How to Wire an Arduino to a ClearPath Servo Motor

[@urgamecshk]

Please make a video doing this with GRBL

[@carbidedge]

Great video, and a fantastic product, I will be purchasing a set for my CNC router.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi carbidedge, Thank you for the kind comments! If you have any questions feel free to send them to [e-mail]. Best Regards, Jonathan T.

[@joeygonzo]

did u get it ?

[@machine2747]

Very informative. Awesome product as well. Thank you!

[@scottburrous2375]

Not ashamed to admit my ignorance about Arduino and your servos. It's something I want to get into because I have a couple of proof of concept projects to do. I am just going to jump in, sink or swim. What is the largest clearpath servo that can be controlled using Arduino? I realize that's an open ended question with ever so many variables. And it has much to do with mass, inertia and speed and the trade offs between them. I admit my math skills are limited, sigh. I'm a Thomas Edison/Timex/Enigerizer Bunny type of guy that takes a concept, keeps on ticking and beats it into submission before running down. Oh, I learn A LOT on the journey. Reading helps AFTER I get some hands on.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Scott Burrous, The largest ClearPath motors are the AC-input NEMA 56/143 motors. With a blower kit installed, the 3P model will output up to 8hp peak and 4hp continuous (if needed). To help make your learning process easier and more efficient, I suggest taking a look at the information provided in the following links. ClearPath Overview Video kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYS8mXaIrMaWetUrel=0&iv_load_policy=3 ClearPath Overview Documentation www.teknic.com/products/clearpath-brushless-dc-servo-motors/ I am not an Arduino expert so you will have to do your own research regarding Arduino functionality. This may be a good place to start: forum.arduino.cc/ If you have other questions, you can contact us at [e-mail]. Thanks, Jon K.

[@blhack123]

Super useful video, thank you!

[@PhG1961]

Indeed, it was helpfull. Nice and really interesting video !

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Philip, Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and we are glad to hear that the video was helpful. Much appreciated! Tom T. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@guusvanwezel2429]

Great video and great product. Currently, I live in Europe but I got my eyes on these motors. I really want these motors on my CNC machine. Is there a possibility to get my hands on one of these without an American credit card?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Guus Van Wezel, Thank you for your compliments and interest in ClearPath. Teknic's website does not require an American credit card. You should be able to use any international credit card. Teknic ships directly to most countries in Europe. If you don't see your country on Teknic's shipping list ( www.teknic.com/international-shipping-faqs/ ) or you have other questions, please contact [e-mail]. Best, Bridgette G.

[@beforebefore]

What software configuration can be used for complete/full control of the SC series via an Arduino? (not just using presets store in the motor) I'm using a NEMA-34 SC Enhanced. I've used several of the small NEMA-23 SD series, but step & direction was easy to implement and command steps were explained in your website documentation... I haven't found this type of documentation on the SC with Enhanced firmware. Thanks.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi beforebefore, Thank you for watching and commenting! The SC series ("SC" stands for Software Control) is different from the SD series (Step and Direction) ClearPath in a few important ways. With ClearPath-SC Series: You write your own custom motion control code using C++ or C# in conjunction with Teknic's sFoundation software library. In essence, the host system (and your software) comprise the controller. An SC system requires a dedicated Windows PC or single board computer such as Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black; microcontrollers (such as Arduinos) can’t serve in this capacity. With ClearPath-SD Series: Your controller (e.g. Arduino, PLC, Mach 4 with SmoothStepper, etc.) sends digital pulses to the ClearPath motor's step and direction inputs, thus commanding motion. The SC system, while more complex, may provide greater flexibility than either ClearPath-SD or MC series motors. Here's a ClearPath-SC overview video that may be helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f53NpXquoK-bkNU. There is quite a bit of additional information on our site including videos, user manuals, and specifications that may be help you decide if ClearPath-SC motors make sense for your project: teknic.com/products/clearpath-brushless-dc-servo-motors/model-support-sc-dc/. Feel free to contact Teknic if there's anything we can help you with. Thanks again, Jim W - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@nightmareinaction629]

Hopefully I get a reply. Is it possible to use these with 3d printer boards the output stepper driver signals to use for a 3d printer as their internal closed loop system makes them ideal for 3d printers and fast acceleration with precision

[@TeknicInc]

Hello nightmare in action, Thanks for watching our video and for submitting your question. Many CNC applications, such as 3D printers, use the integrated ClearPath SD motor series for motion control. The integrated ClearPath servos include the servo drive, the servo motor, and the encoder for a fully closed loop solution. This type of design architecture is ideal for precise, multi-axis coordination where each axis must be in the correct place at the precise time in order to produce favorable results. The control signals for the SD series are step and direction signals with a voltage of 5-24VDC for a high logic state and 0VDC for a low logic state. This is the same type of step and direction signals used by many stepper motor systems. Quadrature signals can also be used for motion control in place of step and direction. Many high volume OEM companies in the CNC market (as well as end users) rely on the performance of Teknic's ClearPath motors. Some CNC application examples include 3D printers, large format printers, laser cutters, plasma cutters, waterjet cutters, mills, and routers just to name a few. To get you started, here is a link to the ClearPath SD series overview page: teknic.com/products/clearpath-brushless-dc-servo-motors/ Teknic can help you with ClearPath motor sizing as well as providing assistance with selecting the optimal winding and encoder resolution. You can send your request for technical support to teknic.com/contact/ or give us a call at 585-784-7454 between 8AM - 6PM EST. A factory-direct support engineer will be happy to help you with your application to ensure a successful result. Best regards, Tom T - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@nightmareinaction629]

Question let's say I have two CPM-MCVC-3432P-RLN They are new but they can't be used in my application because they do not support step and direction. Would I be able to exchange them for CPM-SDSK-2321S-EQN. I can cover price differences if there are any and shipping if needed too. These were not ordered in my account. I am asking this before ordering the 1st servo mention as it's easier to order as one of our vendor already stocks them and we can easily make a po number for them.

[@TeknicInc]

Hello nightmare in action, We do not have a policy for exchanging motors. Instead, the motors include a 90-day return policy, during which you can return the unwanted motors for a full refund for any reason. The money back return policy is linked to the account that placed the order from Teknic, so if you have purchased through a 3rd party, you would need to coordinate with your vendor to handle the return. If you have any additional questions about this process or would like to help placing an order, please contact us via our website at teknic.com/contact/ or give us a call at 585-784-7454 between 8AM and 6PM EST. Best regards, Bradley N. - Teknic Application Engineer

[@A.Kreation29]

Hello, I am interested in your servo motors. Currently I'm working on mach3, with an NVUM Novasun control card. I'm a little lost on the wiring for the connection of the servo motors On my control board I have 3 pins per axis.. but I see that on your servo motors there are 8 to connect? My control card is not compatible? In case this is not compatible, can you guide me for a control card that can use mach3? (other than arduino) THANKS !

[@TeknicInc]

Hi A.Kreation29, The NVUM Novasun control card may be compatible with the ClearPath motors, but it's hard to say for certain without some additional information (I’m not personally familiar with that specific board). Teknic has seen many customers successfully develop CNC applications using Mach3 and the ClearPath SD motors. The ClearPath SD motors simply require 5-24VDC step and direction signals from the controller (in addition to the enable input). There’s more information about input wiring in the ClearPath User Manual (teknic.com/downloads/ ). If you reach out to our support team with wiring information for the control card (e.g. wiring schematics), we would be happy to help determine if the board is compatible with the ClearPath motors. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to Teknic directly by submitting a contact request on our website (teknic.com/contact/ ) or giving us a call at 585-784-7454. Aimee F. - Teknic Applications Engineer

[@philcncmachinest1386]

Only 1 thing missing. The arduino needs a config.h or similar to tell which pin is assigned for. Any info on that config would sure be nice to know. I am hunting all over to find info on how to replace the steppers on my arduino cnc

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Phil cnc machinest, Thanks for watching our video, and for your interest in ClearPath motors. Though I don't work with Arduino CNC applications per se, I may be able to point you in the right direction. In this video the pins were assigned directly in the code itself, so a quick look at the project .ino file should give you what you need in terms of pin assignments. Here's a link to the project files for this video: github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/TekTips-Arduino-Wiring-Video Hopefully this will help. Regards, Jim W. - Teknic Applications Engineer

