Re: [Emc-users] Errors when trying to start EMC2 with Mesa 7i43

[Sebastian Kuzminsky]

Richard Acosta wrote:
> This 3 are samples for waath i have understand i have to do, but, still 
> with no luck on making EMC2 work with this card.
> 
> I have based this on the 5120 sample config files found on EMC2 CD.
> 
> Kirk Wallace sent me some directions, and:
> 1) i have no "man hm2_7i43" on my linux (no manual found answers my 
> console), and i have downloaded it as an Ubuntu complete CD image from 
> LinuxCNC website.

You have m7i43_hm2 but not hm2_7i43; that probably means you're running 
EMC2 2.2.5.  Support for the 7i43 is still evolving rapidly, I'd suggest 
at the very least running the most recent version, 2.2.6, which is also 
available from linuxcnc.org.

There are several known bugs in the 7i43 driver in 2.2.6, you'd be much 
better off checking out and compiling the CVS TRUNK version. 
Instructions for doing that are here: 
, if you 
installed EMC2 from one of the live CDs on linuxcnc.org, you can 
probably skip to step 2.2.


There are two drivers that talk to the 7i43: m7i43_hm2 and hm2_7i43.

m7i43_hm2 was introduced in 2.2.5, it is sort of an early prototype of 
the hm2_7i43 driver.  m7i43_hm2 is deprecated and should not be used.

hm2_7i43 (and its companion driver, hostmot2) were introduced in 2.2.6. 
This is where all current development and bugfixing is happening.  All 
new configs should use hm2_7i43 and hostmot2.


> *Test 1*
> # Install driver.
> loadrt hostmot2
> loadrt m7i43_hm2 config="firmware=SV8B.BIT num_encoders=1 num_pwmgens=1 
> num_stepgens=0"
> *Error 1*
> Debug file information:
> 7i43_motion.hal:3: Can't find module 'hostmot2' in 
> /usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2
> 4913

The error message is saying that the 'hostmot2' driver module cannot be 
found, presumably because you're running emc2 2.2.5 which does not 
include it.

This Test1 configuration is what you should be trying to get working, 
preferably by installing EMC2 from CVS.


> *Test 2*
> # Install driver.
> #loadrt hostmot2
> loadrt m7i43_hm2 config="firmware=SV8B.BIT num_encoders=1 num_pwmgens=1 
> num_stepgens=0"
> *Error 2*
> Debug file information:
> insmod: error inserting 
> '/usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2/m7i43_hm2.ko': -1 Unknown 
> symbol in module
> 7i43_motion.hal:4: exit value: 1
> 7i43_motion.hal:4: insmod failed, returned -1
> 5490

This error message is a bit more cryptic.  First of all, as i said 
above, m7i43_hm2 is deprecated and should not be used.  The error is 
because that old driver took in its configuration in a different way 
than the new one.  You're using the command-line syntax for the hm2_7i43 
driver, but passing it to the m7i43_hm2 driver, and it's saying that it 
doesnt expect the "config" argument.


> 
> This is the only one that makes lights on the card to flash
> 
> *Test 3
> *# Install driver.
> loadrt m7i43_hm2
> loadrt m7i43_hm2 config="firmware=SV8B.BIT num_encoders=1 num_pwmgens=1 
> num_stepgens=0"
> *Error 3*
> Debug file information:
> insmod: error inserting 
> '/usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2/m7i43_hm2.ko': -1 File exists
> 7i43_motion.hal:5: exit value: 1
> 7i43_motion.hal:5: insmod failed, returned -1
> 6081

Here you're loading the m7i43_hm2 driver twice, which is twice as wrong 
as loading it once ;-)

It works the first time and flashes the LEDs on the board because you 
didnt give it any incorrect load-time arguments.  Then it fails the 
second time and emits that error message because the first instance is 
already loaded and it prevents the second one from loading.


Compile emc2 from CVS, use hostmot2 and hm2_7i43 with the config=... 
argument from Test 1, and let's see how it goes.


