DYNAMIXEL Model Name Breakdown

[Jonathon]

Today’s ROBOTIS Tech Tips is all about:

DYNAMIXEL Names

• XW540-T140-R
• XM430-W350-T
• 2XC430-W250-T
• PH54-200-S500-R
• XL330-M077

To many people these DYNAMIXEL names just seem like arbitrary jumbles of numbers and letters, but to experienced DYNAMIXEL users the name of a DYNAMIXEL tells you everything you need to know about the actuator itself.

DYNAMIXEL X series names are composed of 5 different components while P Series have 6 Sections, each of which provide some important information about the capabilities, performance, and compatibility of the servo. Understanding what each part of the name means will allow you to quickly identify a servo, and know it’s full capabilities just by reading the name!

Part 1: Performance

The first component of an X series DYNAMIXEL’s name is the performance category, ranging from the low cost XL line all the way up to the durable XD series. For the P series, there are only two different performance categories.

In either case, knowing what each abbreviation stands for and what they are created to do will give you a good idea of the general performance of the named actuator.

For the P series, a different section of the name also provides important information about the performance of the servo.

The Power Grade section is unique to the P series, and is the rated output of the actuator in Watts. Besides providing a way to quickly identify the total output of a P series servo, the power grade also serves as a helpful indicator of the physical height of the servo.

1. 200 & 060: 126mm
2. 100 & 040: 108mm
3. 020: 84mm
4. 010: 72mm

Part 2: Dimensions

The second section is the size of the servo, X series DYNAMIXELs come in four sizes:

1. 540: 33.5 x 58.5 x 44mm
2. 430: 28.5 x 46.5 x 34mm
3. 330: 20 x 34 x 26mm
4. 320: 24 x 36 x 27mm

All X series DYNAMIXELs sharing a size are externally identical, enabling easy upgrades or replacements even across different performance categories.

The listed size for P series servos is the length of the two shortest sides, forming the square base of the actuator.

1. 54: 54 x 54mm
2. 42: 42 x 42mm

Part 3: Voltage

X Series servos come in a variety of different operational voltages, each with different performance profiles. Knowing which actuators operate on which voltages is critical, as servos with different operational voltages can’t be mixed in one system without special precautions.

DYNAMIXEL P servos all operate on 24v, so their model names do not need to specify an input voltage.

Part 4: Gear Ratio

The Gear Ratio naming component is shared between both X and P series DYNAMIXEL servos, and serves as a quick way to estimate the actuators’ speed and torque relative to one another. A higher gear ratio equates to more output torque, at the cost of having a lower output RPM.

Part 5: Interface

This section specifies the serial communication interface used by the actuator. X series DYNAMIXELs come in varieties supporting either TTL or RS485 serial communication, while P series is only currently offered with RS485. DYNAMIXELs utilizing different communications protocols can’t be connected to the same DYNAMIXEL network without the use of a DYNAMIXEL Communication Bridge.

P series servos are only currently available with RS485 communication.

Part 6: Gear Type

The Gear Type section is unique to P series servos. Currently the only available option is the standard straight connection cycloidal gearhead, but as ROBOTIS continues to expand the DYNAMIXEL line there may be additional specialty gearboxes that are made available.