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Connectivity

For RobCo to access a Control Unit remotely, the Control Unit must be online (connected to the internet). There are four ways to establish this connection; methods 1 and 2 are recommended.

Identifying a V2 vs. V3 Control Unit​

  • V2 Control Unit: has a toggle switch (on/off) that you flip.
  • V3 Control Unit: has a rotary switch that you turn.

Methods to bring the Control Unit online​

Method 1: Mobile / LTE (recommended)​

  • V2 Control Unit: connect the LTE module (small gray box) to the Control Unit via USB.
  • V3 Control Unit: built-in LTE module with an internal antenna. On newer Control Units, an external LTE antenna can additionally be connected via an SMA cable.
note

The Control Unit can connect to any mobile network. The LTE connection is established on startup, so the Control Unit may have to be restarted after connecting an external modem (V2).

The mobile connection is used for maintenance, telemetry, and cloud-based software updates. It runs on a WhereverSIM data plan. To see which mobile networks are available in your country, check the provider's coverage map:

WhereverSIM coverage map (Data Plus)

Mobile connectivity can be disabled if needed. See also LTE in the Robot manual.

Method 2: Company network via Ethernet-to-USB adapter (recommended)​

  • Connect an Ethernet-to-USB adapter to the Control Unit's USB port and link it to the company network. External USB network adapters are automatically configured in DHCP client mode and obtain an IP address from the company network.
  • Make sure no firewall or similar is blocking the connection (see Network access).

Method 3: Company network via the Peripheral Port​

  • Connect a network cable to the Control Unit's Peripheral Port and link it to the company network.
  • In the RobFlow Configurations, enable DHCP so the Control Unit automatically obtains an IP address from the company network.
  • Here too, mind the firewall access requirements (see Network access).

Method 4: USB tethering via a smartphone​

  • Connect a smartphone (iPhone or Android) to the Control Unit via USB using a suitable cable and enable USB tethering on the phone.
  • About the cable: it must be a data cable, not a charge-only cable; otherwise no data connection is established. The connector on the phone side must match the device (USB-C for Android and newer iPhones, Lightning for older iPhones); the other end fits the Control Unit's USB port.

Network access (methods 2 and 3)​

When the Control Unit is connected through the company network, the IT department must allow the Control Unit's communication. On request, RobCo provides an overview of the required access rules, i.e. the server addresses to be reached (DNS) as well as the required inbound and outbound connections that need to be allowed in the firewall.

Checking the online status​

  • RobFlow (from V7): an indicator in the status bar.
  • RobCo Studio: the status is shown there; it can take a few minutes until it updates.
note

On software versions prior to RobFlow V6, the Control Unit may need to be restarted so that it connects to the new source.