UFACTORY BIO Gripper for Roboterarm User Manual

UFACTORY BIO Gripper for Roboterarm

Specifications

• Compatibility: xArm
• Control: IO port at the end of the machine
• Power Supply: 24V DC
• Communication Protocol: Modbus RTU over RS-485
• Ob ject Width Range: 70-150mm

Product Usage Instructions

1. General Presentation
   The xArm BIO Gripper is designed for safe and stable integration with xArm. It can be controlled directly by the IO port at the end of the machine without external cables and connectors.

2. Gripper Introduction
   The fingers of the BIO Gripper adopt a parallel grasp, allowing it to grasp objects with a width range of 70-150mm.

3. Object Picking
   The gripper has a maximum and minimum stroke for object picking.

4. Setup and Control
   The gripper is powered and controlled via a single gripper connection cable that carries a 24V DC supply and Modbus RTU communication over RS-485.

5. Safety
   It is important to adhere to the warnings and conduct a risk assessment before using the BIO Gripper.

6. Installation

7. Scope of Delivery
   A typical Gripper Kit includes BIO Gripper, BIO Gripper adapter plate, cross countersunk head screws M68 (4), and cross countersunk head screws M610 (2).

Mechanical Installation

1. Fix the BIO Gripper adapter plate to the tool flange of the robotic arm with screws, aligning the positioning posts with the holes.
2. Fix the BIO Gripper to the adapter plate with screws.
3. Connect the robotic arm and the Gripper with the gripper connection cable, ensuring proper alignment and precautions.

FAQ

1. Q: What is the power supply requirement for the BIO Gripper?
   A: The BIO Gripper requires a 24V DC power supply.

2. Q: How should I align the positioning posts on the adapter plate during installation?
   A: The positioning posts on the adapter plate should be aligned with the positioning hole at the end of the robotic arm for proper installation.

3. Q: What communication protocol is used for controlling the BIO Gripper?
   A: The BIO Gripper uses Modbus RTU communication over RS-485 for control.

General Presentation

Gripper Introduction

The xArm BIO Gripper is a gripper designed for liquid handling. It provides fast deployment paired with simple customization and easy programming. The gripper is a multifunctional tool, boasting customized fingertips to provide gripping flexibility.

Main Features of BIO Gripper :

1. Designed for liquid handling
   The gripper stroke is 70-150mm with special designed fingertips which perfectly fit the liquid plate.

2. Customizable fingertips
   Easily customized fingertips enable all sorts of fitting for tubes and plates corresponding to their shapes.

3. Highly integrated with xArm
   As a safe and stable integration, the xArm BIO Gripper is highly compatible with xArm, controlled directly by the IO port at the end of the machine without external cables and connectors.

Object Picking
The fingers of the BIO Gripper adopt a parallel grasp, Figures are shown below. The width of the object that the gripper can grasp is: 70-150mm

Setup and Control
The gripper is powered and controlled directly via a single gripper connection cable that carries a 24V DC supply and Modbus RTU communication over RS-485.
Safety
Warning

• The operator must have read and understood all of the instructions in the following manual before handling the BIO Gripper.

• Caution
  The term “operator” refers to anyone responsible for any of the following operations on the BIO Gripper:

  • Installation
  • Control
  • Maintenance
  • Inspection
  • Calibration
  • Programming
  • Decommissioning

• This documentation explains the various components of the BIO Gripper and general operations regarding the whole life-cycle of the product from installation to operation and decommissioning.

• The drawings and photos in this documentation are representative examples and differences may exist between them and the delivered product.

Warning

Caution
Any use of the Gripper in noncompliance of these warnings is inappropriate and may cause injury or damage.

Warning

• The Gripper needs to be properly secured before operating the robot.
• Do not install or operate a Gripper that is damaged or lacking parts.
• Never supply the Gripper with an alternative current (AC) source.
• Make sure all cord sets are always secured at both ends, Gripper end & Robot end
• Always satisfy the recommended keying for electrical connections.
• Be sure no one is in the robot and/or gripper path before initializing the robot’s routine.
• Always satisfy the gripper payload.
• Set the gripper speed accordingly, based on your application.
• Keep fingers and clothes away from the gripper while the power is on.
• Do not use the gripper on people or animals.

Risk Assessment and Final Application

• The BIO Gripper is meant to be used on an industrial robot. The robot, gripper and any other equipment used in the final application must be evaluated with a risk assessment. The robot integrator must ensure that all local safety measures and regulations are respected. Depending on the application, there may be risks that need additional protection/safety measures, for example, the work-piece the gripper is manipulating may be inherently dangerous to the operator.