-- 
Sebastian Kuzminsky
romano hip hop - romano hip hop in the house


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[Emc-users] Errors when trying to start EMC2 with Mesa 7i43

[Richard Acosta]

This 3 are samples for waath i have understand i have to do, but, still 
with no luck on making EMC2 work with this card.


I have based this on the 5120 sample config files found on EMC2 CD.

Kirk Wallace sent me some directions, and:
1) i have no "man hm2_7i43" on my linux (no manual found answers my 
console), and i have downloaded it as an Ubuntu complete CD image from 
LinuxCNC website.
2) Suggested by Kirk also but didn't work "loadrt hostmot2" and "loadrt 
hm2_7i43 config= ..." as i'm showing below.

So, what i'm i doing wrong?

First part of each sample below is the config file "7i43_motion.hal" and 
second part is the error it presents (last lines).


*Test 1*
# Install driver.
loadrt hostmot2
loadrt m7i43_hm2 config="firmware=SV8B.BIT num_encoders=1 num_pwmgens=1 
num_stepgens=0"

*Error 1*
Debug file information:
7i43_motion.hal:3: Can't find module 'hostmot2' in 
/usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2

4913



*Test 2*
# Install driver.
#loadrt hostmot2
loadrt m7i43_hm2 config="firmware=SV8B.BIT num_encoders=1 num_pwmgens=1 
num_stepgens=0"

*Error 2*
Debug file information:
insmod: error inserting 
'/usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2/m7i43_hm2.ko': -1 Unknown 
symbol in module

7i43_motion.hal:4: exit value: 1
7i43_motion.hal:4: insmod failed, returned -1
5490




This is the only one that makes lights on the card to flash

*Test 3
*# Install driver.
loadrt m7i43_hm2
loadrt m7i43_hm2 config="firmware=SV8B.BIT num_encoders=1 num_pwmgens=1 
num_stepgens=0"

*Error 3*
Debug file information:
insmod: error inserting 
'/usr/realtime-2.6.24-16-rtai/modules/emc2/m7i43_hm2.ko': -1 File exists

7i43_motion.hal:5: exit value: 1
7i43_motion.hal:5: insmod failed, returned -1
6081

Thanks in advance for your time, even if you only read this message.
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Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Gene Heskett]

On Sunday 28 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Sunday 28 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>>> But, no reversing, I assume.
>>
>> Ahh, emc does have as one of its m# commands, a "start reverse", and I do
>> have it hooked up, not terribly useful without the encoder, but ISTR it
>> does work, I have it tied to one of those teeny relay's in the PMDX-106
>> which in turn is clanking a 10 amp P&B DPDT relay to swap the motor leads.
>>  So reverse works both from that teeny little toggle on the PMDX-106, or
>> if its centered, from emc.
>
>Yes, of course, you don't need a servo amp to make the motor reversible,
>just not clear how well the Chinese motor speed control would handle
>plug reversing.  Since my servo amps handle current limit gracefully, it
>works pretty well.

Mine do not, if I flip the reverse switch without waiting for the suicide 
brakes to stop the spindle, it will summarily blow the fuse.  When the 
spindle is off, there is a 8 ohm 20 watt r across it on the back side of the 
enable relay contacts.  Brings it to a dead stop from 2500 revs in about a 
second flat.
>
>>> I'm a lot more interested in 4-40 and 6-32 size threads than 1/4".
>>
>> I might go up to 10-32 or 10-24 for interest, but 4-40/4-48 is about how
>> much power that spindle has.  I suspect without the encoder to pace the
>> feed with, all I'd do is make more practice sessions of removing broken
>> taps by ED means. Been there, done that, its a PIMA. :)
>
>Well, I did some test holes in 1/8" aluminum with 10-32, and it worked
>fine.  I could hear the motor slow down a little (right now the system
>uses a servo amp but it is actually open-loop as for speed control).  I
>did put the gears in the low range speed, I'm pretty sure it would have
>stalled on the high range.

Hard alu yes, the stuff I have in a 7" square bar of about 2 feet long, nope, 
too gummy.

But that is what I carved those bearing blocks for the z axis out of, so its 
good for something.

 How did you attach the encoder to the micromill spindle?  Patented? :)
>>>
>>> No patents for me!  Starve the lawyers!

