Patent ID: 8022655

Claim:
A robot controller, comprising: a control unit for controlling at least one robot and a portable operating device, called hereafter a TPU, for teaching and manually operating the robot, which TPU comprises a safety equipment, a safety TPU-part having a first communication unit for transmitting communication data and a main TPU-part having a second communication unit for transmitting and receiving communication data, the control unit comprises a safety control part having a third communication unit for receiving communication data and a main control part having a forth communication unit for transmitting and receiving communication data, the first and third communication units are arranged such that they form a first communication channel for transferring communication data including information regarding the status of safety equipment from the TPU to the control unit, the second and fourth communication units are arranged such that they form a second communication channel for transferring general communication data between the TPU and the control unit, wherein each of the main TPU-part, the safety TPU-part, the main control part, and the safety control part comprises a central processing unit adapted to generate and/or handle said communication data, each of the communication units are connected to a network, and each of the communication units forms a node in the network.