Intended Use

• The gripper is designed for grasping and temporarily securing or holding objects. Caution
• The Gripper is NOT intended for applying force against objects or surfaces.
• The product is intended for installation on a robot or other automated machinery and equipment.

Info

• Always comply with local and/or national laws, regulations and directives on automation safety and general machine safety.
• The unit may be used only within the range of its technical data. Any other use of the product is deemed improper and unintended use.
• UFACTORY will not be liable for any damages resulting from any improper or unintended use.

Installation

The following subsections will guide you through the installation and general setup of BIO Gripper.

1. The Scope of Delivery section
2. The Mechanical Installation section
3. The Electrical Setup section

Warning
Before installing:

• Read and understand the safety instructions related to the BIO Gripper.
• Verify your package according to the Scope of delivery and your order info. Have the required parts, equipment and tools listed in the requirements readily available.

Installing

• Satisfy the environmental conditions.
• Do not operate the Gripper, or even turn on the power supply, before it is firmly anchored and the danger zone is cleared.
• Caution the fingers of the gripper which may move and cause injury or damage.

Scope of Delivery

General Kit

• A Gripper Kit generally includes these items: BIO Gripper
• BIO Gripper adapter plate
• Cross countersunk head screws M68 (4) Cross countersunk head screws M610 (2)

Mechanical Installation

BIO Gripper installation steps (as shown below):

1. Fix the BIO Gripper adapter plate to the tool flange of the robotic arm with screws. (Note: The positioning posts on the adapter plate should be aligned with the positioning hole at the end of the robotic arm.)
2. Fix the BIO Gripper to the BIO Gripper adapter plate with screws.
3. Connect the robotic arm and the Gripper with the gripper connection cable.

Note:

1. When wiring the gripper connection cable, be sure to power off the robotic arm, the emergency stop button is in the pressed state and the power indicator of the robotic arm is off, so as to avoid robotic arm failure caused by hot plugging;
2. When connecting the gripper and the robotic arm, be sure to align the positioning holes at the ends of the gripper and the robotic arm. Since the male pins of the gripper connection cable are relatively thin, avoid bending the male pins during plugging.

Electrical Setup
Power and communication are established with the BIO Gripper via a single gripper connection cable. The gripper connection cable provides a 24V power supply to the Gripper and enables serial RS485 communication to the robot control box.
Warning
Power must be off before connecting the Gripper and the robotic arm via the gripper connection cable.
Pinout Interface
The BIO Gripper is connected to the tool end of the robotic arm via a 12 pin connector.

Control

Use xArm Studio to Control BIO Gripper

1. Set up BIO Gripper
   • Enter [Settings]-[End Effector]
   • Select the end effector: xArm BIO Gripper

1. The opening and closing speed of the gripper can be adjusted.
2. The self-collision prevention model of the gripper can be turned on by clicking the button.
3. When “TCP payload compensation” is turned on, the default TCP payload will be changed to the TCP payload parameter of the gripper.

Control BIO Gripper

Control the BIO gripper in the live control
Control Method:

1.  Click the [Enable] button to enable the BIO gripper;
2. By clicking the [Open]/[Close] button, you can control the opening and closing of the gripper.

Control the BIO gripper through Blockly

BIO_Gripper.Blockly

The role of this program: execute this program to control the gripper to pick the target object at the specified position, and then place the target object at the target position.

Note:

1. When the gripper is installed on the robotic arm, the TCP Payload of the gripper should be set in the Blockly program. When the total weight of the gripper changes after the object is picked, a new TCP

Payload needs to be set.

Use Python-SDK to Control BIO Gripper
For details on controlling Gripper with python-SDK, please refer to the link below:
https://github.com/xArm-Developer/xArm-Python- SDK/blob/master/example/wrapper/common/5009set_bio_gripper.py
Use Modbus-TCP Communication Protocol to

Control BIO Gripper

This section mainly explains how to control the BIO Gripper by using the Modbus-TCP protocol through xArm control box.

Modbus-TCP Communication Format

Modbus-TCP:
Modbus protocol is an application layer message transmission protocol, including three message types: ASCII, RTU, and TCP. The standard Modbus protocol physical layer interface includes RS232, RS422, RS485 and Ethernet interfaces, and adopts master / slave communication.
Modbus TCP Communication Process:

1. Establish a TCP connection
2. Prepare Modbus messages
3. Use the send command to send a message
4.  Waiting for a response under the same connection
5. Use the recv command to read the message and complete a data exchange
6. When the communication task ends, close the TCP connection

Parameter:

Default TCP Port: 502
Protocol : 0x00 0x02

On the problem of users using communication protocols to organize data in big endian and little endian:
In this article, data analysis is big-endian analysis.