[@attic6]

these look great, i'm busy building a motion control robot for a camera, i'm using closed loop steppers at the moment and just using grbl shield for the programming. Ive found that setting max speed is easy as there is a LED that flashes on the motor if it temporarily looses a step. do your motors have a visual display of when they have maxed out and needed to catch up? And please do a retrofit video of something like an shapeoko or x carve popping your motors in in place of the steppers.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Jimmy Reynolds, Thank you for your compliment and feedback. Teknic's ClearPath motors won't lose steps because they are closed-loop, brushless servos. For other scenarios where feedback may be helpful, ClearPath has a digital output called HLFB (High-Level FeedBack) that you can program to provide different information about your application. You can configure HLFB in a variety of ways depending on the application. For more detail on the different options, please see the ClearPath User Manual section titled "ClearPath Output (HLFB)" (currently page 48): www.teknic.com/files/downloads/clearpath_user_manual.pdf Based on your question, the _In Range-Position_ HLFB option may fit your needs. In this setup, HLFB de-asserts when the motor is beyond a pre-set, user-defined number of encoder counts from the commanded position. You can adjust this pre-set value to represent any "error band" that is appropriate for a given application. To create a visual output, you can wire the HLFB output to an LED. For a more automated command adjustment, you can wire the HLFB output to your controller. For example, some CNC controllers can utilize the HLFB output to notify the user if a bit is worn while simultaneously reducing the cutting speeds to compensate for the dull bit. If you are looking for this feedback (and a full range of diagnostic information) during the testing phase of a project, you can use the ClearPath MSP software. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXu2oZJnlrOciac Thank you for your video suggestion. I'll add the topic to our video backlog for consideration. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at [e-mail], or call us to speak directly to an engineer about your specific application. Ian R. -Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@attic6]

@@TeknicInc just got my first 3 motors from you guys. so amped

[@DIYGuitarMods]

Is it also possible to control the SC series with this method of control from a microcontroller to straight to the 8 pin connector?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Ian, It is not possible to control a ClearPath-SC motor with a microcontroller. Applications which use ClearPath-SC motors require either a Windows (or Linux) PC, or a single board computer (SBC) such as a BeagleBone Black or Raspberry Pi. In these applications, software engineers use Teknic’s C++ class library (or optional C# wrapper) to create their host application. This application runs on the PC (or SBC) and communicates to the ClearPath-SC motor(s) over a USB or high-speed serial port through a communications hub (teknic.com/clearpath-accessories-guide/accessories-guide-sc-dc/#sc4-hub). If you (or anyone else reading this comment) is interested in more information on the ClearPath-SC motors, Teknic created a video that gives users a high-level overview of the ClearPath-SC series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f53NpXquoK-bkNU. We also created a video that provides an in-depth look at using a SBC with ClearPath-SC: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGjFmHSlZap8hKs If you have any other questions, please feel free to give Teknic a call or contact us online at www.teknic.com/contact/ Best regards, Bridgette G. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@DIYGuitarMods]

@@TeknicInc Thanks for the clarification!

[@alonsomartinez9588]

Did you ever make a video with the Arduino Analog input?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi alonsomartinez9588, We have not made videos using the Arduino analog input. However, we have wiring diagrams in the ClearCore User Manual demonstrating how to wire analog inputs. While not identical, these diagrams may be a good starting point. The ClearCore User Manual is found on the download page of our website, located here:(teknic.com/downloads/). Alternatively, after producing this video, Teknic released the ClearCore which is an industrial I/O and motion controller. Included with the ClearCore is a robust library containing a suite of example programs and an Arduino wrapper for customers comfortable in the Arduino environment. More information about the ClearCore can be found here:(teknic.com/products/io-motion-controller/). If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us at teknic.com/contact/, or call us at 585-784-7454. Best, Bradley N. - Teknic OEM Applications Engineer

[@healingSignature]

Thanks for your awesome video. I have a question. Is it possible to buy the whole package shown at 7:05 ? Otherwise, would you please recommend where to buy those components. Thank you for your great explanation.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi GT Gil, Thanks for the compliments (and for your interest in ClearPath motors). While we don't sell these parts in kit form, I was able to look up the individual part numbers shown in the video (at time reference 7:05) and list them below for your perusal. ClearPath Motor (Teknic) P/N CPM-MCPV-2321P-ELN Power Supply (Teknic) P/N IPC-5: 75VDC power supply Cables (Teknic) P/N IPC35-CABLE110: AC Input to IPC-5 power supply. P/N CPM-CABLE-CTRL-MU120: ClearPath Controller Cable, 10 ft. P/N CPM-CABLE-PWR-MS120: DC Power Cable, IPC to ClearPath, 10 ft. P/N CPM-CABLE-USB-120: USB Cable, Type A to Micro B, for ClearPath Rear USB Port. Ballscrew Actuator (Motion Solutions) P/N LGS3310MC-400(335)SB112H: Actuator, LGS33, 10 MM Ballscrew, C-BLOCK, 400L, NEMA 23, 2 photo sensors Arduino UNO R3 microcontroller (Amazon, Digikey, etc.) Proto-ScrewShield (Sparkfun) P/N DEV-09729 If you'd like to see more information on any of the Teknic products listed above, just visit our website (www.teknic.com) and paste the part number into the search bar at the top of the page. Best regards, Jim W. Applications Engineer Teknic, Inc.

[@PicoGirl]

So from the code it seems like you have not done anything to measure rotational position, or calculate a linear position, but rather simply used a time base. Is this correct? If so, is there another mode that uses the closed loop system with feedback for a micro-controller? Or would a ClearPath Hub be required for closed loop with positional feedback?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi PicoKit, Thanks for your question. ClearPath is a fully integrated closed loop servo that uses an optical, high resolution, rotary encoder to close the position and velocity loops. The internal encoder signals are not brought out via the controller connector (due to connector space, electrical isolation and/or potential noise corruption, etc.). For users who want to double-check that the servo is following its command, there is an output feedback bit (called High-Level Feedback or HLFB) to verify that the servo is tracking within a user-defined position tolerance. (You can think of this as closing a “supervisory loop”.) In the Arduino sketch used in this video, I read this HLFB output bit from ClearPath before issuing a command to make the next position move. It’s a little bit faint, but you can actually see the one of the green LEDs on the shield blink on when HLFB asserts, indicating that the current move has successfully completed and is in-position. You asked about a “hub”, and while I think that you’re referencing the SC4-HUB, for anyone else reading this comment, Teknic manufactures two different hubs for two different purposes. The SC4-HUB is used with the SC (Software Control) series of ClearPath motors to enable communication between your host PC and the motors to query the motor and make moves. The POWER4-HUB is usable with all three motor series (SC, MC, and SD), and this hub makes it easier to connect multiple motors to a power supply (and it also enables the Logic Power Backup feature). In this video we demonstrate the ClearPath MC motors running with an Arduino, and therefore you wouldn’t use the SC4-HUB with this motor. I noticed your comments on some of our other videos, and it sounds like you are working on a laser engraving/cutting machine. If so, the step/dir modes (found in the SDSK and SDHP family) are appropriate - use the ClearPath HLFB output to verify the closed-loop servo is tracking your command within a user-defined position tolerance. You’ll be able to trigger a device (such as a laser) off of the step command and get excellent accuracy. Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at [e-mail]. Abe A. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@PicoGirl]

@@TeknicInc Thanks Abe. That's good info. I have been looking at the SD and SC as possible motors. SD for the operational mode 11 step and direction mode looks promising. But I am thinking the extra smooth G-Stop would be very advantageous for the delicate optical mirror system particularly during high speed motion that moves back and forth between two points. Does SC have step and direction also? And can these run from low level logic or do they have to communicate with a PC? I think that as long as we can get the ramp-up time and distance, then all the laser pulses could be matched by offsetting the start point and waiting the time to reach the maximum speed. What sort of power is required in a Nema23 motor to get 50,000rpm/s acceleration, with a 200g load (including carriage, belts and pulley)? Do you have any other thoughts?

