Actual joint torque (GetRtJointTorq). Values: [joint 1 torque, joint 2 torque, …], in percent.
44	Actual Cartesian velocity (GetRtCartVel). Values: [ẋ, ẏ, ż, ωx, ωy, ωz], in mm/s or °/s.
45	Actual conf and conf turn (GetRtConf, GetRtConfTurn). Values: [shoulder −1/0/1, elbow −1/0/1, wrist −1/0/1, last joint turn].
46	Accelerometer (GetRtAccelerometer). Values: [ax, ay, az], in 1/16,000 of G.
52	External tool status (GetRtExtToolStatus). Values: [type, homing done, error state, overheated].
53	EOAT status. In the case of a MEGP25* gripper: GetRtGripperState, GetRtGripperForce, and GetRtGripperPos. Values: [holding part, desired fingers opening reached, gripper closed, gripper open, gripper force, fingers opening]. In the case of the MPM500 pneumatic module: GetRtValveState. Values: [valve 1 state, valve 2 state].
54	Time scaling (GetTimeScaling). Values: [p], in percent.
55	Not available on this robot.
56	Not available on this robot.
61	Configured joint limits (GetJointLimits), for joints 1, 2, and 3 (ignored if joint limits are disabled). Values: [q1,min, q2,min, q3,min, q1,max, q2,max, q3,max], in °.
62	Configured joint limits (GetJointLimits), for joints 4, 5, and 6 (ignored if joint limits are disabled). Values: [q4,min, q5,min, q6,min, q4,max, q5,max, q6,max], in °.
72	Not available on this robot.
73	Not available on this robot.
10,000 to 19,999	A DynamicDataTypeID in the range 10,000 to 19,999 reports the values (up to six floats) of the robot variable whose cyclic ID matches this DynamicDataTypeID. See Variable management commands (beta) for details on assigning a cyclic ID to a variable.

Note

Each DynamicDataTypeID returns six values as defined in Section 4.5.10. Unused values are set to 0. For example, ID 19 provides four meaningful values, and the last two are 0.

Note

No dynamic data IDs are defined for information that is already available in other cyclic data fields, such as Target joint set, Target end-effector pose, Target configuration, Target WRF, etc. See Cyclic input format for details.

4.5. Cyclic input format

The cyclic input (received from the robot) provides the complete status, position, and configuration of the robot.

The total size of the cyclic input is 252 bytes, divided into the following sections:

• Robot status: General robot state (e.g., activation, simulation mode, recovery mode, etc.);

• Motion status: Robot motion status (e.g., paused state, motion queue status, and other motion-related conditions);

• Target joint set: Real-time calculated joint positions (GetRtTargetJointPos);

• Target end-effector pose: Real-time calculated Cartesian position (GetRtTargetCartPos);

• Target configuration: Real-time calculated shoulder, elbow, wrist, and turn configuration (GetRtTargetConf and GetRtTargetConfTurn);

• Target WRF: World Reference Frame used in the real-time calculated position (GetRtWrf, GetWrf);

• Target TRF: Tool Reference Frame used in the real-time calculated position (GetRtTrf, GetTrf);

• Robot timestamp: Precise monotonic robot timestamp associated with this cyclic data (GetRtc);

• Safety status: Safety-related information (e.g., safety signals, power supply states, operating mode);

• Dynamic data: Additional robot information not included in the above; contents may vary.

4.5.1. Robot status

The RobotStatus section in the cyclic input reports the general robot state (similar to GetStatusRobot).