A man after my own heart.  Like Bill said "first we kill all the lawyers"

>>> See the last picture here http://pico-systems.com/minimill.html   for a
>>> good view of the encoder and mount/drive.  I found some nice plastic
>>> pulleys in my junk drawer, and an oddball encoder with index.
>>
>> Ahh, but that's a minimill, not a micromill.
>
>I've never gotten this minimill vs. micromill figured out, this is the
>150 Lb machine.

I think mine was maybe 100 even in the crate, its gained some since, bigger 
tables & what not.

>But, I'd guess a number of machines have something on the upper spindle
>that could be used to attach a small pulley, similar to what I've done.

This one is all plastic gears internally.  The only thing sticking out of the 
top of the gearbox is the drawbar bolt.  The thought has crossed my mind to 
rig a pair of plastic gears to engage one of the two on the spindle, with 
that serving as timing belt pulley that would bring it out through the side 
of the box & hook it up to an encoder, but its just a thought at this stage & 
probably the machine will morph into an X3 before that happens.  If I feel 
like doing all this over again, I'll be 74 in another week & I'm slowing 
down.  Or just tired maybe, if you back out of the emc directory, there is a 
Garage-pix there too.  I've built that 98% single handedly since the end of 
May.  I have a bit of soffit yet to put on the back, and up and over the 
gable end, and a few pieces of siding to put up on the end & that's done.  
The only thing I contracted was the floor, $3600 in concrete.

>>> I also need to figure out how to get an on-screen RPM display.  I really
>>> wanted to work on that at the CNC Workshop, but got distracted.
>>
>> The road to hell, Jon. ;-)

And really that does seem to be a simple counter attached to the encoders 
output, and a bit of math.  And of course the display real estate. :)

Just zero the counter on the backside of the read strobe & read the 
accumulation in the slow display loop.

>Well, you never know, when starting in on a project.  But, I DON'T want
>to bring the same-old, same-old machine to a show two years in a row.

There are those that would consider that to be 'poor form' :)

Since I'll never make the show unless you move it to WV, there isn't much 
danger of me being guilty of that.  Since its 95% hobby (the last time I used 
it 2 weeks ago was machining a bunch of mortises in some cherry sticks that 
will be an entertainment center eventually) what I need the hobby to do 
determines if its big enough for the job.  FWIW, it did a better job than I 
can do with a wood chisel and mallet, which is how I cut them for the gun 
cabinet I made a year ago.  All I had to do was square up the corners and a 
table saw cut tenon fit well, or a little tight.  And a lot less sideways 
miss-alignment that wears out a lot of sandpaper. :)

Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Jon Elson]

Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Sunday 28 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>   
>>
>> But, no reversing, I assume.
>> 
>
> Ahh, emc does have as one of its m# commands, a "start reverse", and I do 
> have 
> it hooked up, not terribly useful without the encoder, but ISTR it does work, 
> I have it tied to one of those teeny relay's in the PMDX-106 which in turn is 
> clanking a 10 amp P&B DPDT relay to swap the motor leads.  So reverse works 
> both from that teeny little toggle on the PMDX-106, or if its centered, from 
> emc.
>
>   
Yes, of course, you don't need a servo amp to make the motor reversible, 
just not clear how well the Chinese motor speed control would handle 
plug reversing.  Since my servo amps handle current limit gracefully, it 
works pretty well.
>>>
>> I'm a lot more interested in 4-40 and 6-32 size threads than 1/4".
>> 
>
> I might go up to 10-32 or 10-24 for interest, but 4-40/4-48 is about how much 
> power that spindle has.  I suspect without the encoder to pace the feed with, 
> all I'd do is make more practice sessions of removing broken taps by ED 
> means. Been there, done that, its a PIMA. :)
>   
Well, I did some test holes in 1/8" aluminum with 10-32, and it worked 
fine.  I could hear the motor slow down a little (right now the system 
uses a servo amp but it is actually open-loop as for speed control).  I 
did put the gears in the low range speed, I'm pretty sure it would have 
stalled on the high range.
>>> How did you attach the encoder to the micromill spindle?  Patented? :)
>>>   
>> No patents for me!  Starve the lawyers!
>>
>> See the last picture here http://pico-systems.com/minimill.html   for a
>> good view of the encoder and mount/drive.  I found some nice plastic
>> pulleys in my junk drawer, and an oddball encoder with index.
>> 
>
> Ahh, but that's a minimill, not a micromill.
I've never gotten this minimill vs. micromill figured out, this is the 
150 Lb machine.
But, I'd guess a number of machines have something on the upper spindle 
that could be used to attach a small pulley, similar to what I've done.
>  
>> I also need to figure out how to get an on-screen RPM display.  I really
>> wanted to work on that at the CNC Workshop, but got distracted.
>>
>> 
> The road to hell, Jon. ;-)
>
>   
Well, you never know, when starting in on a project.  But, I DON'T want 
to bring the same-old, same-old machine to a show two years in a row.


