RobotGCode

RobotGCode is a small Julia package for converting trajectory data into G-code for a robot or CNC-style motion system.

The package currently focuses on one workflow:

• read a trajectory from an HDF5 file, or
• accept a trajectory matrix directly in Julia,
• convert coordinates from meters to millimeters,
• write a .gcode file with absolute moves.

Features

• Generate G-code from an HDF5 dataset at trajectory/position
• Accept in-memory trajectory matrices with shape N x 3 or 3 x N
• Apply a configurable coordinate offset
• Convert positions from meters to millimeters
• Emit a simple motion program with G21, G90, linear moves, a dwell, and M2

Requirements

• Julia 1.10 or newer
• The HDF5 package

The repository includes a Project.toml and Manifest.toml, so the easiest setup is to use the project environment from the repository root.

Installation

From the repository root, start Julia and activate the project:

using Pkg
Pkg.activate(".")
Pkg.instantiate()

Usage

From an HDF5 file

using RobotGCode

generate_gcode(
	eingabe_datei = "data/slow/MMRTrajSlow.mmr",
	ausgabe_datei = "output.gcode",
	frame_time = 1.0,
	offset = (0.0, 0.0, 110.0),
)

From a matrix

using RobotGCode

positions = [
	0.000  0.000  0.000;
	0.010  0.005  0.002;
	0.020  0.010  0.004;
]

generate_gcode(
	positions;
	ausgabe_datei = "output.gcode",
	frame_time = 1.0,
	offset = (0.0, 0.0, 110.0),
)

Lift a 2D curve to 3D before discretizing

using RobotGCode

curve2d = string_curve("IMTE")
curve3d = with_z(curve2d, 0.0)
points = discretize(curve3d; npoints = 200)  # Nx3

Input Format

The HDF5 input file must contain a dataset at:

trajectory/position

The dataset should contain 3D positions in meters. Both of the following shapes are accepted:

• N x 3 where each row is a point
• 3 x N where each column is a point

Output

The generated G-code:

• switches to millimeters with G21
• uses absolute positioning with G90
• moves through each trajectory point with G1
• inserts a short dwell at the end of the path
• terminates with M2

Coordinate values are converted from meters to millimeters before writing the file. The offset parameter lets you shift the trajectory into the robot's coordinate frame.

Example Data

The data/ folder contains example trajectories and generated G-code files for several motion types:

• slow/
• spiral/
• circular/
• helix/
• meander/
• lissajous/

The file data/slow/MMRTrajSlow.mmr is a sample HDF5 trajectory file that can be used immediately with generate_gcode.

Project Structure

src/RobotGCode.jl   # Package entry point and G-code generator
data/               # Example trajectories and generated outputs
test/               # Basic package tests

Tests

Run the test suite from the repository root:

using Pkg
Pkg.activate(".")
Pkg.test()

Notes

• The generator currently writes files directly and does not provide a command-line interface.
• If your robot uses a different axis convention, adjust the offset values before generating G-code.