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Domain Controller Setup

The Robot Domain Controller is the brain of your AutoGence robot system, providing real-time control and communication.

Overview​

The Domain Controller handles:

  • Real-time joint control via EtherCAT
  • ROS2 message routing
  • Safety monitoring
  • OTA update management

Hardware Installation​

Prerequisites​

  • Robot Domain Controller unit
  • EtherCAT cable (included)
  • Power supply (24V, 5A minimum)
  • Ethernet cable for network connection

Installation Steps​

  1. Mount the Controller

    • Secure the domain controller in your robot chassis
    • Ensure adequate ventilation around the unit

  2. Power Connection

    • Connect 24V power supply to the controller
    • Verify LED indicators show normal operation

  3. EtherCAT Network

    • Connect actuators in daisy-chain configuration
    • Terminate the last actuator in the chain

Software Configuration​

Initial Setup​

  1. Connect via Ethernet and navigate to the web interface
  2. Configure network settings
  3. Set up EtherCAT topology
  4. Calibrate connected actuators

ROS2 Integration​

The domain controller runs ROS2 Humble by default:

# Check ROS2 topics
ros2 topic list

# Monitor joint states
ros2 topic echo /joint_states

# Send position commands
ros2 topic pub /joint_commands sensor_msgs/JointState ...

Configuration Files​

Key configuration files:

  • /etc/ethercat.conf - EtherCAT network settings
  • /opt/autogence/config.yaml - Domain controller parameters
  • /etc/systemd/system/autogence-controller.service - Service configuration

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

EtherCAT Communication Errors

  • Check cable connections and termination
  • Verify actuator power status
  • Review EtherCAT logs: journalctl -u ethercat

ROS2 Topics Not Available

  • Restart the domain controller service
  • Check network connectivity
  • Verify ROS2 environment variables

Diagnostic Commands​

# Check EtherCAT status
sudo ethercat master

# View system logs
journalctl -u autogence-controller -f

# Test actuator communication
autogence-cli test-actuators

Advanced Configuration​

Custom Joint Mappings​

Edit /opt/autogence/joint_mappings.yaml to customize joint configurations:

joints:
  left_shoulder_pitch:
    ethercat_address: 0
    position_limits: [-90, 90]
    velocity_limit: 180

Safety Parameters​

Configure safety limits in /opt/autogence/safety.yaml:

safety:
  emergency_stop_enabled: true
  max_joint_velocity: 180  # degrees/sec
  collision_detection: true

Next Steps​

  • EtherCAT Configuration (coming soon)
  • ROS2 Integration Guide (coming soon)
  • Safety Configuration (coming soon)