Jon

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Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Gene Heskett]

On Sunday 28 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>Gene Heskett wrote:
>> If it wasn't for the poor PIV ratings of the schotky's(sp?), that would be
>> ideal, but I don't know of any power schotky's good for that sort of
>> reverse voltage.
>
>There are insanely fast turn-off diodes on the market.  By trying out a
>few in a circuit already proven to provide a torture test, it was easy
>to find a part that also had a VERY fast turn-on.  I didn't need
>anything super-fast, but it had to pick up 20 A in under 100 ns.
>
>> The std power si diodes slow turnoff can be a huge problem child also. In
>> an old GE UHF transmitter, we had 6 stacks of 48 each 20a, 400piv si
>> diodes in DO-5 cases that were used in the 3 phase beam supply.  Load was
>> about 6 amps per klystron at 20kv.  Because of the slow turnoff, the 3
>> phase power was welded phase to phase 180 times a second for about 30
>> u-secs a blip.  We had short lamp life all over the place cuz we had 2+kv
>> spikes sitting on the 120 volt lines at the duplexes on the wall.  We
>> considered replacing them with schotky's, till we totaled up the materials
>> cost's, which at the time would have come to about 20k$.  Eventually
>> lightning got the 375kw sola transformer between us and the powerline and
>> I had to bypass it.  That reduced the powerline impedance and dropped
>> those spikes to 75 volts.  It also got rid of the rectifier noise in the
>> video it had had since it went on the air, so that was another set of
>> jumpers, 4 pieces of 750mcm/phase, 12 total, that never got pulled back
>> out.  Almost any full power UHF broadcaster is going to be the power
>> companies biggest customer. :)
>
>Well, there's no way you can use standard rectifiers in a switching
>power supply, which any PWM servo drive is.  These fast turn-off diodes
>may cause some EMI, but at least they don't have to be "re-charged" much
>after conducting.  This is a big deal in 100 KHz+ power supplies.
>
>Another big power co. load is electric refrigeration.  Many buildings
>(or building complexes) have a 500 Hp electric turbine chiller
>(basically same as a home A/C except the compressor is a turbine instead
>of reciprocating).  Newer ones run 6000 - 10,000 RPM with a VFD, too.  I
>was shown an older one at work and there was a phone on the thing, next
>to the starting control panel.  It had some early soft-start system.
>Next to the phone was a list of power plant engineers that had to be
>called, in order, one half hour before motor start.  It had lots of
>exclamation points about doing this exactly right or the university
>would get a HUGE bill for not giving them adequate waning of starting a
>big load.
>
>>> As you turn the
>>> DC supply voltage up, the output rise/fall times can become quite a bit
>>> shorter than the gate drive rise/fall times.  I had expected with the
>>> Miller effect, etc. that the output rise/fall times would be somewhat
>>> slewrate limited, but not so, the slew rate speeds UP.
>>
>> The driver output probably gets stiffer faster than the FET's with the
>> increased supply voltage.  FET's also will sweep out the majority carriers
>> faster at higher voltages, but I'd think miller effect is there, just
>> being swamped by nitros burning drivers.
>
>The gate drive waveform has a distinct flat step when the transistor
>starts to turn on or off, as the Miller effect takes control of the
>gate.  You can use this to tell what the gate threshold of the
>transistor is.
>
I've seen that, and suspected that is what is was, thanks. New  z axis pix up 
on my web page. 

click on it once to get 1/1 pixels so you can read the text notes.

