My hard and fast answer for why LinuxCNC would, again, come down to cost. A coofun GK41 mini pc has more than enough gusto to drive a Mesa board and if you have the right link on Amazon, will run you $169 before the United States of Legalized Extortion take their cut. A Mesa 7i96S is $149 and provides enough IO support for a good, basic machine (plus it's one of the only mesa cards in stock). The gk41 dual boots easier than any other computer I've installed LinuxCNC on, so you can keep the windows side for whatever sadistic reasons you may have and even a build from scratch deb11/2.9 install is a breeze (if you follow my video, of course ;} ). The stigma of learning Linux is slowly getting chipped away with enhancements to the Linux user experience (I run cinnamon on a few of my computers just because it looks nice).
As far as limit and probing IO, there are a bunch of ways to consolidate inputs. For starters, if you are running 2 limits per axis, just wire them in parallel (NO) or series (NC). Same can be done with the tool setter and probe as long as you have a way to circumvent the circuit trigger when the spindle probe is disconnected. Case in point, my tool setter and spindle probe are both NC when connected, but the probe is detachable from the wire, essentially making it NO until it's connected. This makes for an unhappy trigger signal. To fix this, I originally used a spdt switch, then moved to a spdt relay, finally to classicladder logic and two inputs on my motion board. If you want to still use one input, the spdt relay works very well or you can just jumper the probe when not in use. And as far as anything called Mach, 3 is outdated and the last version had a fatal bug that crashed my machine and scrapped way too many parts (which is why I went to Linuxcnc in the first place) and I hear 4 is still not quite right. Phil T. The Feral Engineer Check out my LinuxCNC tutorials, machine builds and other antics at www.youtube.com/c/theferalengineer Help support my channel efforts and coffee addiction: www.patreon.com/theferalengineer Order one of the coolest label makers on the market at http://labelworks.epson.com, use coupon code "theferalengineer" and receive 20% off of your order 🙂 On Tue, Sep 6, 2022, 11:42 PM John Dammeyer <jo...@autoartisans.com> wrote: > Hi Ralph, > The reason I ask is the replies are often like yours with an incorrect > assessment of features. > > https://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_diy/images/centroid_acorn_cnc_controller.pdf > I think 8 inputs is quite different from the 3 home inputs you mentioned. > A quadrature encoder input for spindle feedback and therefore tapping is > another 3 inputs and apparently on the DB-9 is also the ability in addition > to 0-10V spindle speed the CW/CCW direction capability. And I count 8 > relay outputs and 4 motor channels, not 3. > > Bari has mentioned about costs. He's right about that. > > The Mesa 7i95 with Ethernet connection to the PC and a choice of user > interfaces with or without touch screen. Cost is $295 compared to by the > time you add some relays and a power supply the cost is probably more for > the Linux System. > > But, and it's a gigantic huge but, the response is often "I don't want to > learn another OS and have to figure out what to do with Linux". > > Assuming then that the end user installs limits and shares a home with one > on each axis he's got 6 inputs tied up. Adds a touch sensor which can > share a tool height sensor input. Maybe also a small rotary table with a > stepper for that 4th axis. A relay output for coolant control which is an > extra cost for the LinuxCNC system. And VFD on the spindle along with an > encoder. > > So far we haven't exceeded the I/O on either system. Costs are somewhat > comparable. However, after that introductory carrot, the price for the > Acorn jumps by another $159 for the "Mill Pro" which now lets you use that > rotary table and do Rigid tapping. So now the Acorn is well above the > price of the LinuxCNC system. We'll ignore the price of the PC for now > since both are required (along with motors, belts, pulleys, limit switches > etc.). > > If you go out and buy a laptop it probably comes with Windows 10. Finding > an inexpensive laptop with hard wire (verses WiFi) internet connection is > getting harder. Not sure about the touch screen side of things. Either > laptop or a monitor. > > So price wise, MESA $295 plus some relays and a power supply so say $400. > The Acorn $329+ $159= $488. So Acorn more expensive but turnkey compared > to trying to install LinuxCNC on a new piece of hardware, trying to figure > out what a HAL and INI file do, which user interface to install and so on... > > The question still stands. For that simple 3 axis + rotary table mill why > buy LinuxCNC? We're not adding a tool changer or power drawbar because > it's a hobby system or used occasionally in a small shop to make 5 of > something. > > There are user groups for both types of systems. For that matter cost > wise there's also MACH4 with the Ethernet SmoothStepper or a few other > similar interfaces. Cost wise also in the $400 range. > > So why LinuxCNC? > > John > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Ralph Stirling [mailto:ralph.stirl...@wallawalla.edu] > > Sent: September-06-22 5:34 PM > > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > > Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Acorn CNC > > > > > > What kind of machine does the potential Acorn buyer plan to control? > > Most of these newer controls are aimed at vanilla 3-axis cartesian > > machines. They generate step/dir pulses, and have three home inputs, > > and not a lot else. LinuxCNC really shines when you have more complex > > I/O needs, unusual kinematics, tool changers, integration with external > > elements (bar feeders, robots, etc) and the like. I haven't seen any of > > the newer open source or low cost controllers address these more > sophisticated > > applications. > > > > -- Ralph > > ________________________________________ > > From: John Dammeyer [jo...@autoartisans.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 5:06 PM > > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > > Subject: [Emc-users] Acorn CNC > > > > CAUTION: This email originated from outside the Walla Walla University > email system. > > > > > > If I was to offer an reason to go LinuxCNC to someone who is attracted > to an Acorn system what would I say. > > Other than the Acorn is really just a cape for a BeagleBone Black. But > the user interface is all via Ethernet so a > > PC of some sort is still required. > > > > There appear to be so many CNC systems out there now. Even LinuxCNC now > suffers from too many user > > interfaces to the point where is the Tormach really still LinuxCNC or is > it something different too? > > > > Comments? > > John > > > > > > > > "ELS! Nothing else works as well for your Lathe" > > Automation Artisans Inc. > > www dot autoartisans dot com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Emc-users mailing list > > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flists.sourceforge.net%2Flists%2Flistin > > fo%2Femc- > > users&data=05%7C01%7Cralph.stirling%40wallawalla.edu > %7C9a4cc2c782d344f7805308da9064e82b% > > > 7Cd958f048e43142779c8debfb75e7aa64%7C0%7C0%7C637981060324235478%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZs > > > b3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&a > > mp;sdata=uls09nASb64elBi4dQIb1WScbE2d32AIP5IkquFbkXo%3D&reserved=0 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Emc-users mailing list > > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > > > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
