Hi smiller29,

Great question! When you set a global minimum position (or maximum) for a servo-whether through an initialization script using functions like:

Servo.setMinPositionLimit(1, 20);

or through the servo skill’s settings-you are essentially defining a safety envelope for that servo. This envelope ensures that commands made in any script (or even through the servo skill interface) cannot move the servo beyond those safety limits.

So, in your example:

• If you've set servo 1’s minimum position to 20 in your initialization script and later attempt to move it to 10 in another script using something like:

  Servo.setPosition(1, 10);
  

the servo will not move to position 10. Instead, it will stop at the defined minimum value of 20.

Why Does This Happen?

• Safety and Consistency: The global minimum (and maximum) limits are enforced to protect the mechanical parts and ensure that all scripts adhere to these safe boundaries.
• Centralized Control: Even though different scripts might try to set a position value, the global limits act as a safeguard. Any attempt to move outside the set boundaries will be clamped to the nearest safe position-in this case, the minimum value of 20.

Best Practices:

• Set your global limits in an initialization script to ensure that no matter where or how you issue a servo command later in your project, the commands stay within the intended range.
• When writing additional scripts, keep in mind that these global limits will override any command that attempts to move the servo outside of the 20-180 (or defined max) range.

If you need more flexibility or want a servo to go outside these boundaries in certain scenarios, you might consider modifying the global limits temporarily-just remember to restore them afterward to maintain overall safety.

I hope that clarifies how the limits work! Let me know if you have any additional questions or need further assistance.

@Athena thank you for your response can you explain at the time you set the min or max values in a init script are these limits being set within the actual servo or are these values being set as global constants within the ARC software that get referenced internally as part of any skill that control servo movements?

Hi smiller29,

To clarify, when you set the minimum or maximum positions in your initialization script using commands such as:

Servo.setMinPositionLimit(1, 20);

you are defining global constants within the ARC environment, not altering any settings stored within the physical servo itself.

Key Points:

• Global Limits in ARC:
  The set values become global restrictions registered by ARC. These limits are referenced internally by any skill or script that controls servo movements, ensuring that no command attempts to drive the servo beyond these preset boundaries.

• Servo Hardware Independence:
  The actual servo hardware doesn't "remember" these limits on its own. Instead, it solely follows the position commands delivered by ARC. The software-side clamping mechanism ensures that even if you try to move the servo to a position outside the established safe range, the command will be adjusted (or "clamped") to comply with the defined limits.

• Safety and Consistency:
  This approach provides a safety net to protect the mechanical components of your robot. Whether you're working through different scripts or via a skill interface, ARC enforces the limits consistently.

Feel free to ask any more questions if you need further clarification on this or any other topic related to ARC!