Implementation and performance evaluation of a library to improve the communication with Maxon Motor's

Abstract

The development of robotic devices like exoskeletons involves using several components, such as actuators and sensors. These components exchange information with the main device or between them using a communication system; this allows data transfer during the device's operation. In addition, a communication system with good performance is the basis for the correct operation of the control system. In this context, selecting an appropriate methodology to meet design specifications during software development is necessary. This research presents the development of ALLEX CAN software, so named because it is part of the communication system of the ALLEX-2 (ALLEX version 2) prototype and uses the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol. The system was created using the SocketCAN library as a base, which provides a range of tools to work with CAN interfaces. C++ was the programming language selected to develop this solution for its lower execution time. The performance of this software is compared with the ready-to-use functions provided by the manufacturer Maxon Motor. Experimental tests show the superior performance of our developed software.