YMConnect: Frequently Asked Questions

What is YMConnect?

YMConnect is a communication library that lets a custom PC application monitor and control a Yaskawa Motoman robot over Ethernet. It exposes intuitive function calls for reading position, torque, and I/O; writing controller variables; managing INFORM jobs; and (on supported controllers) commanding dynamic motion. It is the successor to the legacy MotoCom SDK.

What languages and platforms are supported?

C++17 and C# on Windows 10+ and Ubuntu 22.04+. The library ships as a pre-built dynamic library (DLL / .so)—no source code is published. Additional language bindings are on the development roadmap.

Which controllers work with YMConnect?

YRC1000, YRC1000micro, DX200, FS100, and DX100 (system software DS2.07.00-00 or above). Not all features are available on every generation—the dynamic motion and kinematic interfaces require YRC1000 or YRC1000micro. Older controllers support monitoring, variables, I/O, and job control.

Does it cost anything?

No. YMConnect is free to use under the Apache 2.0 license. Download release packages from the GitHub Releases page. No MotoPlus SDK license or additional controller option purchase is required.

What controller parameters do I need to set?

Set the security level to MANAGEMENT (default password: all 9’s), then configure these RS parameters: RS0=2, RS5=1, RS7=2, RS22=1, RS29=1. You must also confirm the pseudo input signal CMD REMOTE SEL is ON (#87015 for YRC1000-era controllers). If connection still fails, contact your local Yaskawa office to enable the High Speed Ethernet Server function.

Which network ports does YMConnect use?

UDP ports 10040 and 10041. Ensure both are open on any firewall between the PC and the controller. Communication is Ethernet-based; the PC and controller must be on the same subnet or have a valid route between them.

What is the dynamic motion interface?

It lets your application queue motion targets into a buffer on the fly. The controller’s motion planner plots a smooth trajectory through the queued points—essentially a continuous, programmatic INFORM job. No INFORM job runs during dynamic motion. Available on YRC1000 and YRC1000micro only.

Is YMConnect suitable for real-time control?

No. YMConnect communicates over standard Ethernet (UDP), which is not a deterministic fieldbus. It is best for supervisory monitoring, variable access, job management, and buffered trajectory streaming. For hard-real-time or interpolation-clock-level control, use a MotoPlus application running on the controller.

How do I migrate from MotoCom?

The Developer Portal includes a Converting from MotoCom guide that maps each MotoCom function to its YMConnect equivalent. The overall architecture is similar (connect → call functions → disconnect), but YMConnect uses modern C++ types, structured error handling, and adds motion/kinematic APIs that MotoCom lacked.

Can I delete files on the controller through YMConnect?

You can save and load files, but file deletion is limited to JOB files only. System files, parameter files, and other non-JOB files cannot be deleted through the YMConnect API.

Resources & Support

Developer Portal: developer.motoman.com/en/YMConnect  |  Releases: github.com/Yaskawa-Global/YMConnect/releases  |  Discussions: github.com/Yaskawa-Global/YMConnect/discussions