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How to control an I/O coupling on other robots ?

Wiring, signal types, and preset control using the I/O Coupling on robots not natively supported by Robotiq

Context

The I/O Coupling allows you to control Robotiq adaptive and vacuum grippers using just two digital inputs and two digital outputs from your robot. These I/Os are used to trigger preset actions that are preloaded into the gripper.

For supported robots like Universal Robots (CB3 series), Techman, and Omron/TM, we provide dedicated software components to manage these I/Os automatically.

However, in custom applications—such as integrating with a robot that has digital I/Os but is not supported by our software—you can program your own I/O logic to trigger these presets manually.

 

Prerequisites

To use the I/O Coupling with your robot, you’ll need:

  • A Robotiq gripper 

  • A Robotiq I/O Coupling module (UR or TM variant)

  • A robot with:

    • At least 2 configurable digital outputs

    • At least 2 digital inputs for feedback

    • Matching signal type (PNP or NPN) with the I/O Coupling variant

  • A power supply connected through the wrist cable or equivalent

⚠️ Important: Using the wrong I/O type (e.g., PNP vs NPN mismatch) may prevent operation or cause hardware damage.

 

Electrical Compatibility

The Robotiq I/O Coupling comes in two variants:

Variant Compatible Robots IO Type
UR version Universal Robots (CB3 series) NPN outputs, PNP inputs
TM version Techman and Omron/TM robots PNP outputs, NPN inputs

What's PNP vs NPN?

  • PNP (sourcing output): sends positive voltage to the load

  • NPN (sinking output): connects load to ground

Your robot’s digital outputs must match the I/O Coupling’s inputs, and vice versa.

❗ Example: Doosan use PNP for both input and output so TM or UR IO coupling cannot be used by connecting it to the wrist.

 

Pin Mapping and Connections

The I/O Coupling uses a 4-pin connector. Here is the pinout:

Pin Function Direction Description
1 Input A From robot Digital signal A (preset selection)
2 Input B From robot Digital signal B (preset selection)
3 Output A To robot Gripper status
4 Output B To robot Gripper status

Make sure the wiring respects signal levels and polarity based on your robot’s I/O type.

 

Activation of the I/O Coupling

To get the I/O Coupling working in a custom setup, you’ll need to perform an initialization (activation) step before using the presets. 

Use the two connected robot output lines (the two I/O inputs to the coupling) to send an initialization command to the gripper. This allows the coupling/gripper to calibrate its positions. Without this step, the gripper won’t properly “activate,” and presets may not behave as expected.

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Controlling Presets with I/O

The I/O Coupling interprets combinations of signals on Input A and B to trigger predefined gripper actions. These actions (presets) are stored in the gripper’s memory.

Command Signals

Input A Input B Triggered Preset
0 0 Preset 0
0 1 Preset 1
1 0 Preset 2
1 1 Preset 3

 

Reading Gripper Status

The I/O Coupling sends back feedback via Output A and B. The meaning of each signal combination is:

Output A Output B Gripper Status
0 0 Not ready
0 1 Ready for command
1 0 Object detected
1 1 Command in progress

Use your robot’s digital input monitoring to track these outputs.

 

Conclusion

The Robotiq I/O Coupling provides a flexible way to integrate Robotiq grippers with any robot platform that supports digital I/O. By sending simple 2-bit signals, you can trigger multiple gripper presets and read status information—no software integration required.