Motion that looks and feels like an industrial robot

A motion controller and teach pendant for six-axis arms driven by step and direction.

How the motion works What we are building

200 kHz

DDS step generation across six axes

1 kHz

Servo loop and motion tick, deterministic

Continuous acceleration, jerk limited everywhere

Step and direction channels, with limit and home inputs

Four things that make the motion different

Most controllers for a DIY arm move one joint at a time and stop at every corner.

Blending on a single parameter

Round a corner by the amount you ask for, with one number. The same parameter blends a joint move into a linear move. The endpoint stays exact.

pick_and_place.py Python

# waypoints taught on the machine
from robot_api import robot, wp

robot.set_accel(100)

robot.move_l(wp.approach, speed=300, blend=100)
robot.move_l(wp.pick,     speed=300, blend=0)
robot.move_l(wp.approach, speed=300, blend=100)
robot.move_l(wp.home,     speed=300, blend=0)

robot.wait_motion()

C2 continuous, jerk limited

Acceleration is continuous through the whole path, corners included. The arm never snaps into or out of a move.

Programming you already know

Teach waypoints by hand on the machine, then write the logic in Python. There is no proprietary list language to learn.

The motion looks and feels like an industrial robot. That is what the board and the software are for.

Does your build fit?

Most six-axis revolute arms driven by step and direction do. The arms, drivers and full specifications are on the product page.

Compatibility