Dynamixel AX-12A Setup
To set up the Dynamixel AX-12A's several things will be needed.
First is the Roboplus 1.0 Software Manager from Robotis. There is a software version 2.0 out but it only works with Robotis' newer actuator lines, so you will want to stick version 1.0 for programming the AX-12A's. You will also need a USB to Serial converter to talk with the AX-12A's over your computer. Full instructions and several methods on how this can be done are found on the Robotis web site here. You will also need a USB cable and a power source for AX-12A's.
I often find the Robotis eManual to be a bit confusing and hard to follow, so I've put together what I do (among others methods) and is confirmed to work. Other methods are available to accomplish essentially the same setup (and may be less expensive) but I'm not going into them here.
First is the Roboplus 1.0 Software Manager from Robotis. There is a software version 2.0 out but it only works with Robotis' newer actuator lines, so you will want to stick version 1.0 for programming the AX-12A's. You will also need a USB to Serial converter to talk with the AX-12A's over your computer. Full instructions and several methods on how this can be done are found on the Robotis web site here. You will also need a USB cable and a power source for AX-12A's.
I often find the Robotis eManual to be a bit confusing and hard to follow, so I've put together what I do (among others methods) and is confirmed to work. Other methods are available to accomplish essentially the same setup (and may be less expensive) but I'm not going into them here.
Items needed to Communicate and Program the AX-12As.
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Programming the Dynamixel AX-12A
Once you have the above setup. You should be able to communicate and program your AX-12A's. Open the Roboplus 1.0 Software Manager and you should get a Start screen like this:
5. After a few seconds it should find your actuator in the box on the left. Click on the actuator and it should bring up all the properties of the actuator.
Note that my actuator has an ID of "34". From the factory, all AX-12As come with a default ID of "1". You can put multiple AX-12As (and even other Dynamixel models) on the same BUS but they all have to have an unique ID. This means you have to program them one by one before linking them all together. |
6. Make sure the "Torque Enable" is set to "1" and then if you select "Goal Position" and move the Goal Position Dial on the right, your Dynamixel AX-12A should be responding to your commands.
There are many other settings you can program on the AX-12A, but for now just leave them as they are. We will go into details on the settings of each AX-12A you will need latter on in the build of '99. |