Control gripper using python and Modbus TCP

bcastets

You may be interested in controlling from your PC Robotiq grippers (2F85, 2F140, Hand-e, ePick, airPick,...) using modbusTCP, Python and Robotiq universal controller.
I made a sample program which activate the gripper. I would like to share it with you.
I hope it will help in your projects !

For more details about how to control Robotiq gripper by reading and writing its memory registers, I recommend to check the user manual.

bcastets

Here is the Zip file with the python program.

s0972456

Hi, could you also share a python program to open and close the e-pick gripper? thanks

bcastets

I will try to add this. Please give me some time to do that.

s0972456

Thank you, that will be very helpful!

s0972456

Hi, wonder if you have any update on that, still haven't figured out a way to control the epick remotely. Thanks

bcastets

s0972456 said:

Hi, wonder if you have any update on that, still haven't figured out a way to control the epick remotely. Thanks

I did not had time to work on this. Will try to do something next week.

bcastets

Sorry for waiting. I attach a simple program to control ePick using Modbus TCP.
The program make a automatic grip followed by an automatic release.
The user manual of ePick remain the best source of information to make this kind of control.

Fanwang

Hi thank you for the code, I registered another account as for some reason I cannot post comment using my previous account.

somehow I still cannot get the code to work, I use the robot’s IP address but I am reading just none from the register. If I delete the earlier print output part, I will be able to reach further and print out gripper status and gripper control, but the gripper itself doesn’t respond.

I wonder whether this has anything to do with the fact that the gripper is connected to the wrist cable ? Should it be a different port then? I also tried to use a random ip but this time even printing gripper status and gripper control fails, so the IP address should be right.

Any help will be greatly appreciated !

bcastets

This code will only work if your pc is connected to the gripper via a robotiq modbus tcp universal controller.

Can you describe the connection between the gripper and the pc ?
Also give ip of your pc ?

Fanwang

I see, well I guess the TCP method wouldn't work on my setup. There is no physical form of connection between the gripper and the pc. The gripper is connected to the robot through the wrist cable, and the internet cable of the ur5 is connected to the same network switch where my pc's internet cable is connected to.

My IP is 192.17.178.227, but I think it doesn't matter if the pc and the gripper is not connected?

bcastets

Unfortunatelly it cannot work with this setup.

Fanwang

Thanks for the information though. Do you have other suggestions for driving the epick gripper with a python script? I hacked python_urx's code (send urscripts) that drives the parallel gripper to work on the epick, but it doesn't work completely as the gripper only stay on for a short period of time and shut down, I haven't figured out how to have it stay on until I turn it off.

bcastets

I am not familiar with this way to communicate with tools connected on ur controller.
I imagine python code running on the controller should be able to controller gripper over modbus rtu.