[@TeknicInc]

@@PicoGirl For almost all CNC or path-following applications, Teknic recommends the ClearPath SD series (Step and Direction). While you can configure the ClearPath SC motors for "Step and Direction" mode (i.e. to accept "Step and Direction" signals), it is certainly more straight-forward to use a ClearPath SD motor. With a ClearPath SD model, you’re simply wiring three outputs from your controller to the motor (Step, Direction, and Enable) to the motor - with the SC, there’s a lot more to it… With a ClearPath SC motor, you ¬will need to create (i.e. code) a custom application that uses Teknic's C++ library to do things like enable and disable the motor, query the motor’s status, initiate homing, etc. (none of these actions occur automatically through digital I/O like they would with the ClearPath SD motors). This means that to use ClearPath SC in "step and direction" mode, you will need both a third-party step and direction indexer (i.e. your controller) and a PC running Teknic’s class library. Additionally, you’ll then need to develop a method for communicating between the indexer and the Teknic class library. Unless your CNC application requires a specific feature of the SC series, the SD series is usually the way to go. g-Stop, however, is not available in any "step and direction" control mode. As you might have seen in this video here (kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5uUfayPetumqtk), the g-Stop directly affects and morphs the velocity vs. time command. This would be an issue with CNC applications, where you want the motors to follow your exact path through space. One reason people use Step & Direction is so that the controller is in complete control of the velocity vs. time command (and you don’t want the g-Stop changing it on you). There is a separate feature available in the "Step and Direction" control modes which provides a 4th order polynomial curve to the incoming command. This algorithm (we call it the RAS, short for Regressive Auto Spline) helps to increase machine performance and reduce mechanical vibration, but doesn’t significantly affect the velocity vs. time profile like the g-Stop. Here is a video that goes into more detail on RAS: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYDcgWhnYrWcitU Selecting the proper motor for your specific application depends on many additional factors beyond the load weight and acceleration. Please contact [e-mail] for specific questions regarding your application and motor sizing. -Abe A. -Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@remoman]

Does the wattage of the 4-28 VDC matter?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi remoman, Yes - The logic supply's power rating (watts), or more specifically the current, does matter but ClearPath I/O does not require much current to operate. The exact logic supply current required for a given ClearPath motor varies slightly based on supply voltage. For example, Teknic recommends allowing at least 8mA per I/O point when using a 5VDC power source, and at least 12mA per I/O point for 24VDC supplies. The ClearPath manual includes a graph on page 46 that shows the recommended max. current to budget per I/O point for a given supply voltage (5-24VDC): teknic.com/files/downloads/clearpath_user_manual.pdf As a minor note, while the video does state that our logic level voltage range is 4-28VDC (which is entirely true), I would encourage you to stick to the nominally recommended 5-24VDC range to achieve maximum design margin. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us at teknic.com/contact/ or give us a call at 585-784-7454. Best regards, Mark D. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@abhichauhan5048]

Sir, i really like this concept ..... taotally amazed (y) may i know the shield you are using in this video.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Abhi Chauhan, Thank you for the kind feedback! We used the ProtoScrewShield which can be found and purchased from Sparkfun here: www.sparkfun.com/products/9729 Sparkfun also has a helpful online tutorial that describes how to set up and use this shield. The tutorial can be found here: www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/266 I hope this helps. If any questions come up about ClearPath, please feel free to send them to [e-mail]. Best of luck with your project. Kevin S.

[@abramfriesen9834]

Like your video it is a Masso controller I.m using with my Clearpath motors

[@do_ob1815]

Im in love with the speed of these servos! Would it be possible to use this with a raspberry pico?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Mitchell, Thanks for your feedback regarding ClearPath. Yes it is possible to use a Raspberry Pi Pico with ClearPath. However, as with most single board computers, the Pico’s on-board logic voltage is only 3.3V. ClearPath’s three general purpose inputs require a logic voltage of 4-28 VDC. As a result, you cannot use the Pico by itself. In order to make the Pico compatible, you can use a level shifter to bring the 3.3 V GPIO to 5 V (there are several well documented articles if you Google this specific topic). After boosting the Pico’s I/O voltage in this manner, you can then use the Pico with ClearPath servo motors, similar to our Arduino video - just programmed in a different environment. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to us directly through our "contact us" form (www.teknic.com/contact/ ) or call us at 585-784-7454. Best regards, Abe A. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@do_ob1815]

@@TeknicInc Thanks for the detailed information. Ill be in contact.

[@frian31]

Hello! I just ordered a clearpath motor. I would like to know which linear drive you used in this video. Did you use an adapter to connect the clearpath to this drive or does this drive come with the suitable adapter?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Andreas, The ballscrew linear actuator used in this video is a Vertex LGS33 Compact Linear Actuator. The actuator is a 10mm lead ballscrew and it came with a NEMA 23 mounting flange. The shaft coupling has a a 1/4" bore diameter, which is directly compatible with the one and two stack NEMA23 ClearPath motors with the ¼” shaft option. NEMA 23 ClearPath motors come standard with a 3/8 inch shaft, but for the shorter NEMA 23 motors a 1/4" shaft option is available. Depending on which motor you purchased, you may need to select different options for your actuator. If you have any additional questions regarding the ClearPath motors, please let us know at [e-mail]. Best Regards, Brendan

[@JahtheLion]

Hello, I am currently trying to utilize an SDSK motor to move objects on my system up and down left and right etc. I want to use pushbuttons to control all the various movements through Arduino but I'm running into different difficulties. Furthermore, we are building a UI for all these controls as well and I'm wondering if the SDSK will be able to be used for this application.

[@TeknicInc]

Hello Justyn, the SDSK motor communicates using step and direction signals. You can send steps from the Arduino to move the motor to any location at any speed within the motor's specification. There is a very helpful Arduino community located at forum.arduino.cc/ where you can find some specific advice regarding Arduino code, functions, and interfacing details. Best regards, Tom T

[@JahtheLion]

Is there a way to tell the sdsk to turn on at the click of a button at a certain velocity rather than telling it to go a certain amount of counts? Or is it only able to take step and direction commands? I've only been able to tell the motor to move at certain counts so far. When I tried to manually apply a PWM to input B so I can control the velocity of the motor through arduino I only get one real slow velocity. Any reason this is happening?

[@TeknicInc]

Hello, justyn, the SD motor that you have only uses step and direction signals for motion control. You can control the velocity by changing the frequency rate of the pulses being fed into input B on the ClearPath. I am not an Arduino programmer but the Arduino support forum mentioned above should be able to help you. Best regards, Tom T

[@Normedtech]

I couldn't get this to work with my SDSK3432. It's communicating properly with MSP the jog function works just fine. I've already done the battery test the indicator for enable, input A and B is working. When I uploaded the arduino code that I copied from your Github I can't get the motor to move. However when I wrote my own code it works ok. Is there something I need to change from the MSP settings? const int pin4 = 4; // Pin 4 const int pin6 = 6; // Pin 6 const int pin8 = 8; // Pin 8 const int pin9 = 9; // Pin 9 void setup() { pinMode(pin4, OUTPUT); // Set pin 4 as an output pinMode(pin6, OUTPUT); // Set pin 6 as an output pinMode(pin8, OUTPUT); // Set pin 8 as an output pinMode(pin9, OUTPUT); // Set pin 9 as an output digitalWrite(pin4, HIGH); // Set pin 4 to HIGH digitalWrite(pin6, HIGH); // Set pin 6 to HIGH digitalWrite(pin8, HIGH); // Set pin 8 to HIGH } void loop() { digitalWrite(pin9, HIGH); // Set pin 9 to HIGH delay(50); // Wait for 200 milliseconds digitalWrite(pin9, LOW); // Set pin 9 to LOW delay(50); // Wait for 200 milliseconds }

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Louie, My name is Brendan C., an applications engineer at Teknic. The link to our Github in the description will take you to code written specifically for an MC series motor which is not compatible with the SD series ClearPath motor that you have. That is probably your main problem. Given that your code moves the motor, it’s unlikely you need to make any changes to the ClearPath configuration in MSP. As a side note, this video preceded the release of Teknic’s ClearCore I/O and Motion Controller. I realize you already have an Arduino, but you might want to look at ClearCore for similar projects in the future (teknic.com/products/io-motion-controller/). It has an extensive library and example code, and it’s plug-and-play with ClearPath motors. It also has an Arduino wrapper that allows you to program it from the Arduino IDE if you want. Feel free to reach out with any questions by filling out a contact request form (teknic.com/contact/) or giving us a call at [phone]. Brendan C. - Teknic Applications Engineer

[@Normedtech]

@@TeknicInc Hello Brendan C, thanks for your quick response. I had a feeling it has something to do with the SD series. I do have a clear core on hand I was just curious about hooking it up to an arduino since i have a few sitting around. Also which series do you recommend for a cnc lathe spindle? I'd like to control the rpm and directions with a MASSO controller.

