Coming Soon..
We are currently porting the RMP/EtherCAT firmware and our RapidCode libraries to run on Linux. We will run the RMP on an isolated CPU core of our standard industrial PC (iPC300) with a PREEMPT_RT patched kernel. In the future, we imagine the RMP-Linux product running on ARM CPU to help OEMs reduce cost.
RapidCode C++ API will remain unchanged for Linux, so porting a Windows app to Linux should be straightforward. Users can run part or all of their code on the PREEMPT_RT patched kernel to run C++ programs in real-time (similar to our other offering - RapidCodeRT).
The Current Path for Linux Users
New Linux users should use the RapidCodeRemote feature that leverages gRPC to communicate with an RMP-Windows PC or RMP distributed INtime RTOS PC (no Windows).
Our development has been smooth, and we hope to launch a Beta version of RMP-Linux soon.
Update: RMP EtherCAT Master and Motion Controller Now Fully Supported on Linux
In our 2023 blog, we shared an exciting announcement—our RMP EtherCAT Master and Motion Controller were being ported to Linux. We outlined our plans to leverage the PREEMPT_RT kernel patch, maintain full RapidCode C++ API parity, and offer gRPC-based remote communication through RapidCodeRemote. At that time, we were in Beta and eager to bring this solution to market.
We’re proud to announce that the RMP Linux product is no longer just a development milestone—it’s a fully launched, field-proven solution. Since its release in mid-2023, RMP on Linux has been adopted by OEMs and integrators across industries ranging from automation and robotics to defense and scientific research.
This product brings full real-time EtherCAT motion control to Debian-based Linux distributions with support for both x86 and ARM architectures. Engineers can now run the RMP on isolated CPU cores, leverage RapidServer for optimized execution, and integrate using RapidCode or RapidCodeRemote based on system architecture.
What’s New Since 2023:
- ✅ Fully released RMP Linux package for production deployment
- ✅ Widespread adoption across real-world applications
- ✅ Full RapidCode API parity with Windows for C++, C#, and Python
- ✅ Native support for PREEMPT_RT-based deterministic execution
- ✅ Support for gRPC-based distributed architectures via RapidCodeRemote
Whether you’re running RMP on a rugged industrial PC or a lightweight embedded ARM platform, our Linux support gives you the flexibility to architect modern, cost-effective, and scalable motion systems.
We have posted a new blog with additional information. Check out here:
https://www.roboticsys.com/blog/rmp-ethercat-master-and-motion-controller-on-linux