Wandelbots NOVA

Type to search the documentation

Press ESC to close⌘K to open

Connect Techman to Wandelbots NOVA

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Learn how to connect Techman robots to Wandelbots NOVA. Follow step-by-step setup instructions, safety guidelines, and supported controller requirements for reliable integration.

Using a Techman robot with Wandelbots NOVA offers a wide range of possibilities for automating your production processes. There are 3 things you need to know before you start:

Which Techman controller types and models are supported by Wandelbots NOVA?

Supported models

Wandelbots NOVA provides you with virtual controllers for path planning, app development and simulation purposes.

Use virtual controller

You can connect your Techman controller to Wandelbots NOVA for real-world automation.

Set up and connect Techman controller

Supported models

Controllers

Controller Supports Requirements
HW 5.0 cobot
Firmware: TMFlow >= 2.22.0

Motion groups

Robotic arms

Use virtual controller

Open the home screen

Open your cloud instance via NOVA Cloud or type in your physical instance’s/virtual instance’s IP address to access the home screen. Get an overview on the home screen and its functionalities here.

Create a cell in Setup

Open Setup and go to the “Cell” tab.

Add robot to your cell

If you want to start using the Wandelbots API, do so now and add a robot via the Wandelbots NOVA API.

OR add a robot to your cell in Setup:

  • Select the “Robots” tab.
  • Click to add a robot to your cell.
    If the button is greyed out, your license might not support adding more robots. Please contact your administrator.
  • Select the robot type Virtual.
  • Name the robot
  • Select Techman as manufacturer.
  • Select the desired robot model.
  • Add the robot to the cell.

Add a TCP

To replicate a physical robot’s behavior accurately, you can define TCPs for virtual robots in the Setup app.

  1. Select the TCPs tab in the robot’s settings.
  2. Click to create a new TCP.
  3. Name the TCP.
  4. Define the TCP’s translation and rotation relative to the robot’s flange.
  5. Save the TCP.

Congrats! You can now start to plan paths and simulate! Open Robot Pad from the home screen of your instance and get started ✨.

Set up and connect Techman controller

Cloud instances are not suited to control a physical robot and you need to use a VM or use an IPC instead. More information on available NOVA instance types here.

About setup instructions

The provided setup instructions do not replace a thorough understanding of the robot manufacturer’s original operating instruction and only apply to the supported models mentioned above.

The setup instructions include the following steps:

  1. Preparing the robot controller for the connection with Wandelbots NOVA.
  2. Physically connecting the IPC to the robot controller.
  3. Configuring the IPC to establish communication with the robot controller.
  4. Using the Techman controller on Wandelbots NOVA.
  5. Troubleshooting common issues that may arise during the setup process.

In order to connect the Techman controller to Wandelbots NOVA, Wandelbots NOVA needs to be integrated into the robotic cell according to these cell designs.

Ensure that the Techman controller you’re about to connect to Wandelbots NOVA is listed in the supported models section.

Note that setting a correct mounting pose in the robot controller is crucial, especially for cobots, as they are sensitive to gravity direction.

Qualified user groups

Preparing a controller for the use of Wandelbots NOVA is a task that requires a certain level of expertise. The following instructions are intended for qualified user groups only.

⚠️ caution

Danger in case of insufficient qualification of users
People can be injured if unqualified user groups set up the physical robot environment.

  • Only qualified user groups designated by the operating company may set up the physical robot environment.
  • Keep unqualified user groups away from the area of risk.

If a high experience level, e.g. admin user, is recommended to complete the step, the following label will be displayed next to the header:

Admin

Prepare the Techman controller Admin

  1. Turn on the robot controller adhering to the robot manufacturer’s original operating instructions.
  2. Connect your TMflow machine to the robot or access TMflow directly on the robot.
  1. Log into TMflow with your administrator credentials. The default credentials are Administrator and an empty password.
  1. In the upper right corner, click on the TMflow icon. Verify that the installed TMflow version is >= 2.22. Upgrading to the latest version is recommended in any case.
  2. Switch the robot to manual mode.
  1. Create a backup of the robot controller ( → → System → Backup and Restore). The backup can take more than 10 minutes depending on the amount of data stored on the controller.
  2. Make sure all safety precautions are taken.