>Jon
>
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-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Perfect day for scrubbing the floor and other exciting things.

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Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Gene Heskett]

On Sunday 28 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Saturday 27 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>>> I have put a DPDT switch on
>>> mine so I can run the motor off a servo amp.  I can't get full RPM, as
>>> my servo box has a 50 V power supply, but the servo amp gets me
>>> computer-controlled variable speed and reversing.
>>
>> I'm running mine with a PMDX-106 interface, which gives me full control
>> from its panel and from emc2.x
>
>But, no reversing, I assume.

Ahh, emc does have as one of its m# commands, a "start reverse", and I do have 
it hooked up, not terribly useful without the encoder, but ISTR it does work, 
I have it tied to one of those teeny relay's in the PMDX-106 which in turn is 
clanking a 10 amp P&B DPDT relay to swap the motor leads.  So reverse works 
both from that teeny little toggle on the PMDX-106, or if its centered, from 
emc.

>>> I have an encoder
>>> patched on to the spindle, and can do rigid tapping, which is a hoot!
>>> So, it can do something my Bridgeport can't do!
>>
>> If only that spindle had the power to do that, but sadly, its about tapped
>> out with a 1/4" 28 tpi tap in cold margarine.  Ditto for the spindle motor
>> in my 7x12.  I have cut threads with it using single tooth carbide bits,
>> but they are a bear to sharpen correctly.  That is how I cut the threads
>> for the 1/2" acme bronze nuts in the new z axis of that HF mill.
>
>I'm a lot more interested in 4-40 and 6-32 size threads than 1/4".

I might go up to 10-32 or 10-24 for interest, but 4-40/4-48 is about how much 
power that spindle has.  I suspect without the encoder to pace the feed with, 
all I'd do is make more practice sessions of removing broken taps by ED 
means. Been there, done that, its a PIMA. :)
  
>> How did you attach the encoder to the micromill spindle?  Patented? :)
>
>No patents for me!  Starve the lawyers!
>
>See the last picture here http://pico-systems.com/minimill.html   for a
>good view of the encoder and mount/drive.  I found some nice plastic
>pulleys in my junk drawer, and an oddball encoder with index.

Ahh, but that's a minimill, not a micromill.  I'll go get some better pix of 
my z axis & add them to my web page, such as it is, in a little while.  I 
didn't have a lot to start with in the micro, so I had to do that from 
scratch, in this case using 1/2" acme screws.  But I can set it down on the 
bathroom scales and show 155 pounds now, which is 150 pounds more than the 
original could do, direct drive from the same 425 motor.

>The pulleys turned out to be 2mm pitch instead of .080", that's what you
>get when you use scrapped parts, so I had to order different belts from
>a specialty belt dealer.  (You would almost think a 2 mm belt would work
>on a .080 pulley, but they would jump a tooth every full rev or so.)
>Anyway, I just bored one of the pulleys to the same ID as the toothed
>nut that holds the bearing tension.  I superglued the pulley on, but
>that eventually worked loose.  So, I made a thin spacer disc of PC board
>material (so it wouldn't fatigue) and put it under the nut.  I then
>epoxied the face of the pulley to the disc.  This has held quite well.
>If it ever breaks down again, I'd be tempted to buy new aluminum pulleys
>and make a custom clamp nut/pulley hub unit, but this is working quite well.
>
>I'm probably going to convert to all brushless motors at some time and
>make a new control box with a higher voltage for the servo spindle.
>
>I also need to figure out how to get an on-screen RPM display.  I really
>wanted to work on that at the CNC Workshop, but got distracted.
>
The road to hell, Jon. ;-)

>Jon
>
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-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
It is a hard matter, my fellow citizens, to argue with the belly,
since it has no ears.
-- Marcus Porcius Cato

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Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Jon Elson]

