The Fairino teach pendant has 5 configurable buttons labeled A, B, C, D, E (SmartTool). These can be assigned to custom functions — especially useful for welding operators who want to minimize touchscreen interaction during production.

Where to find the configuration

The location depends on your firmware version:

  • v3.8.x and older: Settings → Peripherals → Smart Tool Configuration
  • v3.9.x: The menu moved — look under Settings → Peripherals section. The UI layout changed but functionality is the same.

Reference: manual.fairino.support — Robot Peripherals (Figure 8.4‑2-3: Smart Tool Configuration A-E Keys)

What you can assign

Each button can be mapped to:

  • Speed presets — e.g. Button A = 10% (slow approach), Button B = 50% (working speed), Button C = 100% (rapid)
  • Application functions — run program, pause, stop, step forward/back
  • Tool app functions — gripper open/close, welding start/stop
  • Custom I/O toggles — set/clear digital outputs

Example: Welding operator setup

One community member set up their buttons for excavator bucket welding like this:

  • A: Set start point (current position)
  • B: Set safety/approach point
  • C: Set end point
  • D: Toggle straight weld / weaving pattern
  • E: Start welding cycle

This way the operator only uses physical buttons — no touchscreen typing needed during production. The welding process itself just needs start and stop.

Known issue: buttons reset after firmware update

If you update firmware (e.g. 3.8.6 → 3.9.0), SmartTool configuration may reset to defaults. This is because the internal data format sometimes changes between versions.

The recommended workflow:

  1. Backup all data before updating
  2. Update firmware
  3. If SmartTool config is gone → do a Factory Reset (System → General → Restore)
  4. Restore your data backup
  5. Reconfigure SmartTool buttons if needed

Sometimes just clearing the browser cache or opening the WebApp in incognito mode fixes UI display issues after an update.

SIMmachine note

The SmartTool UI may look different in the SIMmachine simulator compared to the real robot, especially if the simulator runs an older firmware version. You can update the simulator firmware just like a real robot — see the Simulation thread for details.