Connecting to the 6-Axis Arm#

Connecting to the 6-Axis Arm

This tutorial walks you through connecting the 6-Axis Arm to VEXcode CTE with a USB-C cable. By the end, you’ll have your arm connected and ready to run projects.

  1. Make sure the 6-Axis Arm is powered and connected to your computer with a USB-C cable. See Setting Up the 6-Axis Arm for how to set up the cables.

  2. Select the Connect button at the top-right of VEXcode.

Screenshot of the VEXcode CTE toolbar, with the Connect button highlighted.

  1. Select Connect next to USB under Wired Connection.

Screenshot of the Connect menu, showing the Wired Connection section, with the Connect button next to USB highlighted.

  1. Your browser will ask which serial port to connect to. On Windows, select 6-Axis Arm Communications Port. The COM number does not matter.

Screenshot of the serial port dialog on Windows, listing 6-Axis Arm Communications Port (COM30) and 6-Axis Arm Status Port (COM31), with the Communications Port selected and highlighted.

On macOS, select the 6-Axis Arm entry with the lowest number.

Screenshot of the serial port dialog on macOS, listing 6-Axis Arm (cu.usbmodem1101) and 6-Axis Arm (cu.usbmodem1103), with the lower-numbered 1101 entry highlighted.

  1. Select Connect.

Screenshot of the serial port dialog on Windows, with the 6-Axis Arm Communications Port (COM30) selected and the Connect button highlighted. Screenshot of the serial port dialog on macOS, with the 6-Axis Arm (cu.usbmodem1101) entry selected and the Connect button highlighted.

  1. Once connected, USB will show as Connected, and the Arm section will appear, showing its Device Name and firmware version. The arm icon in the toolbar will also turn green, and the Connect button will now read Connected. From here, you can also edit the arm’s name.

Screenshot of the Connect menu with USB shown as Connected, the Arm section showing its Device Name and firmware version, and the arm icon in the toolbar shown in green.