Safety functions in an industrial robot

A robot controller for use in an industrial robot, which includes a programming interface, which is separate from said robot controller, and a robot manipulator with a plurality of actuators, wherein:

• the robot controller is communicatively coupled to a first safe input means, a second safe input means, and an arbitrary input means;
• and
• the robot controller comprises processing circuitry configured to perform a method of controlling the industrial robot,
• the method including:
• receiving a first release signal via the first safe input means;
• receiving actuator-selection data, which indicates one or more of the actuators, via the arbitrary input means at the programming interface;
• receiving a second release signal via the second safe input means at the programming interface after having received the actuator-selection data;
• and,
• in response to determining that the first and second release signals are still received, causing the one or more of the actuators indicated by the actuator-selection data to enter a movement-without-drive-power mode.

A non-transitory computer program comprising instructions to cause the robot controller for use in an industrial robot, which includes a programming interface, which is separate from said robot controller, and a robot manipulator with a plurality of actuators, wherein:

• the robot controller is communicatively coupled to a first safe input means, a second safe input means, and an arbitrary input means;
• and
• the robot controller includes processing circuitry configured to execute a method of controlling the industrial robot,
• the method comprising:
• receiving a first release signal via the first safe input means;
• receiving actuator-selection data, which indicates one or more of the actuators, via the arbitrary input means at the programming interface;
• receiving a second release signal via the second safe input means at the programming interface after having received the actuator-selection data;
• and,
• in response to determining that the first and second release signals are still received, causing the one or more of the actuators indicated by the actuator-selection data to enter a movement-without-drive-power mode.