The FANUC A05B-2301-C305 is a robot teach pendant (portable programming box / operator panel) used to program, jog, and operate FANUC industrial robots—commonly referenced in the market as a pendant for the FANUC R-J3 controller family.
On the factory floor, this pendant is the technician’s primary interface to the robot: it enables manual jogging, teaching points, running programs in controlled modes, and reviewing status information on its display while staying physically at the cell. It is built around a practical layout with a dedicated key set (often listed as a 61-key interface) that supports direct, repeatable operation when commissioning equipment or recovering from stoppages.
A useful way to think about A05B-2301-C305 is that it sits at the intersection of human safety, motion authority, and cell productivity. A robot controller can be perfectly healthy, but without a functioning, compatible pendant, teams lose the fastest pathway for setup and recovery. In older lines—where R-J3 era systems may still run critical production—having the correct teach pendant is often the difference between a short interruption and an extended downtime event.
Specifications and Identification (Table)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / Brand | FANUC |
| Part Number | A05B-2301-C305 |
| Product Type | Teach Pendant / Portable Programming Box |
| Common Controller Association | FANUC R-J3 robot controller (market listings) |
| Interface | Often listed as 61 Key Interface |
| Display | LCD display for viewing data and status |
| Safety Controls (as described by vendors) | Emergency Stop button; “deadman” enable switch on the back |
| Connection Details (vendor-described) | Cable connection; listed with 20-pin connector and HONDA MR-20LW socket terminology |
| Weight (vendor listing) | 1.61 lbs (listing value; may vary by revision/packaging) |
| Lifecycle Note (vendor listing) | “Discontinued by manufacturer” (listing note) |
Compatibility note: teach pendants can look similar while differing in controller generation, pinout expectations, safety chain configuration, or firmware alignment. Treat exact part number matching as non-negotiable for replacements.
What the A05B-2301-C305 Does in Real Production Use
1) Teaching and program support at the cell
During commissioning or process refinement, technicians use the pendant to define and verify robot motion logic. Typical workflows include:
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Teaching position points (approach, process, retreat)
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Jogging axes to confirm mechanical clearances and fixture alignment
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Running step checks and controlled test cycles
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Monitoring robot status information on the pendant display
The “portable programming box” description matters: it implies this is not just a start/stop terminal. It is the core tool for programming and control operations in the field.
2) Safe manual control through integrated safety functions
Vendors commonly describe this pendant as including a red emergency stop and a yellow deadman/enable switch on the back.
In practice, these features support safe teach-mode behaviors: the robot can be placed in manual modes where movement is allowed only under deliberate operator control, helping prevent unintended motion during teaching, maintenance access, or recovery moves.
3) Rapid troubleshooting and recovery
In a running cell, the pendant is often the fastest interface to diagnose what happened after a stop. Even when a plant has SCADA screens or line HMIs, the pendant typically provides direct robot-side visibility and control needed to:
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Review status information while standing at the cell
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Jog away from a clamp/fixture condition after safe checks
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Confirm program behavior after sensor or tooling work
Connection and Integration Details That Buyers Actually Care About
One of the most error-prone areas in pendant sourcing is the connector and cable interface. A vendor description for A05B-2301-C305 explicitly references connection to the robot control cabinet via a cable and identifies connector terminology including 20-pin and HONDA MR-20LW.
Even if you do not rely on third-party connector language as a final authority, it highlights a key point: physical compatibility is not guaranteed across “similar looking” pendants. For maintenance teams, that means:
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Verify the pendant connector type and cable condition
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Confirm the pendant part number aligns with the controller family in the cell
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Avoid substituting a nearby part number unless the supplier can validate cross-compatibility
Lifecycle Reality: Discontinued Does Not Mean “Unavailable,” It Means “Plan Spares”
Multiple vendor listings label A05B-2301-C305 as “discontinued by manufacturer.”
That label matters because it changes how you manage risk:
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If the pendant is mission-critical and your line runs legacy controllers, you should treat this as a spares strategy issue, not just a purchasing issue.
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Consider acquiring a tested spare or arranging a repair/exchange pathway.
Several industrial parts suppliers position this part as available in refurbished/repair channels with warranty language, which is common in industrial automation spares markets.
Procurement and Maintenance Checklist (Practical, Not Theoretical)
Confirm the exact part number and the controller family
Radwell’s listing describes it as a teach pendant for the R-J3 robot controller.
CNC-shopping similarly frames it for FANUC robots working with R-J3.
If your cell is indeed R-J3 based, this alignment is exactly what you want to verify before purchase.
Validate safety function integrity, especially on used units
Because vendor descriptions explicitly call out the emergency stop and deadman/enable switch, these are not optional extras.
For used/refurbished pendants, you want evidence of testing and clear warranty terms, because failed safety controls can block operation or create unacceptable risk.
Pay attention to interface expectations
At least one sales listing describes it as a 61-key interface.
That matters because operators build muscle memory around key layouts. If you replace a pendant with a different key mapping, your recovery procedures slow down and error probability rises.
Summary
The FANUC A05B-2301-C305 is a teach pendant / portable programming box commonly associated with FANUC R-J3 robot controller systems, providing the essential operator interface for teaching, jogging, program control, and at-cell diagnostics.
Market descriptions emphasize an LCD display, a structured key interface (often listed as 61 keys), and integrated safety controls including an emergency stop and a deadman/enable switch.
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