Get overview on Techman interfaces

Wandelbots NOVA communicates with the Techman controller through several TCP-based interfaces. Each interface serves a different purpose and uses its own protocol abbreviation:

InterfaceProtocolsPurpose
Ethernet SlaveTMSVRRead and write robot variables and metadata (port 5891).
Real-Time Remote Server (RTRS)TMRTS, TMRTCReal-time state streaming (TMRTS, port 5895) and real-time motion control (TMRTC, port 5896).
External Script TMSCT, TMSTAExternal TMScript execution (TMSCT, default port 5890) and status queries (TMSTA).
EIH CameragRPCAccess the built-in eye-in-hand (EIH) camera for image capture and vision features (port 15567).

Get overview on network interfaces

The Techman controller uses two separate network interfaces for different purposes. During setup, you need to configure both IP addresses.

IP address / InterfacePurposeDefined by
Controller IPNetwork interface used for TMSVR, TMSCT, and EIH Camera; for HW 5.0 served on LAN-0 and LAN-1 ports. These IP addresses are shown in TMflow under → → System → Network → Port 0/1.User during Techman setup
RTRS IPDedicated interface for real-time state streaming (TMRTS, port 5895) and real-time motion control (TMRTC, port 5896) served on LAN-2 port. Configured under TMflow → → → Configuration → Remote Control Settings → RTRS → Static IP.User during Techman setup
IPC’s company network IPIP address used to access the IPC in the company’s network. Different subnet than the robot interfaces. Usually assigned automatically via DHCP, depending on the company network setup.The company network (usually DHCP)
IPC’s robot network IPIP address(es) on the IPC used to communicate with the Techman controller. Must be reachable on the controller and RTRS subnets (same or different depending on topology).User during IPC setup

Set the controller IP address

  1. On the Techman teach pendant, navigate to → → System → Network → Port 0/1.
  1. Configure the controller’s first IP address, e.g. 192.168.1.10.
  2. Set the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0.

Enable the EIH Camera interface

The built-in eye-in-hand (EIH) camera exposes a gRPC interface on port 15567 that Wandelbots NOVA can serve for you.

  1. To access the Vision Settings menu item, External Script and RTRS have to be turned off.
  2. On the teach pendant, navigate to → → Vision Settings → Services → EIH Camera API.
  3. Enable the EIH Camera interface.

Enable the Ethernet Slave interface (TMSVR)

The Ethernet Slave interface (TMSVR, port 5891) is used by Wandelbots NOVA to read and write robot variables and metadata.

  1. On the teach pendant, navigate to → → Configuration → Communication → Ethernet Slave.
  2. Enable the Ethernet Slave by checking the Enable checkbox.
  3. (Optional/Advanced) Configure the IP Filter to allow connections from the IPC’s IP address range:

Enable the RTRS interface (TMRTS and TMRTC)

The RTRS (Real-Time Remote Server) interface provides real-time state streaming (TMRTS, port 5895) and real-time motion control (TMRTC, port 5896). Currently only real-time state streaming is required to operate the robot.

  1. On the teach pendant, navigate to → → Configuration →Remote Control Settings → Command Interface → RTRS.
  2. Set the RTRS network to Static IP and configure the IP address, e.g. 192.168.1.11.
  3. Set the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0.
  4. Enable the RTRS interface by checking the Enable checkbox.
  5. Restart the robot controller to apply changes.
    • Shutdown the robot controller via → → OK.
    • Start the robot controller via -Button on the robot stick.

Enable External Script (TMSCT)

The TMSCT interface (default port 5890) allows Wandelbots NOVA to send TMScript commands to the robot.

  1. On the teach pendant, navigate to → → Configuration →Remote Control Settings → Command Interface → TMScript.
  2. Make sure Print received data in log is turned off.
  1. Enable the TMSCT interface by checking the Enable checkbox.

Connect IPC to the Techman controller Admin

The Techman controller has two LAN ports that serve different interfaces: the controller IP (TMSVR, TMSCT, EIH Camera) and the RTRS IP (TMRTS, TMRTC). The network topology determines whether these need to be in the same or different subnets.

Use this setup when the IPC has a single available LAN port or when other devices also need access to the robot network.

