ABB Robotics

aid: abb-robotics
name: ABB Robotics
description: >-
  ABB Robotics is the robotics and discrete-automation business of ABB Ltd, the
  Swiss-Swedish multinational headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. ABB was
  formed in 1988 from the merger of ASEA (Sweden) and Brown, Boveri & Cie
  (Switzerland), with ASEA's IRB 6 (1974) considered the world's first
  microprocessor-controlled industrial robot. ABB Robotics manufactures a broad
  portfolio of articulated industrial robots, collaborative robots
  (GoFa, SWIFTI, YuMi), delta robots (FlexPicker / IRB 360), painting and
  welding robots, and autonomous mobile robots, paired with the OmniCore family
  of controllers running RobotWare 7 and the RAPID programming language. The
  developer surface is anchored by Robot Web Services (RWS) — a RESTful
  HTTP/HTTPS API for IO, RAPID, motion, file service, controller, e-log,
  subscriptions over WebSockets, and user authentication — plus the PC SDK
  (.NET) for native controller applications and the RobotStudio SDK
  (.NET 10 / RobotStudio 2026) for building Add-Ins and SmartComponents.
  RobotStudio Cloud extends offline programming and simulation into a
  collaborative browser surface. ABB also boosts RobotStudio with NVIDIA
  Omniverse libraries for AI-driven simulation. The company sells robots,
  controllers, software licenses, and PowerPac add-ons; RobotStudio Basic is
  free, RobotStudio Premium is sold by annual subscription via local sales.
image: https://kinlane-productions2.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/abb-robotics/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
specificationVersion: '0.20'
tags:
  - Robotics
  - Industrial Robotics
  - Industrial Automation
  - Manufacturing
  - Robot Controllers
  - OmniCore
  - RobotStudio
  - RAPID
  - Collaborative Robots
  - Cobots
  - Welding
  - Painting
  - Material Handling
  - Picking and Packing
  - Discrete Automation
  - Robot Web Services
  - REST
  - WebSockets
type: Index
position: Provider
access: 3rd-Party
apis:
  - aid: abb-robotics:robot-web-services
    name: ABB Robot Web Services (RWS)
    description: >-
      Robot Web Services is the canonical REST/HTTP(S) API exposed by ABB
      OmniCore (RobotWare 7) and IRC5 controllers. It provides programmatic
      access to RAPID program data and execution, IO signals, motion system,
      file service, e-log, configuration (CFG), controller (clock, restart,
      identification), user authorization, and subscriptions over WebSockets.
      RWS uses digest authentication and supports both XML (default) and JSON
      (HAL) representations via the `json=1` query parameter. Endpoints
      include /rw/rapid, /rw/iosystem, /rw/motionsystem, /rw/system,
      /rw/panel, /rw/elog, /rw/cfg, /fileservice, /subscription, /users,
      and /ctrl.
    humanURL: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/rwsApi/
    tags:
      - Robotics
      - REST
      - Controllers
      - OmniCore
      - RAPID
      - IO
      - Motion
      - Subscriptions
      - WebSockets
    properties:
      - url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/rwsApi/
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/RWS
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb_librws
        type: SDK
        name: abb_librws (community C++ client)
      - url: https://abb-robot-client.readthedocs.io/en/stable/abb_robot_client/api/rws.html
        type: SDK
        name: abb_robot_client (community Python client)
  - aid: abb-robotics:robot-web-services-subscriptions
    name: ABB Robot Web Services Subscriptions
    description: >-
      WebSocket-based subscription service that pushes change events for
      subscribed RWS resources (IO signals, RAPID symbols, controller state,
      execution state, e-log, motion system). Clients open a subscription
      group via POST /subscription and then upgrade to a WebSocket
      connection to receive notifications. Critical for low-latency
      controller monitoring, HMIs, and supervisory applications.
    humanURL: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/rwsApi/
    tags:
      - Robotics
      - WebSockets
      - Events
      - Subscriptions
      - Real-Time
    properties:
      - url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/rwsApi/
        type: Documentation
  - aid: abb-robotics:pc-sdk
    name: ABB PC SDK
    description: >-
      The PC SDK is a .NET software development kit that lets system
      integrators, third parties, and end users build custom PC applications
      and RobotStudio Add-Ins that communicate with an ABB robot controller
      over a network. Domains include Controller, RapidDomain, IOSystemDomain,
      MotionDomain, EventLogDomain, FileSystemDomain, ConfigurationDomain,
      and UserAuthorizationManagement. PC SDK is the recommended path for
      native operator interfaces and complements RWS for richer access
      semantics including mastership.
    humanURL: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/
    tags:
      - Robotics
      - SDK
      - .NET
      - Controllers
      - Operator Interfaces
    properties:
      - url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/api/index.html
        type: Documentation
        name: PC SDK API Reference
      - url: https://library.e.abb.com/public/124d6b59313ed85fc125793400410c5b/3HAC036957-en.pdf
        type: Documentation
        name: PC SDK Application Manual
  - aid: abb-robotics:robotstudio-sdk
    name: ABB RobotStudio SDK
    description: >-
      The RobotStudio SDK enables developers to build custom applications,
      Add-Ins, and SmartComponents that extend RobotStudio. The current
      version targets RobotStudio 2026 and is built on .NET 10. Used by
      ABB partners and integrators to ship PowerPac-like extensions for
      simulation, offline programming, and workflow automation inside the
      RobotStudio environment.
