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API: Controller

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Import

from motorbridge import Controller

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Class Overview

class Controller:
    def __init__(self, channel: str = "can0") -> None: ...
    def __enter__(self) -> Controller: ...
    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb) -> None: ...

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Constructors

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Controller(channel="can0")

Create a controller using standard SocketCAN transport. Parameters:
NameTypeDefaultDescription
channelstr"can0"CAN interface name
Returns: Controller instance Raises: CallError if interface cannot be opened Example: 
from motorbridge import Controller

# Basic usage
ctrl = Controller("can0")

# With context manager (recommended)
with Controller("can0") as ctrl:
    motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")

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Controller.from_socketcanfd(channel="can0") (classmethod)

Create a controller using CAN-FD transport. Required for Hexfellow motors. Parameters:
NameTypeDefaultDescription
channelstr"can0"CAN-FD interface name
Returns: Controller instance Raises: CallError if interface cannot be opened Example: 
from motorbridge import Controller

with Controller.from_socketcanfd("can0") as ctrl:
    motor = ctrl.add_hexfellow_motor(0x01, 0x00, "hexfellow")

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Controller.from_dm_serial(serial_port="/dev/ttyACM0", baud=921600) (classmethod)

Create a controller using Damiao serial bridge transport. Parameters:
NameTypeDefaultDescription
serial_portstr"/dev/ttyACM0"Serial device path
baudint921600Baud rate (use 921600 for Damiao)
Returns: Controller instance Raises: CallError if serial port cannot be opened Example: 
from motorbridge import Controller

with Controller.from_dm_serial("/dev/ttyACM0", 921600) as ctrl:
    motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")

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Lifecycle Methods

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close()

Release controller resources. Called automatically by context manager. Parameters: None Returns: None Example: 
ctrl = Controller("can0")
try:
    motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")
    # ... use motor
finally:
    ctrl.close()

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shutdown()

Gracefully shutdown the controller and all associated motors. Parameters: None Returns: None Raises: CallError on failure Note: Called automatically by context manager __exit__.

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close_bus()

Close the CAN bus connection while keeping controller instance alive. Parameters: None Returns: None Raises: CallError on failure

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Global Motor Operations

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enable_all()

Enable all registered motors simultaneously. Parameters: None Returns: None Raises: CallError on failure Example: 
with Controller("can0") as ctrl:
    m1 = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")
    m2 = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x02, 0x12, "4340P")
    ctrl.enable_all()  # Enables both motors

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disable_all()

Disable all registered motors simultaneously. Parameters: None Returns: None Raises: CallError on failure Example: 
ctrl.disable_all()  # Emergency stop all motors

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poll_feedback_once()

Manually poll for feedback frames from all motors. In v0.1.7+, this is optional as background polling is enabled by default. Parameters: None Returns: None Raises: CallError on failure Example: 
# Request feedback and poll
motor.request_feedback()
ctrl.poll_feedback_once()
state = motor.get_state()

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Motor Registration Methods

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add_damiao_motor(motor_id, feedback_id, model)

Register a Damiao motor and return its handle. Parameters:
NameTypeDescription
motor_idintCommand CAN ID (typically 0x01-0x20)
feedback_idintFeedback CAN ID (typically motor_id + 0x10)
modelstrMotor model: “4310”, “4340”, “4340P”, “6001”, etc.
Returns: Motor instance Raises: CallError if registration fails Example: 
motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(
    motor_id=0x01,
    feedback_id=0x11,
    model="4340P"
)

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add_robstride_motor(motor_id, feedback_id, model)

Register a RobStride motor and return its handle. Parameters:
NameTypeDescription
motor_idintDevice ID (typically 127)
feedback_idintFeedback ID (typically 0xFE or 0xFF)
modelstrMotor model: “rs-00”, etc.
Returns: Motor instance Example: 
motor = ctrl.add_robstride_motor(127, 0xFE, "rs-00")

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add_myactuator_motor(motor_id, feedback_id, model)

Register a MyActuator motor and return its handle. Parameters:
NameTypeDescription
motor_idintMotor ID (1-32)
feedback_idintFeedback ID (typically 0x240 + motor_id)
modelstrMotor model: “X8”, etc.
Returns: Motor instance Example: 
motor = ctrl.add_myactuator_motor(1, 0x241, "X8")

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add_hightorque_motor(motor_id, feedback_id, model)

Register a HighTorque motor and return its handle. Parameters:
NameTypeDescription
motor_idintMotor ID (1-127)
feedback_idintFeedback ID (typically 0x01)
modelstrMotor model: “hightorque”
Returns: Motor instance Example: 
motor = ctrl.add_hightorque_motor(1, 0x01, "hightorque")

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add_hexfellow_motor(motor_id, feedback_id, model)

Register a Hexfellow motor and return its handle. Requires CAN-FD transport. Parameters:
NameTypeDescription
motor_idintMotor ID
feedback_idintFeedback ID (typically 0x00)
modelstrMotor model: “hexfellow”
Returns: Motor instance Raises: CallError if not using CAN-FD transport Example: 
with Controller.from_socketcanfd("can0") as ctrl:
    motor = ctrl.add_hexfellow_motor(0x01, 0x00, "hexfellow")

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Context Manager Support

The Controller class supports Python’s context manager protocol for automatic resource cleanup: 
with Controller("can0") as ctrl:
    motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")
    ctrl.enable_all()
    # ... use motor
# Resources automatically cleaned up here
This is equivalent to: 
ctrl = Controller("can0")
try:
    motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")
    ctrl.enable_all()
    # ... use motor
finally:
    ctrl.shutdown()
    ctrl.close()

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Error Handling

All methods may raise exceptions from motorbridge.errors: 
from motorbridge import Controller
from motorbridge.errors import CallError, AbiLoadError, MotorBridgeError

try:
    with Controller("can0") as ctrl:
        motor = ctrl.add_damiao_motor(0x01, 0x11, "4340P")
except AbiLoadError:
    print("Failed to load ABI library")
except CallError as e:
    print(f"API call failed: {e}")
except MotorBridgeError as e:
    print(f"Motor bridge error: {e}")

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See Also