Project files

EL-A3 Robotic Arm

7-DOF desktop robotic arm project, consisting of two independent sub-projects: a pure Python SDK and a ROS2 control system.

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Subprojects

Project	Path	Description
Python SDK	el_a3_sdk/	Pure Python SDK, Direct CAN communication, multi-arm management, Pinocchio dynamics
ROS2 Control System	el_a3_ros/	ros2_control hardware interface, MoveIt2 motion planning, URDF description
Hardware Manufacturing Data	hardware/	STEP models, 3MF print files, wiring harness drawings, PCB data, assembly SOP

For detailed documentation of each subproject, see the corresponding README.md in its directory.

Note: Large files in the hardware/ directory are managed via Git LFS. After the initial clone, run git lfs pull.

Hardware Requirements

Item	Specification
Robotic Arm	EL-A3 7-DOF (6 arm joints + L7 gripper)
Motors	Robstride RS00 ×3 (L1-L3) + EL05/RS05 ×4 (L4-L7)
CAN Adapter	CANdle / gs_usb compatible devices
Power Supply	24V / 48V DC power supply
PC	Ubuntu 22.04+ x86_64

Motor Configuration

Joint	Motor ID	Model	Torque Limit	Speed Limit	Position Limit	Direction
L1	1	RS00	±14 Nm	±33 rad/s	±2.79 rad (±160°)	-1
L2	2	RS00	±14 Nm	±33 rad/s	0~3.67 rad (0°~210°)	+1
L3	3	RS00	±14 Nm	±33 rad/s	-4.01~0 rad (-230°~0°)	-1
L4	4	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	+1
L5	5	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	-1
L6	6	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	+1
L7 (Gripper)	7	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	+1

Software Environment

Dependency	Version / Description
Operating System	Ubuntu 22.04+ (x86_64)
Python	3.10+
ROS2	Humble Hawksbill (required only for ROS2 sub-projects)
CAN Bus	SocketCAN · CAN 2.0 extended frames · 1 Mbps
Core Python Dependencies	numpy, pyyaml
Optional Python Dependencies	pinocchio (pip install pin) — FK/IK/gravity compensation
Debugger GUI	pyqt6, pyqtgraph, pyvista, pyvistaqt (pip install -e ".[debugger]" )
ROS2 Dependencies	ros2_control, MoveIt2, pick_ik, joy, etc. (installed via scripts/install_deps.sh)

Installing the Debugger GUI

The Debugger provides a PyQt6 GUI with features such as 3D URDF visualization based on PyVista (VTK), joint drag control, and real-time monitoring.

Verified on Ubuntu 22.04 + Python 3.10 (PyQt6 6.11 / pyvista 0.47 / vtk 9.5).

# Ubuntu system dependencies (OpenGL runtime + Qt xcb platform plugin dependencies)
# Note: libgl1-mesa-glx has been replaced by libgl1 since Ubuntu 22.04; libxcb-cursor0 is required for Qt 6.5+
sudo apt install -y libgl1 libxrender1 libxcb-xinerama0 libxcb-cursor0

# Install SDK and Debugger dependencies in editable mode (pyqt6 / pyqtgraph / pyvista / pyvistaqt)
# The dynamics extra installs Pinocchio (pin) for FK/IK and gravity compensation
cd el_a3_sdk
pip install -e ".[debugger,dynamics]"

# Launch the GUI (installed to ~/.local/bin; ensure it is in your PATH)
el-a3-debugger

Special Attention

Before powering on, use the upper computer (motor diagnosis page) to check the motor IDs, ZERO_STA, and zero points according to the steps marked by the red box in the following diagram:

1. Scan Motors — Confirm that all 7 motor IDs (1~7) are online;
2. Verify / One-Click Set ZERO_STA — Confirm that the ZERO_STA parameters for each motor are correct;
3. Set All Zeros — After positioning the robotic arm to its mechanical zero position, set the zero points.