[@TeknicInc]

@@Normedtech Hi Louie, Teknic recommends the SD series when using a MASSO controller. The SD series, which has position control, is very good for drill and tap applications. The speed range for these motors is 4000-6000 RPM, so for higher speed cutting applications you will likely need a spindle motor. If you have any other questions, feel free to give us a call at [phone] or fill out our contact request form and we will be happy to help. Brendan C. - Teknic Applications Engineer

[@sakirdag2976]

thank you

[@robertcameronjones]

I know this is a stupid question because I watched the video, but will this actually work with a 3.3V micro like the Teensy 3.6 w/o level shifters? Inquiring minds want to know.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Rob Jones, Actually, this is a good question! 3.3 vdc, as commonly provided within the smaller micros simply don't provide enough voltage to reliably drive the optically isolated ClearPath inputs. The ClearPath logic inputs accept an input voltage range of 4-28VDC, but we recommend a voltage range of 5-24VDC for "logic high" at the ClearPath inputs (this is detailed in the ClearPath manual which can be downloaded here: www.teknic.com/downloads/ ). Needless to say, for 3.3V outputs we would recommend (as you mentioned) using a level shifter or switching to a microcontroller with native 5V outputs like the Arduino Uno (space permitting). Hope this helps. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us directly through our "Contact Us" form (www.teknic.com/contact/ ) or give us a call at 585-784-7454. Thanks, Jim W. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@robertcameronjones]

​@@TeknicInc I know you're not SUPPOSED to do it, but it works with 3.3V and I will keep it in my design due to its simplicity. It's driving an opto emitter and they tend to only require a couple volts to break them over.

[@WrathOfKeytho]

Question: Could you do the same thing with GPIO pins on the Raspberry PI?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Glalilos, Yes, it's certainly possible to utilize the GPIO of a Raspberry Pi for a ClearPath MC or SD series' inputs. You would just have to use a level shifter to make the 3.3 V outputs on the Pi compatible with the 4-28V inputs on the ClearPath. Please feel free to give us a call (585-784-7454) or leave us a message at www.teknic.com/contact/ if you have any questions. Best regards, Ian R. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@WrathOfKeytho]

@@TeknicInc Thanks, very helpful!

[@christophervargasschebesta3752]

Excelent , where can i buy the slidind rail and the clearpath servo, both?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Christopher, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! You can buy ClearPath integrated servos directly from Teknic using our online webstore. Teknic does not manufacture or sell stages/actuators, but you can find quality options from many online distributors for motion control. The linear actuator used in this video is a Vertex LGS33 Compact Linear Actuator. The actuator is a 10mm lead ballscrew, and the stage has a NEMA 23 mounting flange for the NEMA 23 ClearPath servo featured in this video. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us directly at [e-mail] Best Regards, Matt C - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@OriginalJetForMe]

Which ClearPath product is shown in this video?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Rick, The ClearPath MC motor used in the “How to Wire an Arduino…” video is a: CPM-MCPV-2321P-ELN. Here is a link to the motor’s specifications page. www.teknic.com/model-info/CPM-MCPV-2321P-ELN/ Please feel free to email us at [e-mail] if there is anything else we can help with. Best regards, Mark D.

[@swastikdas4251]

please show clear path servo basics

[@TeknicInc]

Hi arduino and electric tech, Thanks for your inquiry. Teknic has created a significant amount of support related resources for our customers but I can appreciate that “ClearPath servo basics” can mean different things to different people. If you have not visited Teknic’s website yet, you will be able to find a section called “Videos & Articles” under the “Support” tab at the top of Teknic’s website. Here is a direct link: www.teknic.com/watch-video/ In this section you can find many different ClearPath related videos including these topics: • ClearPath Overviews • ClearPath Operating Modes • ClearPath Accessories • Demos and Tutorials After viewing the videos, please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions for additional videos. We use customer feedback when creating resources so your request(s) will get reviewed and added to a list for future consideration. Best, Ian R. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@HouseProjectIT]

any chance to get a wiring diagram to connect on the most common 3d printer board to really kill the steppers? i have 1000$ components in my cart, i just waiting for a good diagram to remove the actual driver+steppers with the clearpath...

[@TeknicInc]

"Hi Elstak Manu, Thank you for your question. There are 3 input signals used for the Step and Direction (SD) motors: Enable, Input A(direction line), and Input B (step line). The pin-out and wire colors for the Teknic CPM-CABLE-CTRL-MU120 controller cable is listed on page 116 of the ClearPath User Manual: www.teknic.com/files/downloads/clearpath_user_manual.pdf Your controller needs to output 5-24VDC for each ClearPath input. The "+" for each input (e.g. Enable+) is the active signal coming from your controller. The "-" for each input (e.g. Enable-) is the ground that completes the path. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Best Regards, Tom T

[@HouseProjectIT]

Teknic Inc thanks, 2 quesyion thinking to replace all steppers with clearpath: 1)while autotuning the travel is automatically detected (i think in that mode the board endstop is ignored) or what? 2)if my design use 2 motors for each move, how to autotune 2 motors in the same time ( HBOT design) Thanks and... why no 17 line?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Elstak Manu, The auto-tuner function has a screen that allows the user to limit the stroke distance during the auto-tuning process for axes with constrained motion. As you go through the auto-tuning process, you will be given an opportunity to limit the stroke before the actual tuning begins. Dual motor axes are a little tricky to auto-tune, but one way that usually works pretty well (assuming the X and Y axes have the same mechanical transmission design) is to tune the Y axis (the single motor horizontal axis) temporarily loaded up with half the weight that the X axis handles, and then to use that tuning configuration file (slightly modified as described below) as the X axis configuration file: 1. And to reiterate, we’re assuming that the X and Y axes have the same mechanical design (e.g. both axes use a rack and pinion with the same pinion diameter, tooth pitch, etc.). If the dual motor axis is a different mechanical design than the single motor horizontal axis (e.g. the dual motor axis is rack and pinion and the single motor axis is a ballscrew), you should contact Teknic for support at [e-mail]. The vertical Z-axis should not be used in this procedure. 2. Load 1/2 the total X gantry weight onto the single Y motor axis and then run the auto-tuner. 3. After auto-tuning the one Y axis motor with the appropriate weight, save the file to your computer as the X axis motor file. 4. Connect MSP to each of the X motors and load the X motor file into each motor. If the X motor shafts are facing each other, one motor will be moving clockwise and one motor will be moving counter-clockwise when the gantry moves down the table. You can either compensate for this by programming your controller or you can select the “Reverse Direction” checkbox on the MSP main page for the Step and Direction mode. If you select the “Reverse Direction” checkbox for one motor, you will send the same exact command to both motors when making a move. 5. If the two X axis motor files are different (i.e., if you checked the Reverse Direction box for one of the motors), save the two X motor files with different names (e.g. Xa_SDSK-3421S_rev1 and Xb_SDSK-3421S_rev1) 6. Run the machine. 7. If the X axis does not seem to have optimal tuning, try to improve the tuning by moving the "Fine Tuning" slider to the left to see if your results improve. You will need to do this with both X motor files before evaluating the effectiveness of this step. If you make any changes to either file, re-save the new files (overwrite the old files or create new names) so you have the files saved in a safe location for the future. 8. Always use the same RAS setting for all motors for CNC applications. Teknic has investigated the possibility of manufacturing a NEMA17 size ClearPath integrated servo motor. The objectives for the project would be to scale down Teknic’s technology into a NEMA17 package without sacrificing quality, and to be able to manufacture these motors in high volume at a competitive price. At this time, we don’t believe we can meet all of these objectives, so the project has been put on hold (at least for now). For more information, please email us at [e-mail] Best regards, Tom T

[@gaewing]

Are all of your motors wired the same to the Arduino? I am looking at the SC motor and with an Arduino Mega 2560 R3. Do I need to use GBRL? Does your SD motor go through a setup like the SC does when it checks itself? This video caused me confusion and I was not getting the answers I needed from your support. When I called them- they did not recommend the Arduino? I am trying to do a mill conversion to CNC. Some confusion on KZbin is terminology -everyone calls your motors "Servo"- when actually they said they were using an SD and not SC.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi gaewing, This video uses a ClearPath SD motor executing point to point moves (not contouring moves used for CNC control). This is very different than following G-code for CNC applications. ClearPath SD servos are meant to replace other "Step and Direction" servos or stepper based systems. The SD model simply takes digital inputs for step, direction, and enable and is often times used for CNC machines that have a CNC controller. ClearPath “SC” servos are meant to be connected to a full PC or single board computer running a C++ application that you write for your application. You use the Teknic provided C++ API for developing your own software application. The C++API is not compatible with an Arduino or similar microcontrollers. Arduinos are not commonly used for CNC applications for many reasons. It can be done, using GRBL, but your results may vary. Using a more common CNC controller should provide superior results (both robustness and repeatability). Best regards, Brendan

[@shipuku0305]

is that the whole code for this project? do we need to add a button or something also?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Shipuku 030 - a link to both Arduino sketches used in this video can be found in the video description. The video goes into extensive detail about all of the components and wiring. No buttons were used in either of this video's examples, but most microcontrollers could use a button wired into a digital input if desired. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to us directly by phone or use our “Contact Us” form at teknic.com/contact/ Best regards, Matt C. -Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@shipuku0305]

@@TeknicInc ok, thank you also, what is the led and resistor wired to?