Gene Heskett wrote:
> If it wasn't for the poor PIV ratings of the schotky's(sp?), that would be 
> ideal, but I don't know of any power schotky's good for that sort of reverse 
> voltage.
>
>   
There are insanely fast turn-off diodes on the market.  By trying out a 
few in a circuit already proven to provide a torture test, it was easy 
to find a part that also had a VERY fast turn-on.  I didn't need 
anything super-fast, but it had to pick up 20 A in under 100 ns.
> The std power si diodes slow turnoff can be a huge problem child also. In an 
> old GE UHF transmitter, we had 6 stacks of 48 each 20a, 400piv si diodes in 
> DO-5 cases that were used in the 3 phase beam supply.  Load was about 6 amps 
> per klystron at 20kv.  Because of the slow turnoff, the 3 phase power was 
> welded phase to phase 180 times a second for about 30 u-secs a blip.  We had 
> short lamp life all over the place cuz we had 2+kv spikes sitting on the 120 
> volt lines at the duplexes on the wall.  We considered replacing them with 
> schotky's, till we totaled up the materials cost's, which at the time would 
> have come to about 20k$.  Eventually lightning got the 375kw sola transformer 
> between us and the powerline and I had to bypass it.  That reduced the 
> powerline impedance and dropped those spikes to 75 volts.  It also got rid of 
> the rectifier noise in the video it had had since it went on the air, so that 
> was another set of jumpers, 4 pieces of 750mcm/phase, 12 total, that never 
> got pulled back out.  Almost any full power UHF broadcaster is going to be 
> the power companies biggest customer. :)
>
>   
Well, there's no way you can use standard rectifiers in a switching 
power supply, which any PWM servo drive is.  These fast turn-off diodes 
may cause some EMI, but at least they don't have to be "re-charged" much 
after conducting.  This is a big deal in 100 KHz+ power supplies.

Another big power co. load is electric refrigeration.  Many buildings 
(or building complexes) have a 500 Hp electric turbine chiller 
(basically same as a home A/C except the compressor is a turbine instead 
of reciprocating).  Newer ones run 6000 - 10,000 RPM with a VFD, too.  I 
was shown an older one at work and there was a phone on the thing, next 
to the starting control panel.  It had some early soft-start system.  
Next to the phone was a list of power plant engineers that had to be 
called, in order, one half hour before motor start.  It had lots of 
exclamation points about doing this exactly right or the university 
would get a HUGE bill for not giving them adequate waning of starting a 
big load.
>> As you turn the 
>> DC supply voltage up, the output rise/fall times can become quite a bit
>> shorter than the gate drive rise/fall times.  I had expected with the
>> Miller effect, etc. that the output rise/fall times would be somewhat
>> slewrate limited, but not so, the slew rate speeds UP.
>>
>> 
> The driver output probably gets stiffer faster than the FET's with the 
> increased supply voltage.  FET's also will sweep out the majority carriers 
> faster at higher voltages, but I'd think miller effect is there, just being 
> swamped by nitros burning drivers.
>   
The gate drive waveform has a distinct flat step when the transistor 
starts to turn on or off, as the Miller effect takes control of the 
gate.  You can use this to tell what the gate threshold of the 
transistor is.

Jon

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Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Jon Elson]

Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Saturday 27 September 2008, Jon Elson wrote:
>   
>> I have put a DPDT switch on
>> mine so I can run the motor off a servo amp.  I can't get full RPM, as
>> my servo box has a 50 V power supply, but the servo amp gets me
>> computer-controlled variable speed and reversing.
>> 
>
> I'm running mine with a PMDX-106 interface, which gives me full control from 
> its panel and from emc2.x
>
>   
But, no reversing, I assume.
>> I have an encoder 
>> patched on to the spindle, and can do rigid tapping, which is a hoot!
>> So, it can do something my Bridgeport can't do!
>> 
>
> If only that spindle had the power to do that, but sadly, its about tapped 
> out 
> with a 1/4" 28 tpi tap in cold margarine.  Ditto for the spindle motor in my 
> 7x12.  I have cut threads with it using single tooth carbide bits, but they 
> are a bear to sharpen correctly.  That is how I cut the threads for the 1/2" 
> acme bronze nuts in the new z axis of that HF mill.
>
>   
I'm a lot more interested in 4-40 and 6-32 size threads than 1/4".
> How did you attach the encoder to the micromill spindle?  Patented? :)
>   
No patents for me!  Starve the lawyers!