Table 13 RobotStatus (Offset 0, size 4, EtherCAT index 6010h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
Busy	Bool	0:0	1	1A00h:2	True only while the robot is being activated, homed, or deactivated.
Activated	Bool	0:1	1	1A00h:3	Indicates whether the motors are on (powered).
Homed	Bool	0:2	1	1A00h:4	Indicates whether the robot is homed and ready to receive motion commands.
SimActivated	Bool	0:3	1	1A00h:5	Indicates whether the robot simulation mode is activated.
BrakesEngaged	Bool	0:4	1	1A00h:6	Indicates whether the brakes are engaged.
RecoveryMode	Bool	0:5	1	1A00h:7	Indicates whether the robot recovery mode is activated.
EStop (deprecated)	Bool	0:6	1	1A00h:8	Indicates whether the emergency stop safety signal is activated. Deprecated; use EStop bit from SafetyStatus instead.
CollisionStatus	Bool	0:7	1	1A00h:9	Indicates whether the robot has detected an imminent collision (SetCollisionCfg).
WorkZoneStatus	Bool	1:0	1	1A00h:10	Indicates whether the robot has detected a work zone breach (SetWorkZoneCfg, SetWorkZoneLimits).
MonitoringMode	Bool	1:1	1	1A00h:11	1 if this connection with the robot only allows monitoring, not controlling.
(Reserved)		1:2	6		Reserved for future use.
ErrorCode	Integer	2	16	1A00h:1	Indicates the error code (see Table 1 and Table 3) or 0, if there is no error.

4.5.2. Motion status

The MotionStatus section in the cyclic input reports the robot’s motion status (similar to GetStatusRobot).

Table 14 MotionStatus (Offset 4, size 12, EtherCAT index 6015h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
CheckpointReached	Integer	4	16	1A01h:1	Indicates the last checkpoint number reached (GetCheckpoint). The value remains the same until another checkpoint is reached.
CheckpointDiscarded	Integer	6	16	1A01h:2	Indicates the last checkpoint number discarded (GetCheckpointDiscarded). The value remains unchanged until another checkpoint is discarded.
MoveID	Integer	8	16	1A01h:3	Acknowledges the MoveID of the last command the robot received (Motion control). For details, refer to Using motion-related commands.
FifoSpace	Integer	10	16	1A01h:4	The number of commands that can be added to the robot’s motion queue at any time (the maximum is 13,000). If 0 (too many commands sent), subsequent commands will be ignored.
Paused	Bool	12:0	1	1A01h:6	Indicates whether motion is paused. This bit stays set (and the robot remains paused) until motion is resumed with Motion control bit ResumeMotion.
EOB	Bool	12:1	1	1A01h:7	The End of Block (EOB) bit is set when the robot is not moving and there are no motion commands left in the queue. Note that the EOB bit may occasionally be set before all commands are completed due to network or processing delays. Therefore, don’t rely on this flag to determine when all movements have finished. Use a checkpoint instead (SetCheckpoint).
EOM	Bool	12:2	1	1A01h:8	The End of Motion (EOM) bit is set when the robot is not moving. Note that the EOM bit may occasionally be set between two consecutive motion commands. Therefore, do not rely on this flag to determine when all movements have finished. Use a checkpoint instead (SetCheckpoint).
Cleared	Bool	12:3	1	1A01h:9	Indicates whether the motion queue is cleared. When set, the robot is not moving and resuming motion will not execute any pending command. This bit resets when new commands are added to the motion queue or when motion is resumed (using the Motion control bit ResumeMotion). Note that this bit remains set (and no commands can be added to the motion queue) under the following conditions: (1) the robot is deactivated, (2) the cyclic bit ClearMotion is set (Motion control), (3) the robot is in an error state, (4) a P-Stop safety signal is present and configured to clear motion (SetPStop2Cfg).
PStop2 (deprecated)	Bool	12:4	1	1A01h:10	Indicates whether the SWStop safety signal is set. Deprecated; use the PStop2 bit from SafetyStatus instead.
ExcessiveTorque	Bool	12:5	1	1A01h:11	Indicates whether a joint torque is exceeding the corresponding user-defined torque limit (SetTorqueLimits, GetTorqueLimitsStatus).
(Reserved)		12:6	10		Reserved for future use.
OfflineProgramID	Integer	14	16	1A01h:5	ID of the offline program currently running; 0 if none (StartProgram).

4.5.3. Target joint set

The TargetJointSet section in the cyclic input reports the robot’s real-time calculated joint position (similar to GetRtTargetJointPos).

