Robot having interchangeability features

1. A robot apparatus comprising:

a stator configured to be stationarily connected to a housing;

a rotor configured to have a robot arm connected thereto, where the rotor comprises a shaft and a robot arm mount adjustably connected to the shaft;

an encoder configured to sense a rotational angle of the rotor relative to the stator, where the apparatus is configured to determine a commutation angle offset; and

where the stator and the rotor comprise mechanical reference locators to temporarily stationarily locate the robot arm mount to the stator for subsequently stationarily fixing the robot arm mount to the shaft, where the mechanical reference locators comprise holes configured to receive a fixture pin to align the robot arm mount to the stator, where the housing is a substrate transport housing, and where the stator is on an encoder housing which comprises a locating feature to align the encoder housing with the substrate transport housing at a predetermined rotational angle in a receiving area of the housing.

2. A robot apparatus as in claim 1 where the apparatus is configured to re-zero the encoder based upon the commutation angle offset.

3. A robot apparatus as in claim 1 where the fixture pin is configured to temporarily slide into the holes to align axial rotation position of the robot arm mount relative to the stator.

4. A robot apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising fasteners which stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft, where the robot arm mount comprises curved fastener slots configured to receive the fasteners and allow the robot arm mount to be adjusted to an angular rotated position on the shaft before the fasteners stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft.

5. A robot apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a robot arm connected to the rotor, where the apparatus is configured to phase a driven part of the robot arm with respect to the encoder.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 where the fixture pin is configured to temporarily slide into the holes to align axial rotation position of the robot arm mount relative to the stator, and further comprising fasteners which stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft, where the robot arm mount comprises curved fastener slots configured to receive the fasteners and allow the robot arm mount to be adjusted to an angular rotated position on the shaft before the fasteners stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft.

7. A substrate transport apparatus comprising:

a substrate transport apparatus housing;

a robot drive comprising the robot apparatus claimed in claim 1 and at least one encoder;

a robot arm connected to the robot drive; where the robot arm is configured to support at least one substrate thereon; and

a controller comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, where the controller it connected to the robot drive to control movement of the robot drive and the robot arm.

8. A robot apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising fasteners which stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft, where the robot arm mount comprises curved fastener slots configured to receive the fasteners and allow the robot arm mount to be adjusted to an angular rotated position on the shaft before the fasteners stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft.

9. A robot apparatus comprising:

a housing; and

a substrate transport apparatus connected to the housing, where the substrate transport apparatus comprises a robot arm and a robot drive configured to move the robot arm, where the robot drive comprises:

a motor comprising a stator and a rotor; and

means for providing predetermined encoder position and motor commutation position with respect to the robot arm relative to the housing for preconfigured controllers to be alternatively used to control the motor, for moving the robot arm, without reconfiguring the controller for use with the robot drive, where the means for providing comprises an encoder configured to sense a rotational angle of the rotor relative to the stator, where the apparatus is configured to determine a commutation angle offset,

where the stator and the rotor comprise mechanical reference locators to temporarily stationarily locate at least a portion of the robot arm to the stator for subsequently stationarily fixing the portion of the robot arm to a shaft of the motor, where the mechanical reference locators comprise holes configured to receive a fixture pin to align the portion of the robot arm to the stator,

where the housing is a substrate transport housing, and where the stator is on an encoder housing which comprises a locating feature to align the encoder housing with the substrate transport housing at a predetermined rotational angle in a receiving area of the housing.

10. A robot apparatus as in claim 9 where the fixture pin is configured to temporarily slide into the holes to align axial rotation position of the robot arm mount relative to the stator.

11. A robot apparatus as in claim 9 further comprising fasteners which stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft, where the robot arm mount comprises curved fastener slots configured to receive the fasteners and allow the robot arm mount to be adjusted to an angular rotated position on the shaft before the fasteners stationarily fix the robot arm mount to the shaft.