[@TeknicInc]

@@shipuku0305 The pull-up resistor and LED in this example are wired with Arduino's 5VDC pin on one side, and the Arduino digital input and ClearPath HLFB+ on the other side. This pull-up is required to ensure Arduino's voltage-driven input reads the ClearPath digital feedback signal (HLFB) correctly. The LED serves as an external visual indicator of the on/off state of HLFB. Alternatively you could omit the resistor and LED, and instead turn on Arduino's built-in pull-up resistor. A full discussion of HLFB starts at 3:43, along with wiring diagrams at 4:38.

[@shipuku0305]

@@TeknicInc ah ok thanks, that was confusing me

[@OldePhart]

You said 4 volts was minimum signal, the docs say 5 volts is minimum. I am having trouble drive the motor using 3.8- 4 volt signal (from a PMDX-126) and I'm getting conflicting info on this point.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi AndTheWinnerIs…, I can understand the confusion over the apparently conflicting information. The difficult thing is that both values are technically correct, so perhaps some clarification will be helpful. The minimum nominal voltage for those inputs is 5Vdc (and the maximum nominal is 24Vdc). The minimum guaranteed input voltage however is 4Vdc (assuming of course that enough current is present to turn on the internal LED), and the maximum is 28VDC. The reason for both specs is that most nominal 5V systems suffer from voltage droop across wires and interconnects, so a signal that starts out as 5V, is rarely (if ever) 5V when it reaches the motor. If you’re interested, wiring schematics and additional information on the input current requirements can be found in the ClearPath manuals located here: www.teknic.com/downloads/ The 3.8V signal is below the minimum guaranteed working voltage. So if you’re having issues with one of the ClearPath inputs seeing that signal, this could be part of the problem. In speaking with an engineer at PMDX, the PMDX-126 naturally outputs 5V signals (not 3.8-4V); PMDX said that the PMDX-126 should be compatible with ClearPath. I hope this information helped. If you have any additional questions regarding the use of ClearPath in your application, please feel free to contact us through our website or directly through [e-mail]. Best regards, Jon K. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@OldePhart]

@@TeknicInc Hi guys, I know we spoke on the phone and all is fine now. But for the benefit of others... I do still have a 3.8V signal from the PMDX, it is nowhere near 5 volts. But as you and the PMDX folks mentioned, your input is an LED driven by current and the current at 3.8v is around 6mA and that satisfies your input. Using a voltage minimum spec worked against me troubleshooting and kept me from seeing the problem which seems to stem from my original autotuning at 25% power. Autotuned at 100% and it came to life perfectly. I'm not certain how to clarify this in the docs, Min Voltage is commonly used, but 3.8V is working just fine at this time. I don't like it, it seems too close to "no mans land" of logic signals, but this isn't TTL logic so it's the current that really matters here. Maybe an EE can state this more eloquently. Thanks for your support. I really like these motors.

[@TeknicInc]

​Hi @@OldePhart (I like the name change!), I’m happy to hear that you were able to get your system up and running. We try to help when and where we can, so I’m glad that everything worked out. For others reading this in the future: 1) As a first step, we recommend testing with the ClearPath setup software (MSP for SD/MC servos) when trying to troubleshoot a performance issue. This helps you separate whether there is or isn’t a controller issue. If you are unable to smoothly jog the motor with the setup software, you’ll _generally_ want to first look at the mechanics and servo to first get the motion working smoothly. 2) You can (sometimes) get your motors to function from lower input voltages (even though the minimum rated spec is 4V). I would never suggest designing a machine around that spec though. If the stack-up of component tolerances falls the wrong way, you’ll experience intermittent issues. OldePhart, you may still see some intermittent issues on this machine even though the present combination seems to be working right now. You can probably identify that you’re having one of these problems if you experience inconsistent positioning, seemingly random or sluggish response to specific commands (e.g. enabling/disabling the motor), or unexpected motion (e.g. homing when you don’t expect). Thank you for closing the loop on this though, Jon K. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@ulukoton]

Just bought two clear path motors and need to control them with Ardunio. How do i get started?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Tonny, This Arduino video is a good supplement to the ClearPath User Manual, step and direction operational mode video, and TekTip Tutorial series. The videos are quick references to get you started while the manual is a more complete explanation with more detail about the set-up. You may want to start with the videos and then move on to the ClearPath User Manual. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4SalqeinceofLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5jMmJacbL-td7M kzbin.info/door/4Q91tGO80QMSHyy1SoHrtg Here is the ClearPath User Manual: www.teknic.com/files/downloads/clearpath_user_manual.pdf Additionally, here is a link to the Teknic Arduino Libraries: github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction If you have any specific questions regarding ClearPath and your application, please email [e-mail] Best regards, Bridgette G.

[@motorizedprecision]

Hey Bridgette. Do you have a number or email we can reach you at?

[@motorizedprecision]

@teknic

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Sean, thank you for your interest. There are a number of engineers here at Teknic that can help you. It's important to us that your questions are answered as soon as possible to ensure a timely response, please send your questions to [e-mail]. We look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Tom T

[@Z-add]

Do you have a video with masso controller?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi MySchizo Buddy, As of yet, we haven't done any videos with the Masso controller so I wouldn't be able to comment on the integration. However, I did a quick Google search (I used the search term "Masso controller and ClearPath servo") and found several interesting KZbin videos describing this very topic. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! - Abe A. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@cynertiaelectric5837]

You appear to have put the same Arduino code(velocity) for for both mode options. I believe the absolute move should be a different Arduino code. Could you post the correct code for absolute position please?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi cynertia electric, you are correct that we posted the same exact code for both the "Move to Absolute Position" and "Ramp Up/Down to Selected Velocity" modes. In this specific example, the base code for these operational modes can be exactly the same due to the way the positions and velocities are defined within ClearPath. However, the codes should have different annotations in order to avoid confusion (different comments and explanations). Thank you for pointing this out! The positioning mode allows the motor to move between four different positions, while the velocity mode allows the motor to ramp between four different velocities. In the position mode, the four positions are defined by different combinations of high and low signals being sent to ClearPath's Input A and Input B (i.e. Position One = A low, B low, Position Two = A high, B low, Position Three = A low, B high, Position Four = A high, B high). In velocity mode, the four velocities are defined exactly the same way. In other words, in both cases, the binary combination of the two bits selects one of the four positions or speeds, respectively. This is why you can use the same exact code in this demo video. I will see if we can make changes to the comments section of the "Move to Absolute Position" code to be more accurate. Please contact Teknic if you have any additional questions. Best, Bridgette G.

[@HS-hz4fx]

does the motor reach the max rpm with arduino

[@TeknicInc]

Hi H S, Yes, it certainly can. An Arduino will not limit ClearPath’s ability to reach maximum RPM. In most cases all you need to do is configure your ClearPath motor to achieve that speed. Throughout this video Teknic uses a ClearPath MC motor to demonstrate position and velocity control through different ‘operating modes’. If you look closely at this part of the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4uvqHekfLiUm6s, you can see Teknic demonstrate the “Ramp Up/Down to Selected Velocity” operating mode. In this mode we configure the motor to spin to four different velocities: *0, +350, -100, and +100* RPM. If we had chosen -6,000 RPM to be our third velocity instead of -100RPM, then when the Arduino requested the motor spin at its third velocity, the motor would have spun to -6,000 RPM instead. If you’re interested in learning more about the different ClearPath MC Operational Modes and how you can use/configure the motors for your application, please take a look at our website here: www.teknic.com/products/clearpath-brushless-dc-servo-motors/clearpath-mc/. If you have any additional questions, please contact us at www.teknic.com/contact or give us a call M-F between 8AM and 6PM EST at 585-784-7454. Best regards, Jon K.

[@dantedagandanan9953]

what is the model of your servo motor?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Dante, The ClearPath model that we used in this video is a CPM-MCPV-2321P-ELN. Here is a link to the motor's specification page: www.teknic.com/model-info/CPM-MCPV-2321P-ELN/ If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us directly through our "contact us" form (www.teknic.com/contact/ ) or call us at 585-784-7454. Best regards, Bridgette G. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@abdmorioglu4868]

WİCH ARDUINO DO YOU ADVİCE FOR 6DOF ARM ROBOT

[@TeknicInc]

Hi abd morioglu, I appreciate your question. There are several controllers that could work with ClearPath in a 6DOF robot, but the optimal choice depends on several specific application factors. In this video, we are using an Arduino Uno, although other controllers are compatible with ClearPath as well. The main requirement for using a controller with ClearPath is that the controller outputs are 5-24VDC signals that can supply enough current (dependent on the voltage and listed in the ClearPath User Manual). If you would like to discuss your application and controller options in more detail, please feel free to contact Teknic at 585-784-7454 or through our website at www.teknic.com/contact/ Best regards, Bridgette G. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@mztech1925]

awesome great video

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback! We have new videos planned so stay tuned and let us know if there's a topic you'd like to see covered in a future video. Best regards, Kevin S.

