OMG - I keep forgetting you are the ELS guy! I am glad you are here. And trying linuxcnc..
You know how much works goes into these things! I have dabbled a bit in some Arduino and such.. It is painful for me because ever time I seem to have to relearn it. Granted I have a pretty long history with linuxcnc (I really got into it at the start of emc2 and HAL) but for me it really is a swiss army knife. I see problems that have a linuxcnc solutions :) Just the HAL part is so powerful and flexible.. sam On Sat, Aug 5, 2023 at 8:57 PM John Dammeyer <jo...@autoartisans.com> wrote: > Sam, > You are my hero when it comes to this sort of thing. I wanted to link one > of your RPI youtube videos but for some reason Youtube wasn't helping with > my searches. > > I too have written CNC software, way back, Z80 Assembler for a laser > cutter as a demo that the machine was capable of what the end customer > wanted. At that point emc1 was just getting started. > > And my ELS, with reasonable threading using a 1PPR spindle sensor, has > been stable for many years and I will support it as long as I possibly > can. And of course it's open source. Although it's been on the back > burner for a while, since April 2020, I used a MicroChip Automotive > Networking Board that takes a PIM module (PIC32) and created and interface > board to translate 3.3V signals to 5V and put them onto the correct pins of > a PIC18F4685. This photo is too large to attach so here's a link. > > http://www.autoartisans.com/ELS/AdaptorBoard-7.jpg > > I then created a project and new init code for a PIC32 instead of the > PIC18 and with actually very little effort had the 8 bit code running on > the 32 bit processor including the micro-stepping 3A 50V stepper motor > driver. The plan, when I get to it and stop breaking touch probes on my > mill, is a small add on board that plugs into the 40 pin PIC18 socket. The > board will also have an extra 8 pin connector for a differential quadrature > encoder and a bit of extra I/O for 0-10V output for spindle VFD. But the > basic ELS behaviour won't change that much. > > But with a 32 bit processor the potential of creating a better trajectory > planner so that an operator can hand turn the lathe spindle back and forth > and have the Z axis track might be something I will attempt. With that > experience behind me I'd love to see someone do it quickly on a different > 32 bit processor. > > At the moment I'm also playing with a dspic33ch128mp508_pim mounted on an > Explorer 16 motherboard. It's a dual core 16 bit processor and I've > taken the basic demo application and modified it to read a quadrature > encoder. When I select the S3 button it shows encoder displacement in > degrees to the nearest 100th and velocity in steps every 50mS. > > dsPIC33CH128MP508 Demo PIM Version 0.02a > S3:Main only > S6:Main+Second > >q > Counter = 0 > Control = 0x8000 > IOControl = 0x00000004 > Status = 0x0002 > Position Counter = 0 > Velocity Counter = 0 > Position Hold = 0 > >? > q : Show QEI Register values > rx(=x) : Report or Set memory location using hex address=data > v : Print Version and Build info > >v > dsPIC33CH128MP508 Demo PIM Version 0.02a > > I also have a TI Launchpad with dual core and QEI support. It's also 16 > bit but has some pretty impressive math capabilities for doing real time > trajectory planning. > > But each of these projects all suffer from the same issue (as would an > ESP32 module). One still has to build a board, assemble it, test it and > mount it into a box. The Beagle with a cape and Pi4 with a MESA are just > so much easier. > > Even just the adaptor board for my ELS and the software was a few months > of hobby time spent. Doing a full trajectory planner is a huge undertaking. > > John > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Sam Sokolik [mailto:samco...@gmail.com] > > Sent: August 5, 2023 5:51 PM > > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > > Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Beaglebone black latency > > > > I agree.. It is so easy isn't it? Just use a ESP32! > > > > I tried to write a machine controller when I was in my 20's... This was > > before I found turbocnc (which sucked) and linuxcnc. (emc1) > > > > I also helped test the trajectory planner improvements made when Rob > > added > > n-segment read-ahead. It took months to make something viable that also > > worked as an actual cnc (tool offsets, velocity/acc constraints, cnc > > stuff...) > > > > Someone that comes in and says - you can easily use x and y to make a > great > > cnc controller are quite naive... The grbl controller that every one > touts > > as a great solution is so basic it is scary.. works great for a basic 3 > > axis mill - but that is it. > > > > I have actually been using a rpi4 and mesa to run an actual mill to > machine > > actual stuff. It works very well - no issues... > > > > It does some amazing stuff like... (and is an actual cnc controller that > > takes actual gcode..) Am I getting my point across? > > > > https://www.youtube.com/shorts/23bEsKMNJH0 > > > > sam > > > > > > > > On Sat, Aug 5, 2023 at 7:30�PM John Dammeyer <jo...@autoartisans.com> > > wrote: > > > > > Chris, > > > I must admit I had a bit of a chuckle when I read your answer. It's so > > > easy to just do this or use that or add these and then you are good to > go. > > > > > > If it's that easy I expect you'll have that tablet with the wifi > > > connection to the ESP32 and be executing G-Code by the end of August > > right? > > > > > > Other than wiring up motors and all the mechanicals, which has to be > done > > > for any CNC installation the time to get the CNC running was even less > time > > > than from now until the end of August for me. And I likely would have > > been > > > using this were it not for the inverted ESTOP. > > > https://youtu.be/9GF709ZfLRQ > > > Instead I went the PC route and did a dual boot between LinuxCNC and > > > WIN-XP for MACH3. After that I bought the MESA 7i92H after also > mucking > > > around with my USB SmoothStepper (MACH3) from my CNC router. I > > decided > > > Linux had a better future than WIN-XP so although I still run MACH3 on > the > > > CNC router the mill has LinuxCNC. > > > > > > On the workbench I muck around with a Pi4 and MESA 7i92H. Go onto you > > > tube and search Raspberry Pi and LinuxCNC and there are lots. > > > Again one like this is much faster to set up than your suggestion and > not > > > any more expensive. > > > https://youtu.be/qL530kJUmII > > > > > > I do look forward to your progress on that novel idea of a tablet, > ESP32, > > > RTOS and all the code to deal with trajectory planning. > > > Keep us informed. Maybe some videos of the intermediate steps. > > > Especially since as you imply it's so easy to go that route. > > > > > > It would be interesting if you could do it for less than > > > https://youtu.be/X-DY6iL6NcI > > > > > > John > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Chris Albertson [mailto:albertson.ch...