See the last picture here http://pico-systems.com/minimill.html   for a 
good view of the encoder and mount/drive.  I found some nice plastic 
pulleys in my junk drawer, and an oddball encoder with index.
The pulleys turned out to be 2mm pitch instead of .080", that's what you 
get when you use scrapped parts, so I had to order different belts from 
a specialty belt dealer.  (You would almost think a 2 mm belt would work 
on a .080 pulley, but they would jump a tooth every full rev or so.)
Anyway, I just bored one of the pulleys to the same ID as the toothed 
nut that holds the bearing tension.  I superglued the pulley on, but 
that eventually worked loose.  So, I made a thin spacer disc of PC board 
material (so it wouldn't fatigue) and put it under the nut.  I then 
epoxied the face of the pulley to the disc.  This has held quite well.  
If it ever breaks down again, I'd be tempted to buy new aluminum pulleys 
and make a custom clamp nut/pulley hub unit, but this is working quite well.

I'm probably going to convert to all brushless motors at some time and 
make a new control box with a higher voltage for the servo spindle.

I also need to figure out how to get an on-screen RPM display.  I really 
wanted to work on that at the CNC Workshop, but got distracted.


Jon

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Re: [Emc-users] Stepper drivers

[Ian Wright]

Ian,  I think it's great that you would build your own driver.
But to do so is not for the sake of saving money.
Maybe as a learning excersize, but not to save money.>>>

Thanks for the replies guys - from all the traffic I seem to have generated, I 
guess I may have bitten off more than I can chew at present. I do have a couple 
of real simple driver boards which will drive the motors but they, and 
particularly the motors, get hot as hell when the motors are not moving and I 
was a bit afraid that they may fry themselves. I had hoped that there may be a 
relatively easy way to do a chopper drive with current control - I had naively 
thought that maybe it would be possible to grab a current reference from a 
higher powered FET output stage ( maybe driven by the existing output FETs/ 
Transistors) and feed that back into one of the 'standard' microstepping 
designs - perhaps even using another PIC chip as the current controller. As I 
said before, I guess I'm somewhat out of my depth here and since, while the 
'spares box' is full of electronics bits, the bank is somewhat depleted, it 
looks like I may just have to root out a few big fans and go with what I've 
got

-- 
Best wishes,

Ian

Ian W. Wright
Sheffield  UK

"The difference between theory and practice is much smaller in theory than in 
practice..."



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Re: [Emc-users] Problem on EMC2 starting with rtai_hall.ko

[Евгений Александрович]

> your base period and those timings need adjusted to a higher number, the
> computer isnt able to keep up with the speeds the configs are trying to
> run.  these are in the stepper_mm.ini file.
> 
> this talks about using the latency test to set the timings.
> http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?TweakingSoftwareStepGeneration

I do not think so, 
I tested it on phisical machine with Intel Core2Due 2,66. It is very fast 
computer.

Another information.
If I build RT linux, reboot, build libraries and emc and start emc without 
rebooting, then first start works properly.
On second and other start I have rtai_hal.ko problem or "adress in use"

I have not more ideas.

Only one idea.
Maybe prblem is then puppy linux has only Root user ...