[@mztech1925]

Teknic Inc IP ratings of your SC motors

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Michael, thanks for the suggestion. I will add this to our list of potential videos. The ClearPath NEMA frame sizes dictate their respective IP ratings. These ratings are documented in the “Appendix - Common Specifications” section of the user manuals. All user manuals can be found in the download section of Teknic’s website: www.teknic.com/downloads/ Best of luck with your project! Kevin S.

[@elsunshine9976]

can you control those with grbl software?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi el SunShine, While I'm not an expert in Grbl, it's my understanding that this open-source software works off the Arduino microcontroller and is traditionally used to output step and direction signals to several axes. The ClearPath-SD ("Step-and-Direction") series servo systems are designed to accept step and direction signals from a variety of sources. All ClearPath motors have opto-isolated inputs that can be directly wired up to 5-24 volt logic outputs. Because the ClearPath inputs are optos, you can use sourcing or sinking logic. (You’ll need to be able to source/sink about 8-12mA, depending on your logic voltage. See the user manual for details.) Many people have successfully connected Arduinos to ClearPath motors. Here's a short technical overview video showing how ClearPath-SD works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5jMmJacbL-td7M Check it out and leave a comment or feel free to email [e-mail] if you have any questions. Thank you, Kevin S.

[@frian31]

Which pitch does the drive have

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Andreas, The ball screw used has a 10mm lead (i.e., 10 mm of linear travel per revolution of the ballscrew). Please see my reply to your previous comment for more specific information. Thanks, Brendan

[@محسنخالد-ب5غ]

يجماعه بعد اذنكم المواتير دى فى منها فى ليبيا ارجو الرد

[@TeknicInc]

Hi محسن خالد, Thank you for your interest in ClearPath. Teknic now ships directly to Libya. You can order ClearPath and accessories online using a credit card. Please contact [e-mail] if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Bridgette G.

[@jcjensenllc]

You really should say this is for the MC style motor.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Simply Human, I’m an engineer with Teknic and I recently came across your comment. The control mode highlighted in this video is specific to the MC series - good eye Simply Human :) . We provide examples for the control modes “Move to 4 Absolute Positions” and “Ramp Up/Down to 4 Selected Velocities” on GitHub: github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/TekTips-Arduino-Wiring-Video Most Arduinos (with 5-24 VDC I/O) can control both Teknic’s SD (Step and Direction) and MC (Motion Control) series of ClearPath. The SC (Software Control) series of ClearPath is not compatible with Arduinos at this time. While the code will certainly be different for each control mode/series, the wiring, power, and feedback connections will be the same. We’ve actually posted a Step and Direction library for the Arduino Uno for use with the SD Series ClearPath to help get users up and running at: github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction/tree/master/Arduino%20Uno/ClearPathStepGen I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at 585-784-7454, or use our "Contact Us" form online at www.teknic.com/contact/ Best, Aaron B. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@jcjensenllc]

@@TeknicInc this is a bold faced lie. The github StepAndDirection sample code for the SDSK will only work on an Arduino UNO. The ISR(TIMER2_COMPA_vect) function in ClearpathStepGen class will not run on anything other than an Arduino UNO.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi @@jcjensenllc, I’m sorry that our response came off as misleading. We work hard to provide accurate and truthful information at all times. Please allow us to clarify. We’ve updated the video description to explicitly call out the MCPV ClearPath motor used in this video. One of the main messages we’re trying to convey in this video is that most all microcontrollers (even a simple 8-bit Arduino) have general purpose I/O that is electrically compatible with the integrated ClearPath motors. However, you do need to write code to manage the timing of the I/O logic signals for the particular ClearPath operating mode (MCVC, MCPV, SDSK, or SDHP). Most of the operating modes within the MCVC/MCPV families use simple I/O, turned on or off, to move to a preprogrammed position or ramp to a preset velocity. So, the code to manage the I/O in these cases is pretty straightforward. On the other hand, getting a microcontroller to produce step/direction signals for the SDSK/SDHP families requires more complicated code to manage timing between pulses (especially for a simple 8-bit Arduino). The open source Step and Direction library we published on Github (github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction/tree/master/Arduino%20Uno/ClearPathStepGen) was written specifically for the Arduino Uno for use with the SDSK/SDHP ClearPath motors. Since there are a wide range of microcontrollers and they are not object code compatible with each other (even within the Arduino family), some parts of this StepGen library example code will need to be modified if you use an microcontroller other than the Arduino Uno. For example, if you used the Arduino Mega instead of the Uno, there are two "board specific" settings which need to be modified, including the port register names and the timer interrupts, where the latter is programmed using the ISR(TIMER2_COMPA_vect) function in the UNO. Details on modifying the StepGen library for the Arduino Mega can be found within the "Read Me" section of our Github page. For alternative microcontrollers, modifications other than just the timer and port register names may be required. github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction/blob/master/Arduino%20Uno/ClearPathStepGen/ReadMe.txt I hope this better helps clarify things. If you have any questions, or would like to talk about your specific application please feel free to give us a call at 585-784-7454, or use our "Contact Us" form online at www.teknic.com/contact/ Best, Aaron B. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@mankind8807]

Now if you could remake this video in English that would be great!

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Mankind, Thank you for your comments. We understand that learning how to do software programming can be challenging. You might be interested in Teknic’s newly released ClearCore motion and I/O controller which can help simplify wiring and programming: www.teknic.com/products/io-motion-controller/ To help both beginning and experienced programmers, Teknic has written an Arduino library that allows the ClearCore to be programmed in the Arduino IDE. In addition, we have written more than 40 motion and I/O examples for the ClearCore. These examples, and many other ClearCore resources, can be found in the download section of Teknic's website: www.teknic.com/downloads Regarding hardware, the ClearCore controller has 4 motor connectors and 13 points of configurable industrial I/O built-in. Using Teknic's controller and power cables provides plug-and-play functionality so no complicated wiring is required to get the motors running. If you have any other comments or questions about this video or the ClearCore motion and I/O controller, please contact us at: www.teknic.com/contact/ or call us at 585-784-7454. Aaron B. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@davidsirmons]

Very easy?......Not to me. This is entirely over my level of familiarity or comfort, wiring things or soldering things or programming things. I want to buy/use one of these on a wearable frame, and have it respond to pressure/time signals from some object which would detect/transmit movement by the wearer. Not sure if this something that's doable via some default setting or not, or even how that would be approached. I like these servos for sure, but I need more clarity on this.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi David: Thanks for your inquiry. I'm an applications engineer at Teknic and happened to read your post. While we don’t have an off-the-shelf solution, I have some information that may be helpful to you. First, Teknic produced this video because the Arduino is gaining popularity for both home/personal projects as well as for commercial applications. As you may know, the Arduino is a microcontroller with both digital & analog I/O and uses a C/C++ programming language. The Arduino open source community is extensive and the application diversity is wide and varied. That being said, my impression is that you are looking for a turn-key, haptic-type controller that generates motion commands based on movement from a user wearing some type of sensor array (bend sensors, accelerometers, force transducers, etc). I’m not an expert in this field but most of these sensor types output an analog voltage that can be directly read by an Arduino. With the proper application code, the Arduino can read these analog signals and subsequently generate the requisite digital output signals to directly control a ClearPath servo. As a caveat, there's a fair amount of engineering (and coding) for this type of project. There may be something more off-the-shelf available that wouldn't require as much engineering but it would likely be in a different price range than an Arduino. There is also an Arduino derivative that is targeted towards the "wearable" market called the LilyPad: store.arduino.cc/usa/lilypad-arduino-main-board. There's a lot to digest here but hopefully I answered more questions than I may have raised. You're always welcome to contact us directly (www.teknic.com/contact/) if you want more information about ClearPath motors. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best regards, AbeA - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@mehmetedex]

*I'm super pumped up lately after seeing what clearpath is capable at this price point.* Is anybody willing to give one away to me for education purpose only. I would highly appreciate it, since I'm a student and broke. :D

[@eddedd7019]

hi; it was very interesting; could you please make a video on how to reproduce a math function like sine or an audio file by the movemements of a clearpath

[@TeknicInc]

Hi edd edd Thanks for your feedback and for your video suggestion. Getting feedback directly from our subscribers is greatly appreciated and provides us with a valuable resource when trying to determine which videos will be most helpful. I've added your request to our video backlog. We have several videos in the process of being completed and once those are published, we'll have a chance to evaluate which videos to do next. Sincerely, AbeA

[@tronicgr]

I think you can do much more that simple on-off or toggling positions with the clearpath: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXfWammgp9V7qbs I would really like to try one of the newer integral hp models...!!

