USB2AX

You can consider USB2AX v3.2a as an alternative product.

The USB2AX is a small interface to control Dynamixel servos like the AX-12 from a computer. It plugs into a USB port and has a 3-pin Dynamixel connector to be connected to the servos.

A typical use scenario is in a small mobile robot with a laptop or an embedded computer (like a Raspberry PI) as a brain and servos to move legs, arms or claws.

What servos can it talk to?

Basically, it can talk with any device which uses a half-duplex TTL interface (3-pins connector) and the Dynamixel protocol. More specifically:

• All of the AX servos (AX-12/AX-12+/AX-12A, AX-12W, AX-18F/AX-18A).
• The "T" versions of the MX servos (MX-28T, MX-64T, MX-106T).
• (Unsupported) It can probably communicate with some other servos that use the same protocol and interface as the AX servos, like the CDS5500.

What can't it do?

• The USB2AX can not communicate with the Dynamixel servos using the RS485 interface (the one with 4 pins).
• Neither can it control any sort of hobby/RC servos or other brand of robot servos.
• Compared to the USB2Dynamixel, it also lacks the RS232 port (with its big DB9 connector) used to program some controllers from Robotis like the CM-510.
• It can not supply power to the servos.
• It is not a generic USB to Serial (even though it can be modified to be one) and has very different capabilities than the LN-101.

Features

• Comunication with AX and MX Dynamixel servos (with 3 wires) @ 1Mbps
• Very small (16x36mm)
• Optimized latency
• Protection against ESD and short circuits
• Advanced functionalities: sync_read, bulk_read...
• Windows / Linux / MacOS
• Firmware updates
• Open Source Software & Hardware, programmable and hackable!