# Project-wide robot control interface and MG400 implementation

`dobot` is an **implementation of the project's common robot-control interface for the DOBOT MG400**. MG400 is the supported hardware, not the origin of the common interface. The interface is defined by the project and also applied to COBOTTA and Universal Robots (UR) integrations; it is not a vendor API inherited from COBOTTA.

```text
Applications / automation systems
                |
      Project-wide robot I/F
                |
      +---------+---------+
      |         |         |
  DobotCtrl   COBOTTA     UR
      |       adapters   adapters
  DobotTcp
      |
  DOBOT MG400 TCP/IP API
      |
   MG400 hardware
```

The diagram shows the **design relationship**. The exact class names and feature coverage of the COBOTTA and UR implementations cannot be verified from this repository alone.

## Responsibilities

- **Common interface:** consistent method shapes for `move`, `drive`, `take_arm`, `give_arm`, motor control, error reset, and status access.
- **`DobotCtrl`:** public MG400-facing implementation of the common interface, delegating to `DobotTcp`.
- **`DobotTcp`:** MG400-specific coordinate and command conversion, TCP communication, and live status handling.
- **Vendor API and extension layer:** access the DOBOT TCP/IP commands while keeping vendor code separate from project extensions.
- **`ese774_frame`:** transparently exposes `DobotCtrl` public methods and properties over HTTP/JSON. **It does not define the common robot interface.**

Sharing an interface does not imply identical capabilities. Unsupported MG400 features must remain explicitly unsupported rather than being simulated silently.

## Local and remote control

Local programs instantiate `DobotCtrl` directly. Remote programs access the **same** `DobotCtrl` instance through an `ese774_frame` server. No separate remote robot-control API is introduced. HTTP request completion is distinct from physical motion completion.

## Manufacturer manuals

The DobotStudio Pro user manual describes hardware setup, coordinate systems, programming, and safety; it does not define this project's Python interface. The MG400 maintenance manual covers safety, inspection, and alarms. Python feature support must be established from the source code.