  1. Connect an ethernet cable from an IPC’s LAN port to a network switch.
  2. Connect an ethernet cable from the switch to the Techman controller’s LAN-0 port (controller IP).
  3. Connect a second ethernet cable from the switch to the Techman controller’s LAN-2 port (RTRS IP).

Use this setup when the IPC has two available LAN ports and no switch is needed.

  1. Connect an ethernet cable from the IPC’s first LAN port to the Techman controller’s LAN-0 port (controller IP).
  2. Connect a second ethernet cable from the IPC’s second LAN port to the Techman controller’s LAN-2 port (RTRS IP).

Configure the IPC’s network settings

  1. Open https://<ipc-ip-address>:9090, e.g. https://172.345.538.2:9090, in a browser on your personal computer.
    If the IPC is not connected to the same network as your personal computer, you can connect a keyboard, a mouse and a display to the IPC. Then open localhost:9090 in a web browser.

  2. Log in with the user credentials created during the Wandelbots NOVA installation.
    The IPC’s settings are displayed.
    A popup prompts you to enable administrative access.

  3. Enable administrative access and enter the admin password.

  4. Select the Network tab in the sidebar.
    The IPC’s network settings are displayed.

  5. Toggle the button next to the LAN port connected to your robot network to enable network activity.

  6. Click “edit” next to the IPv4.
    The IPv4 menu opens.

  7. Set the address dropdown to “Manual”.

  8. Set the prefix to 255.255.255.0 (will automatically change to 24).

  9. Delete the prefilled gateway value.

  10. Create an IP address in the same subnet as the Techman controller, e.g. 192.168.1.55.

  11. Save the settings.

Wandelbots NOVA can now connect to the robot.

Use Techman controller on NOVA

  1. Type in your physical instance’s IP address to access the home screen.

  2. Open Setup and go to the “Cell” tab.

  3. Select the “Robots” tab.

  4. Click to add a robot to your cell.
    If the button is greyed out, your license might not support adding more robots. Please contact your administrator.

  5. Select the robot type Physical.

  6. Name the robot.

  7. Select Techman as the manufacturer.

  8. Enter the connection details:

    FieldValue
    Controller IPThe main IP address of the Techman controller, e.g. 192.168.1.10. This is the address configured under TMflow → → System → Network → Port 0/1 → IP Address.
    RTRS IPThe RTRS IP address of the Techman controller, e.g. 192.168.2.10. This is the address configured under TMflow → → Configuration → Remote Control Settings → RTRS → IP Address.
    TMSCT PortThe Listen Node port. Default is 5890. Check the Notice Log in TMflow when the Listen Node is active to verify the actual port. Only change this if your controller uses a different port.

  9. Click on Add.

Enable robot motion

Before jogging or executing a planned movement, you need to press the play button on the robot stick (teach pendant). This is required after every restart, mode change, or error on the control box.

If you are still in manual mode from the controller setup, consider switching to automatic mode to allow the robot to move with TCP velocities larger than 250 mm/s.

TCPs

To use TCPs for connected physical controllers on NOVA, you need to set them up on the robot controller first. Refer to the original Techman documentation.

TCPs will then be displayed in the Setup app under the TCPs tab in the robot’s settings and can be selected for path planning in Robot Pad.

Troubleshooting

Find the Techman controller’s IP address

Using the teach pendant

  1. Navigate to → → System → Network → Port 0/1 →IP Address.
  2. The controller’s main IP address is displayed.

To find the RTRS IP address:

  1. Navigate to → → Configuration → Remote Control Settings → RTRS → IP Address.
  2. The RTRS Static IP address is displayed.

TMSCT or motion commands are rejected

If Wandelbots NOVA cannot send script commands to the robot, ensure:

  1. Press play on the Robot Stick.
  2. Check the Notice Log to verify the server is listening and note the displayed port.
  3. If the port differs from 5890, update the TMSCT port in the robot’s configuration in Wandelbots NOVA Setup.

Connection issues

If you are experiencing connection issues or communication timeouts:

  1. Verify that both network cables (main and RTRS) are connected and the IPC has IP addresses in the correct subnets.
  2. Check the Ethernet Slave IP Filter settings to ensure the IPC’s IP range is allowed and has write permission.
  3. Ensure the controller has been restarted after enabling RTRS.

If the issue persists, read more in the FAQ section on robot connectivity.