CAN-HAT: High-Performance Interface for MD Series Motor Controllers
The CAN-HAT is a robust hardware interface engineered specifically for seamless interaction with MD series motor controllers. Featuring a pinout fully compatible with industry-standard Single Board Computers (SBCs) such as the Raspberry Pi and Nvidia Jetson, this module establishes reliable communication via USB, SPI, and UART protocols.
Designed for immediate plug-and-play operation, the CAN-HAT eliminates the need for complex, low-level protocol implementation. It streamlines integration with MD series actuators while also enabling direct firmware updates to the motor controllers.
Technical Specifications & Key Features
- Versatile Host Interfaces: Equipped with a USB-C port and a standard 20×2 header for direct SPI or UART integration.
- Broad Software Support: Includes developer-friendly APIs optimized for C++, Python, ROS, and ROS2 environments.
- Electrical Protection: Features integrated galvanic isolation rated up to 1kV to protect sensitive host hardware.
- Network Topology: Built with two dedicated connectors to facilitate highly efficient daisy-chain networking.
- High-Speed Update Rates: Achieves communication rates of up to 1kHz over a USB bus and up to 2.8kHz over an SPI bus (benchmarked on a Raspberry Pi with a single MD actuator).
- System Scalability: Capable of driving up to 16 MD series actuators per network, with full support for connecting multiple CAN-HAT modules to a single host.
- SBC Integration: Native pinout alignment ensures rapid physical deployment on Nvidia Jetson, Raspberry Pi, and similar computing platforms.
- Package Contents: Each hardware setup includes the CAN-HAT module, a 25 cm power pigtail cable, and a CAN termination resistor.
