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-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/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: SDKs
    name: abb_librws (community C++ client)
  - url: https://abb-robot-client.readthedocs.io/en/stable/abb_robot_client/api/rws.html
    type: SDKs
    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: Forums
  name: ABB Robotics User Forums
  url: https://forums.robotstudio.com/
- type: Forums
  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: SDKs
  name: PC SDK
  url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/pcsdk/
- type: SDKs
  name: RobotStudio SDK
  url: https://developercenter.robotstudio.com/api/robotstudio/index.html
- type: SDKs
  name: abb_librws (ROS-Industrial C++)
  url: https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb_librws
- type: SDKs
  name: abb_libegm (ROS-Industrial C++ EGM)
  url: https://github.com/ros-industrial/abb_libegm
- type: SDKs
  name: abb_robot_client (Python)
  url: https://abb-robot-client.readthedocs.io/
- type: SDKs
  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: kin@apievangelist.com