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Thanos 6DOF, Yes, you're right - there’s a wide range of operational modes available for the ClearPath motors. There are torque modes, velocity modes, position modes and even a software controlled version. For more information about the available modes, you can check out the ClearPath User Manuals in the download section of Teknic’s website or view the “ClearPath Operational Mode” videos here: kzbin.info/aero/PLuMmdjFz-3nwjDepiwI65IvtiC7rnCdrL To learn more about the integral hp (AC input) ClearPath, check out the following page: www.teknic.com/products/clearpath-brushless-dc-servo-motors/ac-induction-replacement/ - Jonathan T.

[@tronicgr]

Teknic Inc I have tried all control methods. Implemented burst pulse algorithm for my motion controller a few years back, but it was not real time, meaning the clear path wanted to complete the whole motion path not following the actual real time motion cues. The best way to use it for real time response is in speed mode, and use external PID closed loop with external sensor. Then I also used the clear path motor for force feedback steering wheel in torque mode with PID loop on external 2500cpr encoder which worked amazing attaching the steering wheel directly on the motor ( direct drive). Thanks for your wonderful products! You should create Twitter account, if not having one yet. I placed some content involving ClearPath motors there but could not locate any relative hastags... Thanks Thanos

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Thanos 6DOF, It's great that you've been able to use so many different modes with ClearPath. If you have any specific questions on any of them, we'd be happy to help. It sounds like you may be looking for an operational mode that is slightly different from Pulse Burst mode. As you mentioned, Pulse Burst Positioning mode is designed to finish each commanded move before beginning the next move. For example, if you command a clockwise move, and then command a counter-clockwise move while the first move is still occurring, ClearPath will finish that first move before changing direction and starting the second one. Pulse burst was designed for users who need infinite position control flexibility, but who don't have a third party step and direction indexer. In Pulse Burst mode, the user does not need to create the motion trajectory. The user sets the max acceleration rate, the maximum speed, and the distance, and ClearPath MC's built-in motion controller creates the trajectory. There is another operational mode called "Step and Direction" available on the ClearPath SD series which allows for the real-time positioning control more similar to what you are describing. ClearPath SD follows commands from a third party step and direction indexer. The motor will follow the control signals in real time as the command changes (e.g. start, stop, speed up, slow down),. In other words, there will be no move commands “stored” in the motor. Thanks for the suggestion about Twitter. We've considered creating a Twitter account (along with other social media accounts), so it's possible that we may pursue this in the future. We appreciate the feedback and enthusiasm for our products! Best regards, Jonathan T.

[@tronicgr]

Teknic Inc I see. The microcontroller I use on my motion simulators cannot handle that many pulses as its busy with PID (6 motors). I'll have to create some additional co-processor interface that will handle the conversion of the position demands to pulse/dir for steps. Any chance you will have a solution to output the motors quadrature encoder pulses in some pins on the clearpath somehow? I implemented solution to convert these encoder signals to simple analog voltage that is easy for arduino to read... motionsim.blogspot.com/2018/02/using-linear-ac-servomotor-actuators.html Right now i have to attach external encoder on the motor to read back accurately its position: twitter.com/Thanos_6DOF/status/963073836198412289

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Thanos 6DOF, This is a question that we have been asked before. Without an explanation, it may seem logical that the motor should have streaming encoder output data available and we do realize that for some customers, this function would be useful. However, please let me explain. Designing the ClearPath integrated servo motors was a significant engineering challenge. The number one questions was, “How can we manufacture a cost effective closed-loop servo in a robust design that could justify a three year warranty?” One of the ways we achieved ClearPath’s low price was by eliminating certain features. To help us decide what to leave out, we consulted a large number of our most experienced users and asked them which features they'd miss the least. If the features were costly, we had to consider leaving them out. Using this approach, we may have made the ClearPath a little less attractive for some applications, but it means now you can use a servo system where you could not have afforded to before. There is an internal encoder to maintain accurate position and velocity, but we reduced cost and space (and got rid of potential noise problems) by not running the encoder signals to the outside world. ClearPath does have a digital status output (HLFB), however, to tell you when moves are done or target speeds are reached. That being said, you can query the encoder position on the fly (position capture, still not streaming data) using the advanced firmware option of the ClearPath-SC family via software or (with). Sincerely, Jonathan T.

[@jimmyrojas5583]

buenas , vídeos en español?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Jimmy, I appreciate the compliment and suggestion. (Note, at the bottom of this response I included a translated version in Spanish. I used Google Translate so the result may not be entirely accurate.) Unfortunately, we aren't currently able to create our videos in other languages. Luckily, KZbin has an "Auto-translate" feature for video captions (you may already be aware of this). To turn on this feature, click the gear icon next to "CC" in the lower right corner of the video. Then, select "Subtitles/CC". There will be an option that says "Auto-translate". Choose "Auto-translate" and select "Spanish". This will translate the English subtitles to Spanish. Hopefully the translation is accurate. I hope this helps. Maybe someday in the future we will be able to create videos in multiple languages :) Best, Bridgette G. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer ---------------------------------------- Hola Jimmy, aprecio el elogio y la sugerencia. (Tenga en cuenta que al final de esta respuesta incluí una versión traducida en español. Utilicé Google Translate, por lo que el resultado puede no ser del todo exacto). Desafortunadamente, actualmente no podemos crear nuestros videos en otros idiomas. Afortunadamente, KZbin tiene una función de "Auto-translate" para traducir subtítulos de video (es posible que ya lo sepas). Para activar esta función, haga clic en el icono de engranaje junto a "CC" en la esquina inferior derecha del video. Luego, seleccione "Subtitles / CC". Habrá una opción que dice "Auto-translate". Elija "Auto-translate" y seleccione "Spanish". Esto traducirá los subtítulos en inglés al español. Esperemos que la traducción sea precisa. Espero que esto ayude. Quizás algún día en el futuro podamos crear videos en varios idiomas :) Mejor, Bridgette G. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@adamfilipowicz9260]

wish clearpath motors provided position feeback,

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Adam, Fortunately, there are a number of feedback modes available in ClearPath! The ClearPath SD and MC’s have an output that we refer to as High Level FeedBack or HLFB. HLFB offers numerous feedback options for position, velocity and torque.. If you’re looking for an encoder output, we decided to leave these out to reduce cost, decrease size, and improve noise immunity. Because the ClearPath is fully closed loop, and the servo will always follow the command, the HLFB works well for most systems. However, if you need to have raw encoder data for integration with a 3rd party device, some customers have elected to use an external encoder. If you have any questions about the ClearPath output options please feel free to contact us at [e-mail]. Best regards, Aaron B.

[@MSM5500]

@@TeknicInc "to use an external encoder." I'd wish to use an external encoder but how can I do that if Techic R&D hasn't made a shaft sticking out at the back of the motor like it's on any other servo motor in the world???

[@TeknicInc]

Hi MSM550, you are correct that because of ClearPath’s integrated drive electronics, there is no external shaft at the back of the system to mount an external encoder. The good news is that there are several ways to mount an external encoder, depending on the mechanics you use. Rotary encoders can be mounted to mechanical pulleys/pinions or the shafts of the mechanics. Linear encoders can be used to run along actuators such as belts, screws, and rack & pinions. It all depends on what you need the external encoder for (and many times it turns out that you don’t even need an external encoder to achieve an application feature you’re looking for). While Teknic does not have any current plans to manufacture an integrated servo system with a shaft on both ends, I can add your request to our internal database for feature requests and feedback so that it is considered by our design engineers. We originally opted out of this design to save on cost and reduce the size (because most of our market does not require this type of feature), but that’s not to say we wouldn’t consider it as an option for future products. If you’d like to discuss your application further or you have questions about how to achieve a certain functionality with Teknic products, please feel free to give Teknic a call at 585-784-7454 or contact us at teknic.com/contact/. Aaron B. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@MSM5500]

