A computer program package is developed to analyse the dynamic behaviour of an n degree of freedom manipulator with rotational and/or translational joints. Computer oriented algorithms for robot arm dynamics are implemented together with suboptimal control algorithms for trajectory tracking. The program package allows in an interactive way the synthesis of the manipulator structure as well as its control system, and the simulation of the dynamic behaviour of the whole system under different scenarios. Two adaptive control schemes based on minimum energy terminal control are proposed. Performances of the proposed algorithms are tested with a simulation study carried on for a typical manipulator and a specific scenario.