{"id":3986,"date":"2021-12-15T14:04:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T19:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robodk.com\/blog\/?p=3986"},"modified":"2021-12-15T14:04:27","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T19:04:27","slug":"how-to-code-a-robot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robodk.com\/blog\/how-to-code-a-robot\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Code a Robot for Your Next Robotic Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You want to code your robot yourself\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you get started?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

If you are an experienced programmer, you’re already comfortable with coding. You have likely created programs for other projects and it makes sense to carry your programming skills into the world of robotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, robot coding provides some extra challenges over other coding projects. The interface between software, hardware, and the robot’s physical environment is vital with robotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, there are some common restrictions caused by the way that robots are traditionally programmed, especially industrial robots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, coding a robot can be as easy as any other coding project\u2026 in fact, it can be even easier than most projects!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’re Not Stuck With Just One Language!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A common belief with robotics is that you are restricted in terms of which programming languages that you can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This used to be true, but it isn’t true anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the recent past, you could only program most robots with the default language provided by the manufacturer. Industrial robots usually mean using a version of Pascal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re not too familiar with the Pascal programming language, this is understandable! As one commentator put it<\/a> when asked if Pascal is worth learning in the 21st Century: “No. Pascal is pretty much dead.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, while Pascal is pretty much dead in most areas of the modern world, this “ancient” language still survives as the underlying basis for most industrial robotic programming languages (e.g. KUKA’s KRL, ABB’s RAPID, and FANUC’s Karel).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I’m sure you are capable of learning these languages, it can feel like a waste of time to learn a whole new language that has such limited use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, these days you can code a robot program using almost any programming language you like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Are Your Language Options for Robot Coding?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the right coding environment<\/a>, you are pretty much able to use any programming language that you are most comfortable with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern programming software, such as RoboDK and its associated SDK<\/a>, allows you to code the robot in your favorite language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With an easy set of instructions, you can access the most important capabilities of your robots and even use the same code on multiple robot brands with very little modification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Programming Languages You Can Easily Use With Robots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are using the RoboDK API, you can use a variety of different programming languages right “out the box”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The core languages supported by RoboDK are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n