Ordinarily, Setting up new DYNAMIXEL actuators can end up being a fairly time-consuming process due to the need to set up unique ID settings for each servo one-by-one. However ROBOTIS' DYNAMIXEL Wizard 2.0 configuration software features a new ID inspector tool that makes setting up multiple DYNAMIXELs a snap. You can follow along with this video tutorial, or proceed on to read more about the process of using the ID inspection tool in the remainder of this blogpost.

DYNAMIXEL Wizard ID Inspector

To begin the process, open the Tools dropdown from the main DYNAMIXEL Wizard 2.0 menu, and select the ID inspection option.

The first screen you’ll see will prompt you to select the communications port and baud rate of the servos you are going to configure.

Most of the time, the default settings will work to find new DYNAMXIEL servos, but if you’ve changed the communication port or baudrate used to control your DYNAMXIELs, be sure to select the correct options here. Once you’ve got your settings correct, hit the scan button to move on to the next step.

During the scanning process, the box below the progress bar will display the ID numbers of all actuators that are detected, highlighting any that have overlapping ID numbers. After the scan has been completed, press the next button to move to the ID configuration screen.

The ID configuration screen consists of a list of all detected servos and their corresponding details on the left highlighting conflicting servos in red, with a menu space for selecting and applying ID values to the right. When you click on a servo from the list on the left, the menu space will populate with a list of all unique ID numbers that can be applied to the servo to resolve ID conflicts by selecting the save button. Additionally, whenever a servo has been selected from the list the indicator LED on the back of the servo will be lit, so you can confirm the specific servo that you’re assigning the ID to.

After selecting a motor and assigning a new ID, the listing in the left menu will change to green. After all of the overlapping IDs have been resolved, you can select the Apply button to save your changes and return to the main menu.

After completing the ID inspection process, you’ll be able to rescan your DYNAMIXELs and control them through the DYNAMIXEL Wizard.

This process is much simpler than the previous method of having to connect each individual actuator one at a time, and can greatly speed up the process of getting started with a set of new DYNAMIXEL actuators.