@@TeknicInc , "there are several ways to mount an external encoder" Well, yes, sure there are several ways and one of them is adding a highly customised tooth belt pulley onto a Harmonic Drive wave generator Oldham coupling hub attached onto the ClearPath motor shaft in order to transfer motor rotation to the other pulley attached to the external encoder. All that looks kind of OK but one thing that makes that approach a bit ugly in engineering terms is inability to separate that tooth belt auxiliary transmission from the Harmonic drive grease. The fact is that the Clearpath motors have the shortest output shafts among the bunch of other motors and gearboxes I have by my side, so there is no chance to introduce some segregation wall in between. But anyways, I have no other choice cause I have what I have and I have to live with it. Since the HarmonicGrease(TM) is kind of lithium based lubricant, as far as I know, hopefully it might not cause any chemical harm to the belt. Referring to my experience with ClearPath motors I can state that they aren't suitable for building robots that what I do as contemporary approach to programming robots is teaching them by letting a robot controller know about what current joint positions are. In other words, the robot controller must know the position of each joint which is used for generating a robot program. In the industry standard RoboDK software the first thing done right after establishing a connection with a robot controller is pressing the "Get Position" button. That's probably all what I'd like to say. Cheers.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi MSM5500, For “teaching” applications where you need to be able to measure the encoder position of a servo that has been disabled and moved by hand, Teknic’s SC (Software Controlled) series ClearPath may be a better fit. While the SC series requires a different type of control (a PC or Linux host system), you can query the encoder position. Please feel free to reach out to Teknic directly if you'd like to further discuss your application or any questions you have. Aaron B. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@stevecannon5492]

BREAKOUT BOARD?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Steve, The breakout board in this video is a screw shield for Arduino Uno (there are many different screw shields out there that are compatible, but make sure you get one that matches the type of Arduino you have). Best, Bridgette G. - Teknic Servo System Engineer

[@ensaricokur1784]

I wired HLFB “green” to 5v to my parallel port BoB and “red wire” to pin10 “input” to get a feed back. Here red goes to ground. I am confused. Which one is correct?

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Ensari Cokur, there are multiple ways of wiring to the HLFB status output and which way you choose will depend on your break-out-board's internal circuitry. One helpful thing to remember is that HLFB is an optically isolated, open-collector output. Therefore this requires an external power source, 5-24VDC with an appropriately sized pull-up resistor. Some inputs on microcontrollers, PLCs, and other interface boards have this power source and pull-up resistor already built-in to that input, like the Arduino Uno for example. Other boards do not. There are also several additional, commonly found configurations. On page 50-51, section "HLFB Output Wiring Examples" of the ClearPath User Manual v2.26 (available here: www.teknic.com/files/downloads/clearpath_user_manual.pdf) you'll find multiple examples for wiring up the HLFB. In either case, you'll notice that the wiring configuration is dependent on your board's internal circuit architecture. If your board manufacturer does not publish their circuit diagrams, you can send the ClearPath wiring diagram on page 50 to them and they can very quickly let you know the best method to hook up to their inputs. Since each manufacturer has their own way of handling IO, we provide our side of the circuit and the rest is dependent on the exact board being used. Other helpful manual pages to check out include page 46, section "Overview: The ClearPath Output (HLFB)", and "Appendix D: Common Specifications" on page 140. I hope this helps. Please feel free to email additional questions to [e-mail] and we'll be happy to help. Best regards, Kevin S.

[@jcjensenllc]

THE MOTOR USED IN THIS DEMO IS THE MC MODEL (not the SDSK). The engineer that published this video failed to mention this SIGNIFICANT fact. The code sample on github for the SDSK model only works on an Arduino UNO. The more advanced Arduino models cannot run the code because of the way interrupts are handled. More recent Arduino's choke on this function: ISR(TIMER2_COMPA_vect). Teknic has known this for over a year but they are too lazy to update the sample code.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi, I'm an applications engineer with Teknic and saw your recent comment. Thank you for your feedback; we modified the video description to make it clear that the model in the video is not a ClearPath SD-series system. You are correct that the servo we used in this video is the MC series of ClearPath. Specifically, we used the “Move to Absolute Position - 4 Positions” and “Ramp Up/Down to Selected Velocity” operating modes, available in the MCPV family (there are 13 total unique operating modes within this family). The MCPV series (as well as the MCVC series) use ClearPath’s internal motion engine to generate and manage the acceleration and deceleration ramps. Because of this, you can write relatively straightforward code for most any PLC, I/O controller, or even an 8 bit micro controller, like an Arduino, to toggle I/O for these simpler position and velocity applications. If you intend to generate and use step/dir signals from your controller, you should use SDSK or SDHP family because the MC-series does not accept step and direction signalling. Most Arduinos output 5-24 Vdc digital signals and can sink or source enough current to be electrically compatible with all ClearPath servo systems (MCVC, MCPV, and both SD series). It is pretty straightforward to write code for the Arduino to toggle I/O for many of the MCPV operating modes, but managing the timing of step / direction signaling for the SD-series ClearPath models is a bit more complex, especially with an 8-bit micro. To help users overcome this complexity and still use an Arduino (or a similar micro-controller) with the ClearPath SD series, we wrote the open source “stepgen” example library found on Github. We chose the Uno because it’s a very common microcontroller. github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction/tree/master/Arduino%20Uno/ClearPathStepGen If you don’t use an Arduino Uno, the sample code will likely need to be modified. For example, if you switched to an Arduino Mega, there are two "board specific" settings which need to be modified (the port register names and the timer interrupts). However, there are a wide range of alternative microcontrollers, other modifications to the library may be required for them. Details on modifying both the port register names as well as the timer interrupts settings for the Arduino Mega can be found within the "Read Me" section of our Github page. github.com/Teknic-ClearPath/ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction/blob/master/Arduino%20Uno/ClearPathStepGen/ReadMe.txt I hope this helps clarify things. If you have any questions, or would like to talk about your specific application please feel free to give us a call at 585-784-7454, or use our "Contact Us" form online at www.teknic.com/contact/ Best, Ian R. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@jcjensenllc]

@@TeknicInc Your code, while much appreciated by many, needs a lot more modification than the suggested PinB-22 and PORTA changes to run on even an Arduino 101. Your code is certainly several years old. Suprising that no attempt has been made to modernize it. We all aren't experts at coding with interrupts so necessary mods are not trivial. Paul Stoffregen attempted to modify your code to run on a TEENSY MCU but even his code won't run your SDSK motors - though in his defense, he did say it was not tested. His attempt is on Github and the project name is the same as yours: ClearPath-Arduino-Step-And-Direction. Maybe someone at Teknic can use his edits to publish something that works on an ARM processor (more than 10 times faster than an UNO). The time you spend answering (stupid) youtube comments (like this) could be avoided by putting something useful on Github for coders who are not experts (nubes). You might get more customers that way. As it is, I will selling my Clearpath SDSK on ebay.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi @@jcjensenllc , In regard to your suggestion about publishing code that works on an ARM processor, you may be interested to learn that we have recently done so. A couple of months ago, we introduced a product called “ClearCore” which is an I/O and motion controller driven by an ARM-Cortex M4F processor. This product comes with a complete C++ motion and I/O library, which includes objects for step and direction motion control. The source code for the entire library is available as a free download to anyone. You can download it from Github (teknic-inc.github.io/ClearCore-library/). This would be a great head start for anyone wanting to port the step and direction code to their ARM processor of choice. On another note, if you no longer want your ClearPath motor, and you’ve had it for less than 3 months, you don’t have to sell it on eBay; you can return it to Teknic for a full refund. If you have any questions, or would like to talk about your specific application please feel free to give us a call at 585-784-7454, or use our "Contact Us" form online at www.teknic.com/contact/ Best, Ian R. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@Gomerpyro]

Sorry - love your products but this video went way too fast.....

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Gomerpyro, thank you, we value your feedback. Could you please reference the specific sections that seemed too rushed? This will help us focus on your areas of concern. Please send your comments about this video, as well as any other suggestions or feedback, to [e-mail]. We will give all your comments and suggestions careful consideration. Thanks again! Sincerely, Bridgette G.

[@adamfilipowicz9260]

luckily you can pause, rewind and watch multiple times

[@gmjquin]

688 LOL

[@TiagoPerdigao]

Definitely not for beginners. To much info. One clear path would have been more useful. (Yes I am a total beginner.

[@TeknicInc]

Hi Tiago Perdigao, This video certainly has some complex elements if you're less familiar with each of the components being used. Fortunately, the use cases for individual components are highlighted in several other ClearPath overview videos that feature a single axis. Here are a few such videos that may prove helpful: •ClearPath Overview Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHKZqqWQp92ohtU •ClearPath MC Overview Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYeqaaqPmJ2hbJY •ClearPath SD Overview Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5jMmJacbL-td7M If you have specific questions about ClearPath, feel free to call us at 585-784-7454, or use our "Contact Us" page online. (www.teknic.com/contact/). We're happy to assist. Best Regards, Ian R. - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

[@TiagoPerdigao]

@@TeknicInc Thanks.