How to set up tool, jog, and user frames on a FANUC teach pendant

thijs · September 2, 2026, 12:16am

Based on contributions by MarkHamberg.

When you mount a custom tool on a FANUC robot, or want to jog and program relative to a work surface instead of the robot’s base, you need a custom frame. This covers setting up Tool, Jog, and User frames from the teach pendant’s Setup menu (they all use the same menu and method).

Teach pendant type used here: A05B-2301-C395. Numbers in brackets below are the menu numbers to press.

What you need

A FANUC robot with teach pendant access to the Setup menu
For the jogging method: a small, well-defined reference point in the workspace (e.g. a long bolt) to jog to

Steps

1. Open the Frames menu

Press MENU (next to the Left Shift button).
Go to Setup (6).
Press F1 (Type), then select Frames (2).

2. Choose the frame type

Press F3 to select between Tool Frame (1), Jog Frame (2), and User Frame (3).

3. View the current configuration

Press F2 (Detail) to view the current configuration for the selected frame.

4. Choose a setup method

Press F2 again to pick a setup method:

Three-Point Method: define the frame by jogging to three points and pressing F5 (Record) at each.
Six-Point Method: same idea, using six points for greater accuracy.
Direct Entry: enter exact coordinates for the frame’s origin and orientation directly, if you already know them. The (0,0,0) reference point is the center of the ring on joint 6.

5. If jogging: pick a good reference point

Use a small, well-defined reference point in the workspace — for example jog around a long bolt. Space your points apart and keep them non-collinear, so the robot can accurately determine the frame’s orientation.

6. A few practical tips

Typically you’ll only need to create tool frames. In some cases you might add a 45° or 90° adjustment in the world frame for specific orientations.

7. Use the frame in your programs

Set Call_Uframe = X or Call_Tframe = X in your program, where X is the number of the user or tool frame you defined.