Read BIO Gripper Register
 Register Function

Read Register

Request
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 6+ N x2
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| Address
Quantity of Registers| N x2 Bytes| N
Response
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 6+ N x2
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Status Value| 1 Byte| 0x00
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Byte Count| 1 Byte| Nx2
Registers Value| N x2 Bytes| Value

• **N*** = Quantity of Registers
• Address = Register Starting Address
• Register：

| Register Starting Address| Registers Value
---|---|---
**** Get Gripper status Register| 0x0000| 2 Bytes|

• Disabled: 0x0000        Enabling: 0x0004
• Enabling completed: 0x0008
• Stop status : 0x0008        Motion status: 0x0009
• Clipping status: 0x000A

| | | Error status: 0x000B
---|---|---|---
Get Gripper Error Register| **** 0x000F| 2 Bytes|

• An error occurs:
• all other return values indicate an error(except 0)
• No error occurred: 0x0000

Example

Get the BIO Gripper status

Get the BIO Gripper status

Request
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 0x08
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0000
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Response
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 0x0008
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Status Value| 1 Byte| 0x00
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x02
Registers Value (Robotic arm is in motion status)| 2 Bytes| 0x0009

Get the BIO Gripper Error

Get the BIO Gripper Error

Request
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 0x08
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x000F
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Response
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 0x0008
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Status Value| 1 Byte| 0x00
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x02
Registers Value (No error occurred in the Gripper)| 2 Bytes| 0x00

Write BIO Gripper Register
Register Function

Set BIO Gripper Position

Set BIO Gripper Position

Request
MBTP Header| Transaction Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Protocol Identifier| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Length| 2 Bytes| 0x000D
Unit Identifier| 1 Byte| 0x7C
Internal Use| Internal Use| 1 Byte| 0x09
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting| 2 Bytes| 0x0700
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x04
Registers Value (Open the BIO Gripper)| 4 Bytes| 0x0000, 0x0082

BIO Gripper Control Process

The complete process of controlling the motion of the BIO Gripper is as follows:

1. Enable the Gripper
   0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x0B, 0x7C, 0x09, 0x08, 0x10, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x02, 0x00, 0x01

2. Open the Gripper
   0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x0D, 0x7C, 0x09, 0x08, 0x10, 0x07, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x82

3. Close the Gripper
   0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x0D, 0x7C, 0x09, 0x08, 0x10, 0x07, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x32

Use Modbus-RTU Communication Protocol to  Control BIO Gripper

Modbus RTU Communication Format

The gripper defaults to the standard Modbus RTU protocol at a default baud rate is 2Mbps and the slave ID is 0x08. The currently supported function codes are: 0x03 /0x10. In this article, data analysis is big-endian analysis.

Read BIO Gripper Register

Read Register

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| Address
Quantity of Register| 2 Bytes| N
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| CRC
Response
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Byte Count| 1 Byte| Nx2
Registers Value| N x2 Bytes| Value
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| **CRC***

• N* = Quantity of Register
• Address = Register
• Starting Address
• CRC* = Cyclic Redundancy Check
• Register：

| Register Starting Address| Register Value
---|---|---
Get Gripper status Register| 0x0000| **** 2 Bytes|

• Disabled: 0x0000            Enabling: 0x0004
• Enabling completed: 0x0008
• Stop status : 0x0008         Motion status: 0x0009
• Clipping status: 0x000A
• Error status: 0x000B

Get Gripper Error Register| ****

0x000F

| ****

2 Bytes

|

• An error occurs:
• all other return values indicate an error(except 0)

| | | No error occurred: 0x0000
---|---|---|---

Write BIO Gripper Register

Write Register

Request
** Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting| 2 Bytes| Address
Quantity of Register| 2 Bytes| N*
Byte Count| 1 Byte| *Nx2
Registers Value| N x2| Value
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| CRC
Response
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting| 2 Bytes| Address
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| N
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| CRC

• N* = Quantity of Registers
• Address = Register
• Starting Address
• CRC* = Cyclic Redundancy Check
• Register:

| Register Starting Address| Register Value
---|---|---
Enable/Disable Gripper Register| 0x0100| 2 Bytes| Enable : 0x0001 Disable : 0x0000
Set Gripper Position Register| 0x0700| 4 Bytes|

