Using different youBot configuration

Before starting to use the KUKA youBot for the first time or after changing the configuration users have to change the [Joint topology] section of configuration files accordingly.

The youbot-base.cfg file must be edited if an omni-directional platform is being used. Analogously, the youbot-manipulator.cfg file is important when using a KUKA youBot arm. In each file you only have to edit the [JointTopology] section, where you can set the index for each joint. This index internally relates to the slave devices in the EtherCAT network, whereas each motor controller has its own slave device. The [JointTopology] establishes a mapping between the EtherCAT slave devices and the topological joint numbers. The enumeration of the joints is quite simple. The EtherCAT master starts counting the first slave device for the joint with number 1, the second one with number 2 and so on.

Using base only

If you only have a mobile platform, than set the following values in youbot-base.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-base.cfg)

[JointTopology]
BaseLeftFront = 1
BaseRightFront = 2
BaseLeftBack = 3
BaseRightBack = 4

Using arm only

If you are only using an arm, than set the following values in youbot-arm.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-arm.cfg):

[JointTopology]
ManipulatorJoint1 = 1
ManipulatorJoint2 = 2
ManipulatorJoint3 = 3
ManipulatorJoint4 = 4
ManipulatorJoint5 = 5

Using arm and base

If you only have a mobile platform with the platform, than set the following values in youbot-base.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-base.cfg):

[JointTopology]
BaseLeftFront = 1
BaseRightFront = 2
BaseLeftBack = 3
BaseRightBack = 4

and following in youbot-manipulator.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-manipulator.cfg):

[JointTopology]
ManipulatorJoint1 = 5
ManipulatorJoint2 = 6
ManipulatorJoint3 = 7
ManipulatorJoint4 = 8
ManipulatorJoint5 = 9

Using base and two arms

If you are using a KUKA youBot platform with a dual arm system, you have to add one more configuration file for the second arm. The JointTopology section in that file will be incremented accordingly to reflect the EtherCAT enumerations. A valid setup for all files is the follwing:

in youbot-base.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-base.cfg):

[JointTopology]
BaseLeftFront = 1
BaseRightFront = 2
BaseLeftBack = 3
BaseRightBack = 4

in youbot-manipulator.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-manipulator.cfg):

[JointTopology]
ManipulatorJoint1 = 5
ManipulatorJoint2 = 6
ManipulatorJoint3 = 7
ManipulatorJoint4 = 8
ManipulatorJoint5 = 9

in youbot-manipulator2.cfg (..../youbot_driver/config/youbot-manipulator2.cfg):

[JointTopology]
ManipulatorJoint1 = 10
ManipulatorJoint2 = 11
ManipulatorJoint3 = 12
ManipulatorJoint4 = 13
ManipulatorJoint5 = 14

Please note, assigning physical EtherCAT slave devices in the configuration files will determine which arm in your application is the "first" or the "second" arm. You are free to select this by interchanging the values of the files youbot-manipulator.cfg and youbot-manipulator2.cfg.

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