Quick start¶
From an assembled SSG-48 gripper to its first gentle open and close, using Motor GUI on a PC. For a gripper already connected to a robot, use On PAROL6 and PAR6.
Before connecting power
Keep fingers and loose objects out of the stroke. Calibration opens and closes the jaws fully. A wrong cable can put 24 V on the CAN pins and destroy the driver: check the numbered pinout.
1. Choose your starting point¶
| Your gripper | Start here |
|---|---|
| Bought assembled | Its motor is already calibrated and the driver configured. Continue below; the jaws still need calibration after each power-up. |
| Self-built, or a replacement driver or motor | Finish Driver setup and first run first, then return here. Do not apply a factory preset to a bought gripper just to try this page. |
| No hardware yet | Open Motor GUI, choose Mock CAN (demo) and Connect, then switch to Gripper. The demo is an SSG-48; the control panel is shared with MSG. |
2. Gather and mount¶
You need a mounted gripper with jaws/fingers fitted, a 24 V supply, a correctly wired M8 cable, a CANvas USB-to-CAN adapter, and Chrome or Edge. The What you need page lists the parts; Mounting and Jaws cover the mechanics.
Check
The body cannot shift, the jaws travel freely, and the cable cannot enter their path.
3. Wire with power off¶
- Check the cable against Connector and pinout: gripper pin 3 is +24 V, pin 4 GND, pin 2 CANH, pin 1 CANL. Check continuity before the first power-up.
- Connect the supply and the CANvas adapter as shown below.
- Set the gripper's CAN termination ON for this two-node bench bus; the CANvas adapter provides the other end. Leave the gripper at its shipped node ID, 0, unless you already assigned another.
flowchart LR
PC[PC USB] --> A[CANvas adapter]
A -- CANH --> P2[Gripper pin 2: CANH]
A -- CANL --> P1[Gripper pin 1: CANL]
S[24 V supply] -- positive --> P3[Gripper pin 3: +24 V]
S -- return --> P4[Gripper pin 4: GND]
Check, unpowered
The supply polarity and cable pinout match, and CANH-to-CANL measures about 60 Ω with the bus connected. Otherwise check The cable and CAN termination before powering it.
4. Connect Motor GUI¶
Power the gripper, plug the CANvas adapter into USB, and open motorgui.com. Choose CAN (slcan) at 1 Mbit/s, press Connect, and choose the adapter's serial port. Select node 0 (or your assigned ID) and switch from Motor to Gripper.
Check
Position and current feedback arrive. Not calibrated after power-up is normal. If feedback is missing, check the power, port, node ID and termination: Troubleshooting. If a fault disables the controls, resolve it using Errors and recovery.
The illustrated Motor GUI guide shows the panel.
5. Calibrate and activate¶
If the panel shows an error, press Clear errors first. With the stroke empty and the gripper deactivated, press Calibrate, read the prompt, and press Start calibration. Let the jaws find both end stops, and press nothing else until the panel says Calibrated: a move or a clear during the calibration ends it. Follow Calibrate, activate, move for the full procedure, then Activate and check for faults.
Check
The panel says Calibrated, Activated, and No errors before you command a move. A calibration that times out after 30 seconds has not found its end stops; do not continue as if it passed. Use Calibration troubleshooting.
6. Make the first move¶
Set Speed 30 and Current 300 mA, applying each with its Set button. Press Open, then Close. After that works, put a light test object between the jaws and repeat, keeping fingers clear.
Check
The position follows the command; on an object the jaws stop before fully closed and the panel reports an object. If it does not move, slips or reports an error, use Troubleshooting.
The current limit sets an approximate force limit; Force and speed explains the relationship and the motor's limits.
7. Finish and continue¶
Remove the test object before deactivating or switching off: the grip may release. Disconnect Motor GUI and switch off the supply before changing cables.
| Next task | Guide |
|---|---|
| Control it from a program | With Python, With ROS 2 |
| Put it on a robot | On PAROL6 and PAR6 |
| Inspect a CAN frame or download DBC definitions | CAN frame tool and downloads |
| Diagnose a problem | Troubleshooting, Errors and recovery |
Comments
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