Dynamixel XM430-W350-T
The default joint of academic robot arms. Metal gears, full current sensing, profile-based trajectory control with acceleration ramps, and a documented register map you can drive from any language.
The role it plays
An actuator turns electrical power into motion. The useful unit is never the motor alone — it is motor + reduction + encoder + driver loop, and most of the engineering is in the last three. The number that decides a design is continuous torque at the joint, not the peak figure on the datasheet. Peaks last milliseconds; gravity lasts all day.
Typical use: 6-DOF research arms, quadruped knees, haptic devices.
What the numbers actually mean
The headline figure is 4.1 N·m @ 12 V (stall torque), with 46 rpm @ 12 V as the next most load-bearing number (no-load speed). At $260 in the actuators tier it sits in the mid range: enough money that you should plan the mounting and wiring before ordering, but not so much that one mistake ends the project.
How it compares
Same subsystem, closest alternatives. The primary spec column is usually the one that decides it.
| Part | Price | Primary spec | Second spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamixel XM430-W350-TSmart servo | $260 | 4.1 N·m @ 12 V | 46 rpm @ 12 V |
| Feetech STS3215Serial-bus servo | $17 | 30 kg·cm (2.94 N·m) @ 7.4 V | ~0.222 s / 60° |
| Feetech SCS0009Micro serial servo | $8 | 9 kg·cm (0.88 N·m) @ 6 V | ~0.1 s / 60° |
| Dynamixel XL430-W250-TSmart servo | $50 | 1.5 N·m @ 12 V | 59 rpm @ 12 V |
| Dynamixel XM540-W270-TSmart servo | $500 | 10.6 N·m @ 12 V | 33 rpm @ 12 V |
Where it shows up
Platforms in this atlas that use something in this class: ALOHA 2.