• Open the Gripper : 0x0000 0x0082
• Close the Gripper : 0x0000 0x0032

Set Position Speed Register| 0x0303| 2 Bytes|

• 0x0100-0x0400
• Unit : r/min

Modbus RTU Example

This section demonstrates the example given in the Control Logic section when programmed using the Modbus RTU protocol.
Step1： Enable BIO Gripper

Enable BIO Gripper

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting| 2 Bytes| 0x0100
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x02
Registers Value| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x1D00
Response
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting| 2 Bytes| 0x0100
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x00AC

Step2： Set BIO Gripper Speed

Set BIO Gripper Speed

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0303
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x02

Open BIO Gripper

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0700
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x04
Registers Value

(Open the BIO Gripper)

|

4 Bytes

|

0x0000, 0x0082

Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x7B62
Response
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0700
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x4025

Read the Gripper status until it is in a stopped status.

Get the BIO Gripper status

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0000
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x8493
Response

Step4： Close BIO Gripper

Close BIO Gripper

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0700
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Byte Count| 1 Byte| 0x04
Registers Value (Close the BIO Gripper)| 4 Bytes| 0x0000, 0x0032
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x7AD6
Response
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x10
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0700
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0002
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x4025

Read the Gripper status until it is in a stopped status.

Get the BIO Gripper status

Request
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID (Gripper)| 1 Byte| 0x08
Function Code| 1 Byte| 0x03
Register Starting Address| 2 Bytes| 0x0000
Quantity of Registers| 2 Bytes| 0x0001
Modbus CRC16| 2 Bytes| 0x8493
Response
Modbus RTU Data| Slave ID| 1 Byte| 0x08

 Gripper Error Code & Error Handling

The user can re-power on the robotic arm as an error handling, the steps are as follows (re-power on need to perform all the following steps):

1. Re-powering the robotic arm via the emergency stop button on the control box.

2. Enable robotic arm.

   • xArm Studio enable mode: Click the guide button of the error pop-up window or the ‘STOP’ red button in the upper right corner.
   • xArm-Python-SDK enable mode : Refer to Alarm Handling Mode.
   • xArm_ROS library: users can view related documents at
     https://github.com/xArm-Developer/xarm_ros

3. Re-enable the gripper.

• Gripper current is too large
• Please click “OK” to re-enable the Gripper

0x0C| The gripping object falls off|

• The gripping object falls off
• Please place the gripping object and clear the error, set the 0x000F register to 0.

If the problem remains unsolved after power on/off for multiple times, please contact UFACTORY team for support.

xArm-Python-SDK Error Handling:

• When designing the robotic arm motion path with the Python library, if the robotic arm error (see Appendix for Alarm information) occurs, then it needs to be cleared manually. After clearing the error, the robotic arm should be motion enabled.
• Python library error clearing steps: (Please check GitHub for details on the following interfaces)
  • Error clearing: clean_error()
  • Re-enable the robotic arm: motion_enable(true)
  • Set the motion status: set_statu(0)

BIO Gripper Technical Specifications

BIO Gripper

Rated Supply Voltage| 24V DC
Absolute Maximum Supply Voltage| 28V DC
Static Power Consumption (Minimum Power Consumption)| 0.96W
Peak Current| 1.5A
Weight| 760g
Maximum Gripping Force| 20N
Stroke| 70-150mm
Communication Mode| RS-485
Communication Protocol| Modbus RTU
Programmable Gripping Specification| Speed Control
Status Indication| Working Status, Power
Feedback| Drop Detection, Pick-up Detection

After-sales Service

1. After-sales policy:
   For the detailed after-sales policy of the product, see the official website: https://store-ufactory-cc.myshopify.com/pages/warranty-returns

2. The general process of after-sales service is:

3. Contact UFACTORY technical support (support@ufactory.cc) to confirm whether the product needs to repair and which part should be send back to UFACTORY.

4. After bill of lading on UPS, we will send the invoice and label to you by mail. You need to make an appointment with the local UPS and then send the product to us.

5. UFACTORY will check the product warranty status according to the after-sales policy.

6. Generally, the process takes around 1-2 weeks except for shipment.

Note:
When you need to send the product back to get repaired, please pack the product with the box to protect the product during transportation.

• Official Distributor
  • gr@generationrobots.com
  • +33 5 56 39 37 05
  • www.generationrobots.com

References

• Robotic arm, mobile robot, autonomous robots, ROS robot
• Robotic arm, mobile robot, autonomous robots, ROS robot
• xArm-Python-SDK/example/wrapper/common/5009-set_bio_gripper.py at master · xArm-Developer/xArm-Python-SDK · GitHub

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