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Flair Bridge — Product Overview, OS Support, and Setup

CONFIRMED FLAIR BRIDGE FLAIR 7

Summary

Flair Bridge (MRMC-2452) is a small device that allows any modern Mac, Windows, or Linux workstation to control MRMC robots without a special real-time OS, custom network chipset, or BIOS modifications. It replaces the need for INtime (Windows) and the cifX/Thunderbolt card hardware. As of 2026 it ships with the Cinebot Nano and is being phased in with other rigs. Flair Classic is supported on Windows with Bridge; Classic on Mac/Linux is not supported regardless of Bridge.

Stable ID

ISSUE-NET-FB-001

First Reported

2025-11-20 — MRMC Support product announcement in community chat.

What Flair Bridge Removes the Need For

Component Without Bridge With Bridge
INtime (Windows) Required for real-time control Not needed
cifX network card / Thunderbolt box Required for EtherCAT Not needed
BIOS modifications Sometimes required Not needed
Special OS configuration Sometimes required Not needed
Specific network chipset Required Not needed

Thunderbolt/cifX box

The Thunderbolt box shipped in some Cinebot Mini Pelican cases houses the INtime-compatible cifX network card. If you are running Flair on Linux or using Flair Bridge, you don't need it. (Source: MRMC Support, March 2026; Timothy Heys Cerchio confirmed.)

Confirmed Working Configurations

Setup Status
Mac (M-series / arm64, macOS 12+) + Flair 7 + Flair Bridge + Cinebot Mini/Nano Confirmed working
Mac + Flair Bridge + Bolt Jr+ Operational (intermittent Wi-Fi routing issues — see related pages)
Windows + Flair Bridge Confirmed working — eliminates cifX card and INtime
Linux (Ubuntu 24.04) + Flair Bridge Confirmed working — eliminates INtime requirement
Flair Classic (Windows) + Flair Bridge Confirmed working
Flair Classic + Bridge + EtherCAT (Bolt) Beta / in development as of March 2026

OS Requirements

  • Windows: Windows 10 Build 1809 or later; Flair 7.7.4 Beta or higher
  • macOS: macOS 12 or later, arm64 (M-series CPUs) only — Intel x86_64 had a known crash issue as of November 2025
  • Linux: Ubuntu 24.04 (other distros may work but are untested)

Flair Classic Support

Simon Wakley (March 2026): "Yes Flair Classic supports the bridge and it has been tested with various systems but it's still under development for EtherCAT. The other rigs are being beta tested."

MRMC Support (March 2026): "Flair Classic is now supported (EtherCAT needs more testing)"

Flair Classic does not run on Mac or Linux regardless of Bridge — it requires Windows.

Pricing Context (November 2025)

  • Non-EtherCAT rigs: £449
  • EtherCAT rigs (Bolt): £499

Preventing Mac Sleep Disconnection

If the Mac goes to sleep or the screen locks while connected to a robot via Flair Bridge, Flair will immediately disconnect with no notification on wake. This was discovered during a timelapse sequence on a Cinebot Nano.

Fix: Install Caffeine (or equivalent keep-awake utility). It sits in the menu bar as a coffee cup icon and prevents the Mac from sleeping while active.

Josh M (April 2026): "Install a program called Caffeine — it's a little coffee cup in the menu bar that keeps the computer awake when it's full."

Setup Reference

For initial setup, refer to the official MRMC Talk forum thread (includes a Mac + Cinebot Mini setup demo video): https://talk.mrmoco.com/t/the-new-flair-bridge-device/1910/4

WhatsApp Excerpts

  • 2025-11-20 - ~ MRMC Support (Gordon): No special OS configurations, drivers, or BIOS tweaks. Works on Mac, Windows, Linux. Shipping with Cinebot Nano, then phasing in with other rigs. E-stop system unchanged.
  • 2025-11-20 - ~ MRMC Support: Flair Classic works on Windows with Bridge (no cifX/INtime needed). Classic does NOT run on Mac or Linux regardless of Bridge.
  • 2026-03-17 - ~ MRMC Support: Flair Classic is now supported (ethercat needs more testing).
  • 2026-03-17 - ~ Simon Wakley: Yes Flair Classic supports the bridge and it has been tested with various systems but it's still under development for EtherCAT.
  • 2026-03-19 - ~ MRMC Support: It [Thunderbolt box] houses the INtime-compatible network card for real-time control in Windows. If you are on Flair on Linux or using the Flair Bridge, you don't need it.
  • 2026-04-30 - ~ Tom D: Turn Wi-Fi off when connecting via bridge. Seems to work fine when you turn it back on (e.g. to submit report) but try keeping Wi-Fi off otherwise.
  • 2026-04-30 - ~ Josh M: Install a program called Caffeine — it's a little coffee cup in the menu bar that keeps the computer awake when it's full.

Official Documentation

Flair Bridge QSG — p.1: Safety and Overview

Flair Bridge QSG — p.2: Flair Bridge Connections — All Rigs (Except Bolt)

Flair Bridge QSG — p.3: Flair Bridge — Bolt EtherCAT with Managed Switch

Flair Bridge QSG — p.5: Your First Session