Table 15 TargetJointSet (Offset 16, size 24, EtherCAT index 6030h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
Joint 1	Real	16	32	1A02h:1	Real-time calculated target position for joint 1, in °.
Joint 2	Real	20	32	1A02h:2	Real-time calculated target position for joint 2, in °.
Joint 3	Real	24	32	1A02h:3	Real-time calculated target position for joint 3, in °.
Joint 4	Real	28	32	1A02h:4	Real-time calculated target position for joint 4, in °.
Joint 5	Real	32	32	1A02h:5	Real-time calculated target position for joint 5, in °.
Joint 6	Real	36	32	1A02h:6	Real-time calculated target position for joint 6, in °.

4.5.4. Target end-effector pose

The TargetEndEffectorPose section in the cyclic input reports the robot’s real-time calculated Cartesian position of the origin of the TRF with respect to the WRF (similar to GetRtTargetCartPos).

Table 16 TargetEndEffectorPose (Offset 40, size 24, EtherCAT index 6031h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
X coordinate	Real	40	32	1A03h:1	X coordinate of the origin of the TRF with respect to the WRF, in mm.
Y coordinate	Real	44	32	1A03h:2	Y coordinate of the origin of the TRF with respect to the WRF, in mm.
Z coordinate	Real	48	32	1A03h:3	Z coordinate of the origin of the TRF with respect to the WRF, in mm.
α angle	Real	52	32	1A03h:4	α Euler angle representing the orientation of the TRF with respect to the WRF, in °.
β angle	Real	56	32	1A03h:5	β Euler angle representing the orientation of the TRF with respect to the WRF, in °.
γ angle	Real	60	32	1A03h:6	γ Euler angle representing the orientation of the TRF with respect to the WRF, in °.

4.5.5. Target configuration

The TargetConfiguration section in the cyclic input reports robot real-time posture and turn configurations that correspond to the calculated joint set (GetRtTargetConf, GetRtTargetConfTurn). For more details, see Section 2.2.1.

Table 17 TargetConfiguration (Offset 64, size 4, EtherCAT index 6046h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
Shoulder	Integer	64	8	1A08h:1	Real-time shoulder posture configuration corresponding to the calculated joint position. The value is typically −1 or 1 but may also be 0 when the robot is near the shoulder singularity. See Section 2.2.1.
Elbow	Integer	65	8	1A08h:2	Real-time elbow posture configuration corresponding to the calculated joint position. The value is typically −1 or 1 but may also be 0 when the robot is near the elbow singularity. See Section 2.2.1.
Wrist	Integer	66	8	1A08h:3	Real-time wrist posture configuration corresponding to the calculated joint position. The value is typically −1 or 1 but may also be 0 when the robot is near the wrist singularity. See Section 2.2.1.
Turn	Integer	67	8	1A08h:4	Real-time turn configuration for the last joint. See Section 2.2.1.

4.5.6. Target WRF

The TargetWrf section in the cyclic input reports the WRF (with respect of the BRF) used for reporting the current end-effector pose (Target end-effector pose), similar to the GetRtWrf and GetWrf command.

Table 18 TargetWrf (Offset 68, size 24, EtherCAT index 6050h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
X coordinate	Real	68	32	1A09h:1	X coordinate of the origin of the WRF with respect to the BRF, in mm.
Y coordinate	Real	72	32	1A09h:2	Y coordinate of the origin of the WRF with respect to the BRF, in mm.
Z coordinate	Real	76	32	1A09h:3	Z coordinate of the origin of the WRF with respect to the BRF, in mm.
α angle	Real	80	32	1A09h:4	α Euler angle representing the orientation of the WRF with respect to the BRF, in °.
β angle	Real	84	32	1A09h:5	β Euler angle representing the orientation of the WRF with respect to the BRF, in °.
γ angle	Real	88	32	1A09h:6	γ Euler angle representing the orientation of the WRF with respect to the BRF, in °.

4.5.7. Target TRF

The TargetTrf section in the cyclic input reports the TRF (with respect of the FRF) used for reporting the current end-effector pose (Target end-effector pose), similar to the GetRtTrf and GetTrf commands.

