KUKA 00-170-961 Interface RDC X21 Resolver Digital Converter Link

KUKA 00-170-961 Interface RDC X21 (Resolver Digital Converter Connection)

The KUKA 00-170-961 is the X21 interface of the resolver digital converter. KUKA lists it as the Interface RDC X21 and describes it as the connection for the resolver digital converter with which the motor position data are acquired. In other words, this is the part of the link that brings the axis position data from the robot base into the cabinet, so a worn or damaged interface shows up as position data the controller can no longer read. The unit weighs 0.085 kg and carries customs HS code 85444290. It is the cabinet side of the manipulator data connection and it is fitted where the data cable runs between the robot and the controller. Send us the article number on the part in your cabinet or the controller serial number, and we confirm the match before you order.

Specifications

Send the article number printed on the part, the controller serial number or a photo of the label, and we confirm the match before you order.

Industrial Applications

• Replacement of a worn or damaged X21 interface where the controller reports an RDC or mastering problem.
• Service on robot data links that are opened regularly, for maintenance work or in a robot that has been standing in storage.
• Repair after a manipulator data cable has been replaced, where the connection at the cabinet end is no longer seating correctly.
• Refurbishment of second hand controllers where the cabinet and the manipulator are kept and the interface on the cabinet side is renewed.
• Spare holding for service teams that keep one interface part per controller generation on the shelf.

Design Purpose

The position of a robot axis is measured by resolvers in the gearboxes, and the resolver digital converter is the board that reads those signals and turns them into position data for the controller. On a KRC2 and KRC4 cabinet, that converter sits in an RDC box at the robot base, and the data travels to the cabinet over the manipulator cable: the X31 connection at the robot side and the X21 connection at the cabinet side, with the cable running between them. This part is the interface on the X21 side, so it is the physical end of that link inside the cabinet, and the connection it makes has to hold the signal cleanly and stay seated. That is why the fault it causes is not a motor fault and not a drive fault but a position data problem, and why the KUKA troubleshooting procedure asks for the X21 data cable, the shielding, the plug locking and the RDC power supply to be checked in that order. It is also why the interface is a separate replaceable item in the catalogue rather than part of the cable set, and why the part on the machine and the part in the cabinet are what we confirm before a replacement is shipped.

Common Failure Modes

• The controller reports an RDC problem or a mastering problem, and the checks start at the X21 data cable, the shielding and the plug locking.
• The axis position data is not read and the robot has to be mastered again after the connection is renewed.
• The interface does not seat properly, because the connector has been strained by the cable or by a service operation.
• The link works intermittently, with the controller losing the position data while the robot is moving.
• The connection shows mechanical damage, corrosion or a bent contact, often after the cabinet has been opened and closed repeatedly.

The KUKA KR C4 troubleshooting procedure for an RDC or mastering malfunction lists the items to check in order, and they are the X21 data cable, the shielding, the plug locking, the RDC power supply and the EDS, with the note that after the data cable has been replaced the axis has to be mastered again. Please contact us with the fault code shown on your controller for an accurate diagnosis of your cabinet. When the position data is lost, the checks that separate this interface from a failed RDC board or a failed motor encoder are whether the connection seats fully and without strain, whether the shielding is intact, and whether the controller reads the same fault again after the interface has been exchanged.

Why Choose Us

• Specialized in industrial robot spare parts for ABB, FANUC, KUKA and YASKAWA.
• Each part is tested and verified by experienced technicians before packing.
• Technical support available to help with fitment and troubleshooting.
• Worldwide shipping with careful industrial packaging, from our Shanghai office.
• Repair service offered on defective units.

Related Products

• KUKA 00-246-872: the RDC card that reads the resolvers, the other half of this connection.
• KUKA 00-174-774: data and encoder cable, 7 m, X21 to X31, the cable that runs between this interface and the robot.
• KUKA 00-106-496: RDW data encoder cable, 7 m, the same link for the RDW controller generation.
• KUKA cables and connectors: the wider range of robot cables and connector parts.
• KUKA controller boards and power supplies: the boards of the cabinet this interface connects to.
• Contact us for a full list of RDC parts, manipulator data cables and cabinet interface parts, and for the parts that match your installation.

Request a quote: send your part number (00-170-961) or the controller serial number, and we confirm the version, the fit and the lead time before you order.