@gmail.com] > > > > Sent: August 5, 2023 4:02 PM > > > > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > > > > Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Beaglebone black latency > > > > > > > > Why start with a BBB/Pi4 and then add a screen and so on. > > > > > > > > A better starting place would be a low-cost Android tablet. Perhaps > > > like this > > > > one. For $120 you get the CPU (that runs Linux), a touch screen and > > > WiFi. > > > > What is needed is a way to connect it to a machine tool. > > > > https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-galaxy-tab-a7-lite-8-7-32gb- > > with- > > > > wi-fi-dark-gray/6464584.p?skuId=6464584? > > > > Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 8.7" 32GB with Wi-Fi Dark Gray SM- > > > > T220NZAAXAR > > > > bestbuy.com > > > > > > > > I would use something like a small 32-bit micro controller to do the > > > real-time > > > > pulses and switch monitoring. If you would choose an ESP32 then the > > > > interface to the tablet is wireless. But you could use USB as both > > > devices > > > > have USB built-in. USB has a built-in asocronus mode where data > moves > > in > > > > strict real-time. But this might not be needed if 100% of the RT > loops > > > are > > > > onthe microcontroller. > > > > > > > > The ESP32 is a dual-CPU, 32-bit device with more then enough computer > > > > power to run a CNC controller. I would 100%, for sure run an RTOS > > > > (FreeRTOS or Mbed) on the ESP32. The tablet is just the user > interface > > > and > > > > ?MPG?. > > > > > > > > I am currently using ESP32 to generate PWM control for a 12-axis > robot > > > and > > > > I?m getting sub microsecond pulse accuracy which is more then my > > > > application needs. It is very fast and written 100% in Python. > > > > > > > > If the user already had an Android tablet or wanted to buy a used > tablet > > > you > > > > really could under cut the cost of a $500 Chinese device. > > > > > > > > LCNC was written to take advantage of ?cheap? community hardware. > > This > > > > is when a basic 16-bit PC would sell for ?only? about $3,500. > Today?s > > > > commodity hardware is called a ?cell phone? and they are MUCH more > > > > powerful then the old PC was. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 5, 2023, at 3:23 PM, John Dammeyer > > <jo...@autoartisans.com> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Me too. A closer look at the fine print and selecting the correct > > > button > > > > shows the actual CNC controller is $513 or $541 for 3 or 4 axis > > > respectively. > > > > The MPG is priced separately at $96. > > > > > > > > > > And this is why a BBB with a cape that included a Break Out Board > with > > > a > > > > few relays etc. for under $100 would be quite the bargain. The > question > > > is > > > > then what sort of display would be good. And you still need some > sort of > > > > MPG to go with it for also about $100. > > > > > > > > > > For $94 I can get, from amazon.ca a 7inch HDMI LCD (H) 1024x600 > > > Monitor > > > > IPS Screen Capacitive Touch Display Supports Raspberry Pi Jetson Nano > > > > BeagleBone Black Banana Pi & Microsoft XBOX360, Sony PS4,Nintendo > > Switch > > > > > > > > > > And therein lies the problem. Creating something similar to the > $500 > > > > Chinese CNC controllers with touch screen will ultimately cost in the > > > same > > > > $500 range. But unless the MachineKit or LinuxCNC version is stable > > > with a > > > > target life similar to the life of the machine tool no one will spend > > > the energy > > > > and time to make that. > > > > > > > > > > The market isn't big enough to justify the work required. Which is > > > why so > > > > many of the Beagle Capes are no longer available. Next week there's > an > > > new > > > > ESP32 with more bells and whistles. Won't do what the Beagle does > but > > > ... > > > > > > > > > > John > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > > > > >> From: Martin Dobbins [mailto:tu...@hotmail.com] > > > > >> Sent: August 5, 2023 11:44 AM > > > > >> To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > > > > >> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Beaglebone black latency > > > > >> > > > > >> It makes me wonder which operating system they put on that Chinese > > > > >> controller, and what motion control system. > > > > >> > > > > >> Martin > > > > >> > > > > >> ________________________________ > > > > >> From: John Dammeyer > > > > >> Sent: Friday, August 4, 2023 7:41 PM > > > > >> To: 'Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC)' <emc- > > > > >> us...@lists.sourceforge.net> > > > > >> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Beaglebone black latency > > > > >> > > > > >> My biggest issue with the Xylotex BBB Cape for CNC was that the > logic > > > for > > > > >> ESTOP was inverted. ESTOP was a N/O switch so if a wire was > broken > > > you > > > > >> wouldn't find out until you tried to save a body part from being > > > injured > > > > with > > > > >> the ESTOP. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > 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 > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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