Table 19 TargetTRF (Offset 92, size 24, EtherCAT index 6051h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
X coordinate	Real	92	32	1A0Ah:1	X coordinate of the origin of the TRF with respect to the FRF, in mm.
Y coordinate	Real	96	32	1A0Ah:2	Y coordinate of the origin of the TRF with respect to the FRF, in mm.
Z coordinate	Real	100	32	1A0Ah:3	Z coordinate of the origin of the TRF with respect to the FRF, in mm.
α angle	Real	104	32	1A0Ah:4	α Euler angle representing the orientation of the TRF with respect to the FRF, in °.
β angle	Real	108	32	1A0Ah:5	β Euler angle representing the orientation of the TRF with respect to the FRF, in °.
γ angle	Real	112	32	1A0Ah:6	γ Euler angle representing the orientation of the TRF with respect to the FRF, in °.

4.5.8. Robot timestamp

The RobotTimestamp section in the cyclic input reports a precise, monotonic robot timestamp associated with the cyclic data (similar to the command GetRtc).

Table 20 RobotTimestamp (Offset 116, size 12, EtherCAT index 6060h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
Seconds	Integer	116	32	1A10h:1	Robot’s monotonic timestamp in seconds, based on an arbitrary reference.
Microseconds	Integer	120	32	1A10h:2	Robot’s monotonic timestamp in microseconds, within the current second.
DynamicDataCycles	Integer	124	32	1A10h:3	Incremented each time the robot cycles through all available dynamic data to report. Applies only if at least one dynamic data slot (Table 11) is configured with ID 0 (Automatic).

4.5.9. Safety status

The SafetyStatus section in the cyclic input reports safety-related information (safety signals, power supply input states, operating mode, etc.). See Management of errors and safety stops.

Table 21 SafetyStatus (Offset 128, size 12, EtherCAT index 6065h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
EStop	Bool	128:0	1	1A11h:1	E-Stop safety stop signal state†
PStop1	Bool	128:1	1	1A11h:2	Not supported on the Meca500
PStop2	Bool	128:2	1	1A11h:3	P-Stop 2 safety stop signal state†
(Reserved)		128:3	1		Reserved for future use.
OperationModeChange	Bool	128:4	1	1A11h:5	Not supported on the Meca500
EnablingDeviceReleased	Bool	128:5	1	1A11h:6	Not supported on the Meca500
VoltageFluctuation	Bool	128:6	1	1A11h:7	Not supported on the Meca500
Reboot	Bool	128:7	1	1A11h:8	Not supported on the Meca500
RedundancyFault	Bool	129:0	1	1A11h:9	Not supported on the Meca500
StandstillFault	Bool	129:1	1	1A11h:10	Not supported on the Meca500
ConnectionDropped	Bool	129:2	1	1A11h:11	TCP/IP connection dropped safety stop signal state†
MinorError	Bool	129:3	1	1A11h:12	Not supported on the Meca500
(Reserved)		129:4	20		Reserved for future use.
EStopResettable	Bool	132:0	1	1A11h:33	(Only on Meca500 R4) E-Stop safety stop signal ready to be reset (Reset button)
PStop1Resettable	Bool	132:1	1	1A11h:34	Not supported on the Meca500
PStop2Resettable	Bool	132:2	1	1A11h:35	P-Stop 2 safety stop signal ready to be reset (with ResumeMotion)
(Reserved)		132:3	1		Reserved for future use.
OperationModeChangeResettable	Bool	132:4	1	1A11h:37	Not supported on the Meca500
EnablingDeviceReleasedResettable	Bool	132:5	1	1A11h:38	Not supported on the Meca500
VoltageFluctuationResettable	Bool	132:6	1	1A11h:39	Not supported on the Meca500
RebootResettable	Bool	132:7	1	1A11h:40	Not supported on the Meca500
RedundancyFaultResettable	Bool	133:0	1	1A11h:41	Always 0. A redundancy fault requires rebooting the robot; it cannot be reset.
StandstillFaultResettable	Bool	133:1	1	1A11h:42	Not supported on the Meca500
ConnectionDroppedResettable	Bool	133:2	1	1A11h:43	Connection dropped safety stop signal ready to be reset (with ResumeMotion)
MinorErrorResettable	Bool	133:3	1	1A11h:44	Not supported on the Meca500
(Reserved)		133:4	20		Reserved for future use.
OperationMode	Integer	136	8	1A11h:65	Not supported on the Meca500
ResetReady	Bool	137:0	1	1A11h:66	(Only on Meca500 R4) If no more safety signals causing motor power to be removed are present, and the robot is ready to be reset with the Reset button
VMotorOn	Bool	137:1	1	1A11h:67	Robot motors powered or not
(Reserved)		137:2	6		Reserved for future use
PsuInputs_Estop	Bool	138:0	1	1A11h:74	Not supported on the Meca500
PsuInputs_PStop1	Bool	138:1	1	1A11h:75	Not supported on the Meca500
PsuInputs_PStop2	Bool	138:2	1	1A11h:76	Not supported on the Meca500
PsuInputs_ResetExt	Bool	138:3	1	1A11h:77	Not supported on the Meca500
PsuInputs_ResetKeypad	Bool	138:4	1	1A11h:78	Not supported on the Meca500
PsuInputs_EnablingDevice	Bool	138:5	1	1A11h:79	Not supported on the Meca500
(Reserved)		138:6	10		Reserved for future use.