Evgeny
P.S.
Thank you for you help


> 
> 2008/9/25 Евгений Александрович <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> 
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have more information.
> >
> > I installed linux&emc2 on real machine.
> >
> > I have same result :(
> >
> > But if I try to start emc second time withour reboot system starts, but
> > with errors. (Both on VM and RM)
> > It is log of second start.
> >
> > # emc
> > EMC2 - 2.2.5
> > Machine configuration directory is
> > '/usr/local/etc/emc2/sample-configs/stepper'
> > Machine configuration file is 'stepper_mm.ini'
> > Starting EMC2...
> > libnml/cms/tcp_srv.cc 278: bind error: 98 -- Address already in use
> > libnml/cms/tcp_srv.cc 279: Server can not bind the connection socket on
> > port 5005.
> > libnml/rcs/rcs_exit.cc 99:
> >  Errors Reported!!!
> >  Press ^C to exit.
> > RTAPI: ERROR: Unexpected realtime delay on task 1
> >
> > I can start program, but this way I get messagebox "Unexpected realtime
> > delay on task 1" several times.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> >
> > -Original Message-
> > From: Евгений Александрович<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: Enhanced Machine Controller \(EMC\)
> > Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:19:07 +0400
> > Subject: Re: [Emc-users]Problem on EMC2 starting with rtai_hall.ko
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > > sounds like rtai is already loaded. Either you compiled it into the
> > kernel,
> > > > not as a module.
> > > What do you mean. Did I somesing worng in kernel?
> > >
> > > > Or you had a latency test still running, or the last time you had
> > realtime
> > > > run there was some problem during unload.
> > > > A lsmod should tell you more, and a reboot will probably cure it.
> > > Reboot is not solution. I tried it many times.
> > > At bottom is my log after reboot
> > >
> > > > > I user VMWare machine under WinXP
> > > >
> > > > I do that too sometimes without problems. (I don't expect to run any
> > real
> > > > machine this way..)
> > >
> > > Any way I will try to install on real machine.
> > >
> > >  EMC DEBUG FILE
> > > Stopping realtime threads
> > > Unloading hal components
> > >
> > >  EMC PRINT FILE
> > > RUN_IN_PLACE=no
> > > EMC2_DIR=
> > > EMC2_BIN_DIR=/usr/local/bin
> > > EMC2_TCL_DIR=/usr/local/share/emc/tcl
> > > EMC2_SCRIPT_DIR=
> > > EMC2_RTLIB_DIR=/usr/realtime/modules/emc2
> > > EMC2_CONFIG_DIR=
> > > EMC2_LANG_DIR=/usr/local/share/emc/tcl/msgs
> > > INIVAR=/usr/local/bin/inivar
> > > HALCMD=/usr/local/bin/halcmd
> > > EMC2_EMCSH=/usr/local/bin/emcsh
> > > EMC2_IOSH=/usr/local/bin/iosh
> > > INIFILE=/usr/local/etc/emc2/sample-configs/stepper/stepper_mm.ini
> > > PARAMETER_FILE=stepper.var
> > > EMCMOT=motmod
> > > EMCIO=io
> > > TASK=milltask
> > > HALUI=
> > > DISPLAY=axis
> > > NML_FILE=emc.nml
> > > Starting EMC2 server program: emcsvr
> > > Loading Real Time OS, RTAPI, and HAL_LIB modules
> > > Removing HAL_LIB, RTAPI, and Real Time OS modules
> > > Removing NML shared memory segments
> > >
> > >  CONSOLE LOG
> > > # lsmod
> > > Module  Size  Used by
> > > usb_storage84160  0
> > > usbcore   138220  1 usb_storage
> > > ide_cd 39584  0
> > > cdrom  36384  1 ide_cd
> > > evdev  11648  0
> > > hal_lib36376  0
> > > rtapi  35796  1 hal_lib
> > > rtai_math  27140  0
> > > rtai_sem   23552  1 rtapi
> > > rtai_shm   12164  1 rtapi
> > > rtai_fifos 29640  1 rtapi
> > > rtai_sched102360  4 rtapi,rtai_sem,rtai_shm,rtai_fifos
> > > rtai_hal   39868  5
> > rtapi,rtai_sem,rtai_shm,rtai_fifos,rtai_sched
> > > snd_mixer_oss  16384  0
> > > snd_hda_intel 283548  0
> > > snd_pcm76936  1 snd_hda_intel
> > > snd_timer  22788  1 snd_pcm
> > > snd51940  4
> > snd_mixer_oss,snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm,snd_timer
> > > soundcore   7392  1 snd
> > > snd_page_alloc 10376  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
> > > apm20432  0
> > > nls_utf82048  0
> > > nls_cp866   5248  0
> > >
> > > # cd /usr/realtime/testsuite/kern/latency/
> > > # ./run
> > > *
> > > *
> > > * T