We have 8 UR Cobots (UR3e, UR5e, UR10e, and UR8L) with different configurations and end effectors. The upgrade from version 5.25.2 to 5.26.0 was performed without completing the final step of releasing the brakes and starting the motors.
Since then, some cobots have not been able to start normally. The following issues occur:
2022 UR3e #1: The robot stops during startup and only displays a black screen on the operator panel. We shut down the cobot by holding the On/Off button until it powers off, then unplugged it and waited a couple of minutes before attempting to start it again. The result is always the same: a black screen.
2022 UR3e #2: This robot appears to get a little further in the startup process but then stops and displays “Universal Robots 5.26” along with a percentage value. The percentage has been different on each startup attempt; it does not increase toward 100% but varies. We have left it powered on for several hours, but it does not progress any further. We shut down the cobot by holding the On/Off button until it powers off, then unplugged it and waited a couple of minutes before attempting another startup. The result is always the same, although the percentage value changes between attempts.
2021 UR10e: After countless startup attempts, it now reaches 100%, and when we proceed from the “Booting” screen, the message displayed is “No Controller.” However, it eventually continued, and we were able to power it on. After this, I tried reinstalling version 5.26 from a USB drive, but the process stopped at the “Universal Robots 5.26” screen showing 100%. It does not proceed any further, so I am unable to start the robot, must do the On/Off hard shutdown again.
My questions;
Is there a way to roll back to version 5.25.2 ( I do not have a Backup)
I would create a case with UR directly through their portal if you haven’t already. To answer number 1, yes you can rollback Polyscope versions to the version it shipped with, at the least. Unfortunately, to do so without re-imaging the SD card would require you to boot into the robot and perform the update, which seems to be an issue for some of your robots. As for number 2, that would be a question for UR. If it were me and I needed to get the robots up and running ASAP, I would be re-imaging the SD card and avoiding 5.26.0 for the time being. This is also why backups are so important, since re-imaging the SD card means losing all your programs.
You can likely pop the SD card into an SD card reader on your computer in an attempt to backup your programs. I’ve never had to resort to that method though so don’t quote me on it.
We are a school (higher vocational school) and would like the cobots to be available as soon as possible, but it is not critical. We have been in contact with the importer of UR Cobots, and they have not registered any known errors so far.
The challenge we are facing is that several robots became inaccessible after the upgrade to PolyScope 5.26.0, which makes a standard rollback procedure difficult to perform.
We understand that re-imaging the SD card may be the fastest route to recovery, but before taking that step we would like to know:
Whether there is a known issue with version 5.26.0 affecting boot-up on certain robot controllers.
Whether there is an alternative recovery procedure that would preserve installed programs and settings.
We agree that preserving backups is critical. Our immediate concern is to recover the affected robots while minimizing the risk of data loss. We will also investigate whether the SD cards can be accessed externally to secure program files before attempting any re-imaging.
I would like to provide an update on the case. We got in touch with UR and they gave us information on how to install a new Polyscope image from the SD-card.
We have reimaged both affected UR3e robots with PolyScope 5.26, and both robots started up successfully after the reinstallation. This indicates that the issue was likely related to the software image rather than a hardware fault.
We still have one UR5e robot remaining, which we plan to reimage using the same procedure. Based on the results so far, we expect that it will also return to normal operation after the image has been reinstalled.
As of now, we do see the case as solved in a positive way and I would like to thank you for your feedback. Ment a lot
Did you have any URCaps installed before update? Gripper, camera, student projects etc…?
It might still be possible to generate flight report over network connection using dashboard server command. Afterwards report could be copied over scp from /root/flightreports and shared with UR tech support.
It’s well documented interface, so any llm should be able to help.
The update was carried out by an apprentice. He performed the update without starting the robot arm and releasing the brakes. After the update, the Cobot was powered off. I assume this may have been the cause of the failure.
Our other Cobots were subsequently updated with a full startup procedure, including starting the robot arm and releasing the brakes. They have been operating normally since the updates.
Yes, we had several URCaps installed before the update:
Robotiq gripper
Remote TCP and Toolpack
Other of our Cobots have the same URCaps plus wristcam, OnRobot griper, Welding and more and they have been operating normally after the update.
Based on our experience, our main takeaway is that the update needs to be completed fully, including starting the robot arm and releasing the brakes, as mentioned in my previous reply. We believe this is important to ensure that the update is completed correctly and that the robot operates normally afterwards. For the record… It’s also mentioned in the release notes from UR, so the mistake is 100% on us.
Thank you for the information regarding the flight report. We will keep this in mind if we need to investigate the issue further.