^† 1 when safety signal is present or resettable, 0 when safety signal has been successfully reset

4.5.10. Dynamic data

The DynamicData section in the cyclic input reports additional robot information that is not covered by other cyclic input fields.

The contents of each dynamic data slot are controlled by Table 11. Slots can be set to a specific dynamic data type (Table 12) or configured in Automatic mode. In Automatic mode, the robot cycles through all available dynamic data types every cycle, prioritizing types whose values have changed. As a result, all data changes are generally reported within a few cycles (typically ~3–5, although it can take longer if many data points change at once).

Table 22 DynamicData0 (Offset 140, size 28, EtherCAT index 6070h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
DynamicType	Integer	140	32	1A20h:1	Dynamic data type (see Table 12 for available values).
ValueIdx_0	Real	144	32	1A20h:2	Value index 0 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_1	Real	148	32	1A20h:3	Value index 1 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_2	Real	152	32	1A20h:4	Value index 2 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_3	Real	156	32	1A20h:5	Value index 3 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_4	Real	160	32	1A20h:6	Value index 4 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_5	Real	164	32	1A20h:7	Value index 5 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).

Table 23 DynamicData1 (Offset 168, size 28, EtherCAT index 6071h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
DynamicType	Integer	168	32	1A21h:1	Dynamic data type (see Table 12 for available values).
ValueIdx_0	Real	172	32	1A21h:2	Value index 0 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_1	Real	176	32	1A21h:3	Value index 1 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_2	Real	180	32	1A21h:4	Value index 2 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_3	Real	184	32	1A21h:5	Value index 3 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_4	Real	188	32	1A21h:6	Value index 4 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_5	Real	192	32	1A21h:7	Value index 5 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).

Table 24 DynamicData2 (Offset 196, size 28, EtherCAT index 6072h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
DynamicType	Integer	196	32	1A22h:1	Dynamic data type (see Table 12 for available values).
ValueIdx_0	Real	200	32	1A22h:2	Value index 0 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_1	Real	204	32	1A22h:3	Value index 1 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_2	Real	208	32	1A22h:4	Value index 2 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_3	Real	212	32	1A22h:5	Value index 3 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_4	Real	216	32	1A22h:6	Value index 4 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_5	Real	220	32	1A22h:7	Value index 5 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).

Table 25 DynamicData3 (Offset 224, size 28, EtherCAT index 6073h)

Field	Type	Offset	Size (bits)	ECAT PDO	Description
DynamicType	Integer	224	32	1A23h:1	Dynamic data type (see Table 12 for available values).
ValueIdx_0	Real	228	32	1A23h:2	Value index 0 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_1	Real	232	32	1A23h:3	Value index 1 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_2	Real	236	32	1A23h:4	Value index 2 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_3	Real	240	32	1A23h:5	Value index 3 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_4	Real	244	32	1A23h:6	Value index 4 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).
ValueIdx_5	Real	248	32	1A23h:7	Value index 5 (the meaning depends on the DynamicType, see Table 12).