Flowarm

Help & Support Apps & Software
1

I am using a Surface Pro 3 Windows 8 in my classroom. I have successfully installed the Flowarm software, but it will not connect to the AL5D.

2

When I manipulate the AL5D using Flowarm, I am unable to adjust the wrist position. When I attempt to click and drag the tip of the claw (as we did in PLTW training) the arm suddenly jumps to the position of my cursor. I have successfully calibrated the wrist, otherwise it always remains in a vertical position.

3

Hi,

A few things could be preventing you from connecting properly to the SSC-32U so lets cover a few to troubleshoot your issue:

  1. Does your SSC-32U show up under the “Ports (COM & LPT)” category in “Device Manager” (found in “Control Panel”)? If you have multiple COM ports, please disconnect / reconnect the USB connection of the SSC-32U to determine which one is associated with it. It should normally be named “USB Serial Port (COM??)”, where ?? is the port number. Please note this down and mention it in your reply if you still have issues connecting.

  2. Is your SSC-32U powered properly? As mentioned in the manual, the USB port only powers the USB interface (so that the computer can install the drivers). But, it does not power the on-board electronics or servomotors. You need an appropriate power source on the VS1 terminal (6 V DC, usually recommended to be at least capable of providing 2 A). You can read more about it in the SSC-32U manual (page 15-16).

  3. Did you choose the right baud rate? In FlowArm PLTW, please first change the port to OFF. Then, activate the Bluetooth icon (this changes the baud rate to 9600, the default baud rate for the SSC-32U). Then, change the port to the one found at step #1 (or to AUTO, as seen in the attached image)

Please follow the steps above and let us know if you still experience any issues. If that is the case, please provide the PID & VID of the COM port for your SSC-32U (see the other attached image for details).

Sincerely,
FlowArm Baud Rate & Connection Issue.png

Device Manager Device Check.png
Device Manager Device Check.png650×608 33.6 KB

4

Does Flowarm work in Windows 10?

5

Hi,

The wrist angle is controlled by right-clicking (and holding) and moving the cursor around on the left-side image of the AL5 robotic arm in FlowArm. The wrist rotation is controlled by right-clicking (and holding) while CTRL (control key) is pressed and moving the cursor around.

Please let us know if this works. If not, we recommend that you check the wiring of your servomotors and make sure you did not reverse some connections either at the SSC-32U or on the servomotor cable extensions.

Sincerely,

6

Hi,

We’ve had many report from users of having FlowBotics Studio and FlowArm work fine under Windows 10. But, it is not officially supported yet.

Sincerely,

7

I used some of my vacation and finally completed assembling my AL5D. However my heavy duty base came with only one steel standoff. Is it possible to get another standoff?

8

Hi,

For any inquiry about missing parts, please contact our exchanges’ department here.

In your message, make sure to include your order or invoice number so we can track your account effectively.

Sincerely,