CAN Interface Configuration

# Using script (recommended)
sudo bash scripts/setup_can.sh can0 1000000

# Or manual configuration
sudo modprobe gs_usb
sudo ip link set can0 type can bitrate 1000000
sudo ip link set can0 txqueuelen 1000
sudo ip link set can0 up

# Verification
ip link show can0

English

A 7-DOF desktop robotic arm project comprising two independent sub-projects: a pure Python SDK and a ROS2 control system.

Sub-projects

Project	Path	Description
Python SDK	el_a3_sdk/	Pure Python SDK with direct CAN communication, multi-arm management, and Pinocchio dynamics
ROS2 Control System	el_a3_ros/	ros2_control hardware interface, MoveIt2 motion planning, URDF description
Hardware Manufacturing	hardware/	STEP models, 3MF print files, wiring harness drawings, PCB files, assembly SOP

For detailed documentation, refer to the README.md in each sub-project directory.

Note: Large files in the hardware/ directory are managed via Git LFS. Run git lfs pull after initial clone.

Hardware Requirements

Item	Specification
Robotic Arm	EL-A3 7-DOF (6 arm joints + L7 gripper)
Motors	Robstride RS00 ×3 (L1-L3) + EL05/RS05 ×4 (L4-L7)
CAN Adapter	CANdle / gs_usb compatible device
Power Supply	24V / 48V DC
PC	Ubuntu 22.04+ x86_64

Motor Configuration

Joint	Motor ID	Model	Torque Limit	Velocity Limit	Position Limit	Direction
L1	1	RS00	±14 Nm	±33 rad/s	±2.79 rad (±160°)	-1
L2	2	RS00	±14 Nm	±33 rad/s	0~3.67 rad (0°~210°)	+1
L3	3	RS00	±14 Nm	±33 rad/s	-4.01~0 rad (-230°~0°)	-1
L4	4	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	+1
L5	5	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	-1
L6	6	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	+1
L7 (Gripper)	7	EL05/RS05	±6/±5.5 Nm	±50 rad/s	±1.57 rad (±90°)	+1

Software Environment

Dependency	Version / Notes
OS	Ubuntu 22.04+ (x86_64)
Python	3.10+
ROS2	Humble Hawksbill (required only for the ROS2 sub-project)
CAN Bus	SocketCAN · CAN 2.0 Extended Frame · 1 Mbps
Core Python Dependencies	numpy, pyyaml
Optional Python Dependencies	pinocchio (pip install pin) — FK/IK/Gravity compensation
Debugger GUI	pyqt6, pyqtgraph, pyvista, pyvistaqt (pip install -e ".[debugger]")
ROS2 Dependencies	ros2_control, MoveIt2, pick_ik, joy, etc. (install via scripts/install_deps.sh)

Debugger GUI Installation

The Debugger provides a PyQt6-based GUI with 3D URDF visualization (PyVista/VTK), joint drag control, and real-time monitoring.

Verified on Ubuntu 22.04 + Python 3.10 (PyQt6 6.11 / pyvista 0.47 / vtk 9.5).

# Ubuntu system dependencies (OpenGL runtime + Qt xcb platform plugin)
# Note: libgl1-mesa-glx was replaced by libgl1 since Ubuntu 22.04; Qt 6.5+ requires libxcb-cursor0
sudo apt install -y libgl1 libxrender1 libxcb-xinerama0 libxcb-cursor0

# Install the SDK in editable mode with Debugger dependencies
# (pyqt6 / pyqtgraph / pyvista / pyvistaqt); the "dynamics" extra adds Pinocchio (pin) for FK/IK
cd el_a3_sdk
pip install -e ".[debugger,dynamics]"

# Launch (installed to ~/.local/bin — make sure it is on your PATH)
el-a3-debugger

CAN Interface Setup

# Using the provided script (recommended)
sudo bash scripts/setup_can.sh can0 1000000

# Or configure manually
sudo modprobe gs_usb
sudo ip link set can0 type can bitrate 1000000
sudo ip link set can0 txqueuelen 1000
sudo ip link set can0 up

# Verify
ip link show can0