NOERA | Robot Odrive Arm

Odrive Configuration

Abstraction Layer

The odrv_wrapper.py contains a class which abstracts away the abstraction of the odrive interface.

Axes Mapping

X Axis

Odrive 3762364A3137, axis 0. This is the motor parallel to the top of the arm that swings it left to right

Y Axis

Odrive 208037743548, axis 1. This is the motor motor running through the gear, responsible for moving the end of the arm up and down

Z Axis

Odrive 208037743548, axis 0. This is the motor running the solid arm attachment in the middle, moves it end of the arm back, and forwards, and a bit up and down.

Setup

First of all, you need to install Anaconda (python version of NVM) so we can get the correct packages and version of python.

You need anaconda in path

Once it is installed, open up a new shell and cerate an ENV for odrive using:

conda create -n odrive python=3.8

Now enter the anaconda environment, this overrides your current shells environment variables with the correct python version:

conda activate odrive

Now install the odrive package

The latest is 0.5.2, but there is a regression that freezes odrive when you connect more than one

pip install odrive==0.5.1

Now read the OS specific instructions to finish the setup

Linux Finalization

Check you have permission to use the USB ports if you haven't directly accessed a usb device before, in debian based OS's this means adding yourself to the dialout group.

One simple command for them debian users.

sudo adduser $USER dialout

You are done, make sure you are able to plug in the 2 USB cables and Power cords, start the CLI tool and make sure both ODrives connect.

odrivetool

Windows finalization

Good Luck.

The first thing you need to do is to override the default drivers, this is based off this forum.

One device at a time, needed for both devices:

Use the Zadig utility to set ODrive driver to libusb-win32. Check ‘List All Devices’ from the options menu, and select ‘ODrive 3.x Native Interface (Interface 2)’. With that selected in the device list choose ‘libusb-win32’ from the target driver list and then press the large ‘install driver’ button.

Now, in theory, with a fair sprinklings of luck, it will work. Activate the Anaconda ODrive enviroment, and run:

odrivetool

You should see both odrive connect.