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Get Started with Real-Time Data Exchange (RTDE) Connectivity Interface

Learn the basics of RTDE connectivity using simulated and physical cobots from Universal Robots in the Robotics System Toolbox™ Support Package for Universal Robots UR Series Manipulators

The Robotics System Toolbox Support Package for Universal Robots UR Series Manipulators enables connectivity and control of physical cobots from Universal Robots or simulated cobots in URSim using packages from Universal Robots, over Real-Time Data Exchange (RTDE).

After completing the initial setup for RTDE (as explained in Setup for Connecting UR Series Manipulators over RTDE), you can establish a connection between the URControl (low-level robot controller running on the Mini-ITX PC in the Control Box) and MATLAB® (client), and program the cobot using URScript-based functions.

The urRTDEClient object has functions to control individual joint angles and Cartesian pose of the robot. More advanced functions demonstrate how to use Robotics System Toolbox features to compute joint angles required to track a smooth trajectory in 3D space and command the robot to track the pre-computed trajectory.

Functions

urRTDEClientConnect to simulated or physical cobot from Universal Robots over RTDE (Since R2024a)
followCartesianWaypointsCommand robot to move along the desired Cartesian waypoints (Since R2024a)
followJointWaypointsCommand robot to move along the desired joint space waypoints (Since R2024a)
readCartesianPoseGet current end-effector pose from the robot (Since R2024a)
readEndEffectorVelocityGet current end-effector velocities from the robot (Since R2024a)
readJointConfigurationGet current joint configuration from the robot (Since R2024a)
readJointVelocityGet current joint velocities from the robot (Since R2024a)
readMotionStatusGet current motion status of the robot (Since R2024a)
recordRobotStateLog the key robot state parameters during motion of robot (Since R2024a)
sendJointConfigurationCommand robot to move to desired joint configuration (Since R2024a)
sendJointConfigurationAndWaitCommand robot to move to joint configuration and wait for the motion to complete (Since R2024a)
sendCartesianPoseAndWaitCommand robot to move to desired Cartesian pose and wait for the motion to complete (Since R2024a)
manageGripperAttachmentAttach or detach gripper connected to Universal Robots cobot (Since R2024a)
actuateGripperControl attached gripper with grip or release action (Since R2024a)
sendServoJCommandsSend Servoj commands (Since R2024a)
sendSpeedJCommandsSend speedj commands (Since R2024a)
executeURScriptCommandSend URScript command to control cobot over RTDE interface (Since R2024a)

Featured Examples