Pressboi

Dual-Motor Press Control System

View Changelog • Download Latest Release

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Overview

Firmware for the Pressboi dual-motor press control system, built on the Teknic ClearCore platform. This firmware provides precision control for press operations with real-time force monitoring, synchronized dual-motor movement, and network/USB communication.

Designed to work with: BR Equipment Control App - A Python/Tkinter GUI for controlling and monitoring the Pressboi and other Blue Robotics manufacturing equipment.

Features

• Dual-motor synchronized control - Two motors on a single axis for press operations
• UDP/Ethernet communication - Network-based control with device discovery
• USB Serial fallback - Direct USB communication support
• Command-based control - Simple text-based command protocol
• Real-time telemetry - Position, force, torque, and status reporting
• Pause/resume/cancel - Interrupt and resume operations safely
• Force monitoring - Real-time force feedback with configurable limits
• Auto-generated protocol - Commands and telemetry from JSON schemas

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Building

Requirements

• Atmel Studio 7 (Windows) or compatible ARM GCC toolchain
• Teknic ClearCore libraries (included as submodules/dependencies)
  • libClearCore
  • LwIP (Lightweight IP stack)

Build Instructions

1. Open pressboi.atsln in Atmel Studio
2. Ensure libraries are properly referenced:
   • lib/libClearCore/ClearCore.cppproj
   • lib/LwIP/LwIP.cppproj
3. Select build configuration (Debug or Release)
4. Build the solution (F7)

Output Files

• Debug/pressboi.bin - Binary firmware image
• Debug/pressboi.uf2 - UF2 format for bootloader flashing

Flashing

Via BR Equipment Control App (Recommended for Updates)

The easiest way to update firmware on an already-running device is through the BR Equipment Control App:

1. Open the Firmware Manager in the app
2. Select your device
3. Choose the firmware file or download the latest release
4. Click "Update Firmware" - the app handles the entire flashing process automatically

Note: Firmware flashing is only supported over USB connections. For initial flashing of a new device, use the bootloader method below.

Via Bootloader (For Initial Flashing)

For initial flashing of a new device or when the app is not available:

1. Put the ClearCore into bootloader mode (hold button during power-on)
2. Copy pressboi.uf2 to the mounted bootloader drive
3. The device will automatically reboot with new firmware

Via Atmel Studio

1. Connect ClearCore via USB
2. Select "Custom Programming Tool" in project settings
3. Build and program (F5)

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Communication Protocol

The firmware uses a simple text-based command protocol over UDP or USB serial:

• Commands: move_abs <position> mm, move_inc <distance> mm, home, enable, disable
• Status: DONE: <command>, ERROR: <message>, INFO: <message>
• Telemetry: Periodic status updates with position, force, torque, and motor status

See the BR Equipment Control App for full protocol documentation and command reference.

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Hardware Configuration

Motors

• Motor A: Primary press motor (M0)
• Motor B: Secondary press motor (M1) - synchronized with Motor A

Sensors

• Force sensor: Load cell or motor torque-based force monitoring
• Position feedback: Encoder feedback from ClearPath motors

Configuration

Key parameters can be configured in inc/config.h:

• Motor parameters: Steps per mm, velocities, accelerations, torque limits
• Homing parameters: Velocities, accelerations, torque limits, backoff distances
• Force monitoring: Force limits, sensor calibration, enable/disable options
• Network settings: UDP port, packet sizes, telemetry interval

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Contributing

For issues, feature requests, or contributions, please open an issue or pull request on GitHub.

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Made with 💙 by the Blue Robotics team and contributors worldwide

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bluerobotics.com | Manufacturing Equipment Control