On 10/09/2017 12:20 AM, Frederic RIBLE wrote:
Machinekit is running both on PC or BBB.
It is coming with several improvements and disrupting
implementations (see https://youtu.be/OVVGdQnz5Ts)
As an example, the new middleware is enabling a network of
HAL components running on different boards.
One application is remote GUI running on a tablet (not a
remote X session, but a true local GUI exchanging data
with the remote RT controller over LAN or Wifi).
This is one of the major thrusts of Machinekit, to open up
the inner architecture of LinuxCNC to the network.
Using Zero MQ as the communication manager to replace NML,
which was never intended to operate over the network. It
allows different major components of LinuxCNC to run on
different nodes. This also opens up the system to
communication/coordination between different instances of
LinuxCNC, such as for factory automation, cooperating
robots, etc.
About the ARM based boards like the BBB, what is nice is
the PRU/eQEP subsystem: it enables high speed stepping and
quadrature encoding without the need for external FPGA
board. So, for a fraction of the cost of a PC/FPGA
combination, you have high-end I/O performances.
And the DE0-Nano and DE10-Nano SOC boards are bringing
additional FPGA capabilities in a very cheap and compact
form factor, useful for more advanced I/O needs.
If you do not really want to spent time for
experimentation, PC/LCNC is probably the way to go.
MK/BBB will be good for tight budget, high speed I/O and
small size constraints, if you are more geek.
That will be nice if we can merge LCNC with MK in the near
future.
Well, really, merge is not the right word. Machinekit is an
extension of LinuxCNC, in very specific areas, basically the
replacement of the old NML communication code with Zero MQ.
Considering the small amount of time hobby developers have
to contribute, that's a shame to make some developments 2
times!
Machinekit is mostly LinuxCNC! I don't know the fraction,
but I think it is likely over 80% the same code.
I wish that the fork had not happened, but mostly Michael
Haberler wanted to do more, faster than the existing
LinuxCNC structure was able to handle. Why this couldn't
have just been an experimental branch of the LinuxCNC
development tree, I don't know.
But, many features and extensions from Machinekit are making
their way into LinuxCNC.
Jon
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