    humanURL: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/index.html
    tags:
      - Robotics
      - SDK
      - .NET
      - RobotStudio
      - Simulation
      - Offline Programming
    properties:
      - url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/index.html
        type: Documentation
common:
  - type: Website
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/
  - type: Portal
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics
  - type: Portal
    name: ABB Developer Center
    url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/
  - type: Documentation
    name: ABB Developer Center - RWS
    url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/rwsApi/
  - type: Documentation
    name: ABB Developer Center - PC SDK
    url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/
  - type: Documentation
    name: ABB Developer Center - RobotStudio SDK
    url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/index.html
  - type: Forum
    name: ABB Robotics User Forums
    url: https://forums.robotstudio.com/
  - type: Forum
    name: ABB Robotics Community
    url: https://tech-community.robotics.abb.com/
  - type: Product
    name: OmniCore Controllers
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/controllers/omnicore
  - type: Product
    name: RobotStudio Suite
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/software-and-digital/robotstudio
  - type: Product
    name: RobotStudio Cloud
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/software-and-digital/robotstudio/robotstudio-cloud
  - type: Product
    name: Industrial Robots
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/industrial-robots
  - type: Product
    name: Collaborative Robots
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/collaborative-robots
  - type: Product
    name: Autonomous Mobile Robots
    url: https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/autonomous-mobile-robots
  - type: Downloads
    url: https://www.abb.com/global/en/areas/robotics/downloads
  - type: GitHubOrganization
    url: https://github.com/ABB-Robotics
  - type: SDK
    name: PC SDK
    url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/
  - type: SDK
    name: RobotStudio SDK
    url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/index.html
  - type: SDK
    name: abb_librws (ROS-Industrial C++)
    url: https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb_librws
  - type: SDK
    name: abb_libegm (ROS-Industrial C++ EGM)
    url: https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb_libegm
  - type: SDK
    name: abb_robot_client (Python)
    url: https://abb-robot-client.readthedocs.io/
  - type: SDK
    name: A3br (AR/PLC library for RWS)
    url: https://github.com/loupeteam/A3br
  - type: Documentation
    name: OmniCore Application Manual
    url: https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=3HAC066554-001&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch
  - type: Documentation
    name: OmniCore Robot User Documentation (RobotWare 7)
    url: https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=3HAC065042-001&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch
  - type: Documentation
    name: OmniCore Integrator Guide
    url: https://www.uzivatelskadokumentace.cz/Controllers/OmniCore/en/3HAC065037-001.pdf
  - type: Blog
    name: ABB News Center
    url: https://new.abb.com/news
  - type: Newsroom
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/media
  - type: PressReleases
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/media/press-releases
  - type: Careers
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/careers
  - type: Investors
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/investors
  - type: AnnualReport
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/investors/financial-information/annual-reports
  - type: Sustainability
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/sustainability
  - type: TermsOfService
    name: ABB Terms of Use
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/legal/general-terms-of-use
  - type: PrivacyPolicy
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/legal/privacy-notice
  - type: Contact
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/contact-centers
  - type: Support
    url: https://global.abb/group/en/contact-centers
  - type: LinkedIn
    url: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/abb-robotics/
  - type: Twitter
    url: https://twitter.com/ABBRobotics
  - type: YouTube
    url: https://www.youtube.com/@ABBRobotics
  - type: Features
    data:
      - OmniCore controllers (C30, C90XT, V250XT, E10) running RobotWare 7 and RAPID
      - IRC5 controllers (legacy installed base) supporting RWS 1.0
      - Robot Web Services (RWS) — RESTful HTTP/HTTPS API with XML and JSON (HAL) representations
      - RWS Subscriptions delivered over WebSockets for low-latency event streams
      - PC SDK (.NET) for custom PC operator interfaces and RobotStudio Add-Ins
      - RobotStudio SDK (.NET 10 / RobotStudio 2026) for Add-Ins and SmartComponents
      - RobotStudio Cloud — browser-based collaborative offline programming
      - NVIDIA Omniverse integration for AI-driven simulation in RobotStudio
      - Externally Guided Motion (EGM, 689-1) for real-time external motion control
      - PowerPacs for welding, picking, painting, machine tending, palletizing
      - Collaborative robot families (GoFa, SWIFTI, YuMi) with integrated safety
      - Delta robot IRB 360 FlexPicker for high-speed picking and packing
      - Autonomous mobile robot (AMR) portfolio acquired via ASTI Mobile Robotics
      - Digest authentication for RWS, with session cookies (ABBCX, http-session)
      - Community ROS-Industrial drivers (abb_librws, abb_libegm) and Python (abb_robot_client)
    sources:
      - https://new.abb.com/products/robotics
      - https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/
      - https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/rwsApi/
      - https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/
      - https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/index.html
      - https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/controllers/omnicore
      - https://new.abb.com/products/robotics/software-and-digital/robotstudio
      - https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb_librws
    updated: '2026-05-25'
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: [email protected]