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EtherCAT / InTime Cable Fault — CS8 and Node A Lights Missing

Summary

If a standard Bolt will not engage and the EtherCAT / InTime card lights are wrong, check Node A and the RJ45 EtherCAT cable between the Flair PC and CS8. In the resolved case, restarting Node A plus replacing the white RJ45 cable restored the expected two steady green lights and one blinking light.

Symptoms

  • Robot disengages and then will not engage again.
  • Flair struggles to start or shows InTime console errors.
  • CS8 / PC EtherCAT lights are not the expected pattern.
  • Only one light is visible where two steady green lights plus one blinking light are expected.

Community Solution

[CONFIRMED] Start / restart Node A, then replace the RJ45 cable if lights stay wrong

2023-03-16 — João Varela / Timothy Heys Cerchio

  1. Close Flair.
  2. Check the InTime tray icon.
  3. Start or restart Node A before running Flair.
  4. Check for expected lights:
  5. two steady green lights on Run and Sys on the back of the PC
  6. matching green lights on the back of the CS8
  7. If Node A will not produce the correct lights, replace the RJ45 cable between the Flair PC and CS8.
  8. Restart Node A again and verify lights before reopening Flair.

The reporter confirmed: "Restarted it and with this cable it allowed the cs8 to have both lights."

confidence_score: 0.92

Notes

This thread also checked J113 bypass and Staubli mode selector wiring, but the resolved cause was explicitly summarised as "Ethercat + Intime networking issue. Connection between Flair PC and Staubli CS8 controller."

Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable. Searchable terms: Node A; Intime not running; CS8 no green lights; two steady green lights one blinking; white RJ45 cable; EtherCAT cable. Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable. Searchable terms: Node A; Intime not running; CS8 no green lights; two steady green lights one blinking; white RJ45 cable; EtherCAT cable. Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable. Searchable terms: Node A; Intime not running; CS8 no green lights; two steady green lights one blinking; white RJ45 cable; EtherCAT cable.

Media Text / Description

  • Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable.
  • Media 1: Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable. Searchable terms: Node A; Intime not running; CS8 no green lights; two steady green lights one blinking; white RJ45 cable; EtherCAT cable.
  • Media 2: Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable. Searchable terms: Node A; Intime not running; CS8 no green lights; two steady green lights one blinking; white RJ45 cable; EtherCAT cable.
  • Media 3: Image description: EtherCAT / InTime hardware photos showing missing or incorrect CS8 and PC card lights; resolved by starting/restarting Node A and replacing the RJ45 EtherCAT cable. Searchable terms: Node A; Intime not running; CS8 no green lights; two steady green lights one blinking; white RJ45 cable; EtherCAT cable.

WhatsApp Excerpts

[16/3/2023, 1:58:57 am] ~ João Varela: Hi guys! Can you help me with this issue? Happened the same thing as Monday, the robot disengaged and didn’t engage when told. Reseted the computer, then this message appears when I try to engage

[16/3/2023, 2:02:48 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: Bolt or JR+?

[16/3/2023, 2:03:30 am] ~ João Varela: Bolt (big one)

[16/3/2023, 2:05:01 am] ~ João Varela: Just restarted the computer and gave me the same message. Probably I’ll switch everything off and on?

[16/3/2023, 2:05:24 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: Are you using the Staubli E-Stop too or the little bypass plug on CS8?

[16/3/2023, 2:06:33 am] ~ João Varela: What I have on the cs8

[16/3/2023, 2:06:42 am] ~ João Varela: And on the rt

[16/3/2023, 2:06:50 am] ~ João Varela:

[16/3/2023, 2:07:30 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: Ok. Looks good.

[16/3/2023, 2:09:15 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: Are you waiting for the CS8 to do full Booting before starting Flair? Ether-cat lights on back of CS8 are hidden from picture...

[16/3/2023, 2:09:31 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: Intime card lights?

[16/3/2023, 2:09:47 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: From back of PC too please

[16/3/2023, 2:10:19 am] ~ João Varela: Sorry! Just turned it off will send picture of everything as soon as possible

[16/3/2023, 2:10:30 am] Gordon Eschke: Is your Staubli mode selector properly connected and switched correctly?

[16/3/2023, 2:10:33 am] ~ João Varela: Full booting, yes

[16/3/2023, 2:11:26 am] ~ João Varela: I think so. Didn’t change a thing and the robot was on 5 minutes earlier…

[16/3/2023, 2:12:03 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: He has bypass jumper on J133...

[16/3/2023, 2:12:13 am] Timothy Heys Cerchio: Sorry 113

[16/3/2023, 2:12:49 am] ~ Riley Morgan: Maybe loose wires on the bypass jumper

Official Documentation

Flair Classic Manual — Ch.14A High Speed Robots / EtherCAT — p.235

Flair Classic Manual — Ch.22 Network Direct — p.313

Flair 7 Manual — Ch.11 High Speed Robots / EtherCAT — p.195

Flair 7 Manual — Ch.19 Network Direct — p.263