Onrobot Modbus -

OnRobot provides a Modbus register map PDF for each tool. The default settings are sane: Modbus RTU at 115200 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. Addresses are configurable via OnRobot’s Tool Changer Interface or the OnRobot App (for UR).

One integrator noted: “We used to run a separate I/O cable from the gripper to a remote rack just to get part-present signals. Now, it’s one Ethernet cable. The gripper’s digital outputs become Modbus coils. We read them directly in the PLC.” 1. Vision-Guided Kitting A kitting cell uses a Cognex camera to identify parts on a conveyor. The camera’s PLC sends a Modbus TCP write to an OnRobot VG10 vacuum gripper: “Enable suction cup 3 for 200 ms.” No robot intermediary needed. The gripper acts as a smart slave on the line. 2. Force-Controlled Insertion An automotive supplier uses an OnRobot HEX force-torque sensor with a UR20e. The robot’s path is coarse; fine insertion is controlled by a Beckhoff PLC reading the HEX’s Modbus registers. If torque exceeds a threshold, the PLC issues a retract command directly to the gripper—faster than waiting for the robot controller to loop back. 3. Remote Diagnostics A packaging plant in Ohio monitors 12 OnRobot grippers over Modbus TCP via a Red Lion gateway. Each morning, the maintenance dashboard polls register 0x0A (tool cycle count) and 0x0B (last fault code). Preventative maintenance is triggered automatically. Setup and Pitfalls Getting started is straightforward but not without quirks.

Modbus provides that direct line. OnRobot exposes a standard set of holding registers and coils across their product line. While each tool has specifics, the pattern is consistent. onrobot modbus

OnRobot has done something quietly radical: they have commoditized the interface to advanced gripping and sensing. By adopting an open, decades-old standard, they have made their tools just another node on the industrial network.

And in a world of locked-in ecosystems and proprietary fieldbuses, that is genuinely collaborative. Need a specific register map or troubleshooting guide for an OnRobot tool? Let me know the model (e.g., RG6, VG10, HEX-H) and I can drill deeper. OnRobot provides a Modbus register map PDF for each tool

But if you are building a where the robot is just one actor among many—where a vision system, a HMI, and a safety controller all need to talk to the same tool—Modbus is a lifeline.

For OnRobot, the choice was strategic. Their tools already support multiple major robot brands (Universal Robots, Fanuc, Doosan, Mitsubishi, etc.) via their and One System Solution . But many advanced users don’t want to control a gripper only from the teach pendant. They want to trigger it from a vision system, a safety PLC, or a custom .NET application. One integrator noted: “We used to run a

For years, the promise of collaborative robotics has been simplicity. Yet, anyone who has wired a complex gripper or a force-torque sensor into a third-party PLC knows the reality: different protocols, proprietary boxes, and a tangle of cables.