Deployment of a PC SDK application

Introduction

When your application is ready it has to be deployed to the customer’s PC. This chapter gives information about the facilities for deployment included in the PC SDK installation.

Note

PC SDK does not need to be installed on the PC that will host your application.

Facilities for deployment

To build a PC SDK stand-alone executable (not a RobotStudio Add-In), and to deploy it to the target PC, certain dependencies must be deployed in the target PC. The following files located in installation directory\Redistributable must be used for the deployment of a PC SDK application.

  • ABBControllerAPI.msm or the corresponding assemblies (see below)

  • ABB Robot Communication Runtime.exe or the corresponding merge modules (see below)

If your application was built with a certain version of PC SDK, the exact same version of this assembly must be deployed in the target PC. It is a requirement of the .NET Common Language Runtime that the exact same version of the referenced assemblies, as your application was built with, are available on the target computer.

Previous versions of the PC SDK assemblies, and ABBControllerAPI.msm can be downloaded from Developer Center.

PC SDK assemblies - ABBControllerAPI.msm

A PC SDK application cannot execute without the PC SDK assemblies it references. For your convenience, the ABBControllerAPI merge module contains the PC SDK assemblies.

Note

If you want to create an msi file (or a setup.exe) of the msm file, you can include the ABBControllerAPI.msm file in a Visual Studio Setup project.

Alternatively, you can include the following assemblies in your application installer:

  • ABB.Robotics.Controllers.PC.dll
  • RobotStudio.Services.RobAPI.dll
  • RobotStudio.Services.RobAPI.Desktop.dll

These files are located in the installation directory.

Robot Communication Runtime

To connect a PC SDK application to a controller either RobotStudio or Robot Communication Runtime is required. If RobotStudio is not installed on the PC that hosts your application, Robot Communication Runtime needs to be included in your installation. There are two options to install the runtime on the target machine:

  • Execute ABB Robot Communication Runtime.exe as a separate installation.

or

  • Include the merge modules ABBRobAPI.msm, ABBRobAPICommon.msm, ABBRobInstallAPI.msm, ABBRobInstallAPICommon.msm in your installer.

Creating a single installer for PC SDK application

InstallShield Limited Edition is a freeware that can be used to package the Robot Communication Runtime redistributable installer into your own PC SDK application installer. Microsoft Visual Studio includes a project template for InstallShield Limited Edition.

  1. Create a new InstallShield project.

    • In Microsoft Visual Studio, on the File menu, point to New, and then click Project.
    • Expand the Other Project Types node.
    • Expand the Setup and Deployment node.
    • Click InstallShield Limited Edition.
    • Click Enable InstallShield Limited Edition, and then click OK.
    • Click Go to InstallShield.
    Note

    You must register by using your email address before downloading the product. After you register the InstallShield Add-In, you must return to the following New Project dialog and create a new project again.

  2. Start the Project Assistant and type in the required information as specified.

  3. Click the Add files button to add your application, PCSDK Test Application that must be installed by the installer. Also add the PC SDK redistributables from InstallationDirectory\Redistributable.

  4. Create a new Custom Action.

    A Custom Action is a construct that allows you to provide additional privileges at various phases in the installer’s life cycle. For example, it allows you to check whether a program is not running before the installer starts or you can execute some program after uninstalling and so on.
    In the current scenario, the Robot Communication Runtime is started after installing the actual PC SDK application.

  5. Enter the following properties for creating a new custom action.

  6. Build the installation project and create the setup.exe file.

    An installer for your PC SDK application is now available.