In OpenPnP, Drivers provide the interfaces between OpenPnP and a particular type of pick-and-place(PnP) machine or parts of such a machine. Typically, a driver is a small piece of code that translates OpenPnP commands into instructions for particular controllers, such as motion controllers or peripheral controllers. Popular motion controller examples are TinyG, Smoothie, Marlin, Grbl, Duet etc.. Peripheral controllers typically are used to control component feeders etc. OpenPnP currently includes three types of drivers, but it is extensible, so more driver types can be added.

This section describes how to select one or more drivers and how to configure the included drivers. It starts with a description of the NullDriver that was used to familiarize you with the user interface in the "Quick Start" section.

When OpenPnP is first installed, it provides a simulated driver, the NullDriver. Together with the simulated cameras, you can try OpenPnP out with a virtual machine. Once you want to start connecting it to your real machine, the NullDriver must be replaced with the right driver to emit instructions for your PnP machine. Very often this is the GcodeDriver or the GcodeAsyncDriver, letting you send textual commands to the controller. Typically, these textual commands are in the more or less standardized machine control language named "G-code".

To assist you in converting from the NullDriver to either the GcodeDriver or the GcodeAsyncDriver, OpenPnP can automatically do this conversion for you. More specifically, you can employ the Issues and Solutions system to do it. To do this, first press the Find Issues & Solutions button, then select the NullDriver line and press Accept:

If you need to use another driver type, make additional configuration changes to your driver, or use multiple drivers for multiple controllers, read and follow the instructions below.

For newer Versions of OpenPnP 2.0 you can add as many drivers as you like. Go to the Machine Setup tab and select the Drivers node. Press the [ + ] button to construct a new driver.

In the Select Driver panel, select the driver that most closely matches your motion controller or machine. Most machines should use the GcodeAsyncDriver or GcodeDriver. Click apply.

Note: GcodeAsyncDriver/GcodeDriver is a universal driver that works with many motion controllers. It can be used for TinyG, Smoothie, Marlin, Grbl, Duet etc. You should use GcodeAsyncDriver/GcodeDriver unless you have very specific driver requirements. The GcodeAsyncDriver is the more advanced version, using faster asynchronous/parallelized operation and providing more Advanced Motion Control features. If you want to keep it simple, you can start with the GcodeDriver and upgrade later, using the Issues and Solutions system.

Unless you have an older Version of OpenPnP skip the following instructions.

1. Go to the Machine Setup tab and select the root node of the tree. On most setups it's called "ReferenceMachine". A setup panel will appear on the right.

2. In the setup panel, select the driver that most closely matches you motion controller or machine. Most machines should use the GcodeAsyncDriver or GcodeDriver. Click apply.

   **Note: GcodeDriver is a universal driver that works with many motion controllers. It can be used for TinyG, Smoothie, Marlin, Grbl, etc. You should use GcodeDriver unless you have very specific driver requirements.

3. OpenPnP will prompt you to restart the program, so do that.

(end older versions of OpenPnP instructions)

Most of the drivers in OpenPnP communicate using the serial port. Before you can connect, you need to set the serial port and baud rate for your controller.

1. After restarting OpenPnP go back to the Machine Setup tab and find the Driver you selected in the tree. It should be near the bottom, under the Driver branch. Select it and a setup panel will appear.
2. Select the serial port and baud rate for your controller and press the Apply button.

See the pages below for additional information and instructions on setting up specific drivers within OpenPnP.

• GcodeDriver: Recommended for all Gcode based controllers such as TinyG, Smoothie, Marlin, Grbl, Duet and others. Be sure to review and implement the basic configuration in GcodeDriver knowing that "Issues and Solutions" will provide you with an easy upgrade path to take advantage of the GcodeAsyncDriver. The Smoothie controller should not be configured in CNC (GRBL), but in the 3D printer mode.
• GcodeAsyncDriver: An extension of GcodeDriver, using faster asynchronous/parallelized operation and providing more Advanced Motion Control features. Go here for the advanced motion control requirements for TinyG, Smoothie, Marlin, Grbl, Duet etc..

Now that the driver is configured, press the green power button to connect to your controller. If all goes well the button will turn red and the rest of the controls will become enabled. If there is an issue OpenPnP will give you an error message.

If your machine connected successfully it's time to home it. If you don't have home switches installed you can skip this step. To home the machine click the home button .

A controller homing direction for XYZ axes should be set to min/min/min.

With the machine homed, you can now try jogging the machine to make sure everything is working well. Set the Distance slider to 1mm and click the jog buttons to move the head around. Make sure that the machine moves in the directions specified by the buttons. If it doesn't, check your controller configuration.