[Emc-users] Washing machine motors for CNC
Using Fisher Paykel (Pykel?) Smart Drive Washing Machine motors. I've not heard of this brand in the US. Are they Australian? I could afford a set of brand new NEMA 56 steppers drives before a trip to Australia to search junk yards ;^) The guy claims 0.0178 mm (0.000700787402 in) per step. http://dailydiy.com/2008/12/16/cnc-machine-built-using-washing-machine-motors/ -- Pilot to passengers: Ladies and gentlemen, we are out of fuel, but we can make it to the crash site. Emory -- ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] M66 digital input control?
For simulation, you could connect a few switches to the parport with appropriate pull-up resistors. You've probably got an old printer cable lying around that you could cut up and trace out (with an Ohmmeter) a few pins for ground, +5 and some inputs. While you're at it, you could also hang some LEDs on your test jig to let you know that X has happened (via an M code) and when to press a button, etc. Such a jig could be ugly and simple or as elaborate as you wish. On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 09:23, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The way I interpret the wiki and the manual is that the command waits for the input only as long as the Q timer is set for. This works well for error handling but for a machine interface I would want it to wait w/o error handling. Is there a way to test this in one of the simulations. I don't have a working system in front of me right now to test it. I am not sure how I would simulate the input with out hardware? Thanks, Mike Alex Joni wrote: M66 P1 L1 waits for pin motion.*00* to become true. If that doesn't work like that, then you probably need a large Q number. Regards, Alex - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:42 PM Subject: Re: [Emc-users] M66 digital input control? Thanks- Is there a way to wait indefinitely for an input using M66? Would L0 do this? Chris Radek wrote: On Tue, Dec 09, 2008 at 02:00:40PM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The wiki shows more definition on the implementation of the M66 digital input control. My question is around the P words. Are you limited to P0 - P3 or can I continue with more P words like P4, P5, etc... if needed? Looks like you can have up to 64 digital ins/outs without recompiling. To set the number higher than 4 (the default), add num_dio=XX or num_aio=XX to your loadrt emcmot command. -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Thanks, Mike Cinquino Project Manager Distech Systems Inc. Rochester, NY 14606 Phone: 585-254-7020 Fax: 585-254-1905 www.distechsystems.com -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.15/1839 - Release Date: 09.12.2008 09:59 -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Thanks, Mike Cinquino Project Manager Distech Systems Inc. Rochester, NY 14606 Phone: 585-254-7020 Fax: 585-254-1905 www.distechsystems.com -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next
Re: [Emc-users] M66 digital input control?
What John and mcinquino said ;^) I often forget about the path of least resistance. On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 10:10, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think I would try pypvc first. Emory Smith wrote: For simulation, you could connect a few switches to the parport with appropriate pull-up resistors. You've probably got an old printer cable lying around that you could cut up and trace out (with an Ohmmeter) a few pins for ground, +5 and some inputs. While you're at it, you could also hang some LEDs on your test jig to let you know that X has happened (via an M code) and when to press a button, etc. Such a jig could be ugly and simple or as elaborate as you wish. On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 09:23, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The way I interpret the wiki and the manual is that the command waits for the input only as long as the Q timer is set for. This works well for error handling but for a machine interface I would want it to wait w/o error handling. Is there a way to test this in one of the simulations. I don't have a working system in front of me right now to test it. I am not sure how I would simulate the input with out hardware? Thanks, Mike Alex Joni wrote: M66 P1 L1 waits for pin motion.*00* to become true. If that doesn't work like that, then you probably need a large Q number. Regards, Alex - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:42 PM Subject: Re: [Emc-users] M66 digital input control? Thanks- Is there a way to wait indefinitely for an input using M66? Would L0 do this? Chris Radek wrote: On Tue, Dec 09, 2008 at 02:00:40PM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The wiki shows more definition on the implementation of the M66 digital input control. My question is around the P words. Are you limited to P0 - P3 or can I continue with more P words like P4, P5, etc... if needed? Looks like you can have up to 64 digital ins/outs without recompiling. To set the number higher than 4 (the default), add num_dio=XX or num_aio=XX to your loadrt emcmot command. -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Thanks, Mike Cinquino Project Manager Distech Systems Inc. Rochester, NY 14606 Phone: 585-254-7020 Fax: 585-254-1905 www.distechsystems.com -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.15/1839 - Release Date: 09.12.2008 09:59 -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Thanks, Mike Cinquino Project Manager Distech Systems Inc. Rochester, NY 14606 Phone: 585-254-7020 Fax: 585-254-1905 www.distechsystems.com -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Thanks, Mike Cinquino Project Manager Distech Systems Inc. Rochester, NY
Re: [Emc-users] Testing
As Jon said, EMC uses G-Code but many CAD programs have the ability to export in DXF format. If you can do this, then check out: http://www.christian-kohloeffel.homepage.t-online.de/dxf2gocde.html This fellow has written a DXF to G-code converter that works with everything I've thrown at it. YMMV. Again, as Jon said, Linux isn't the issue. On a network, it can look like just another networked Windows machine and can read FAT, FAT32 and NTFS formatted USB thumb/flash disks if there's no net available. Transferring your files is trivial once you learn the Linux way of doing things. And please do. It'll take some time and you will have questions. There are people here who can help you through your journey. Good luck and welcome to the club!, E On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 22:28, Jon Elson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: ftec wrote: Hello folks, Testing if I'm on the list now but I also have a question. Was looking for 4 to 5 axis cnc sw for a home built cnc machine and found this list making me very interested. What I would like to know is if there is a way to combine emc and cad designs done with win based cad sw. If so, how? I can export part files in IGES, STL, STEP, Catia, ProE and a few other formats. I have never used Linux but then there always must be the first time, right? Linux really isn't the issue. EMC takes G-code (technically RS274-D) a language for motion control used by most machine tools. I think IGES is a graphical exchange format for exchanging printed documents electronically. STL is a system for describing a volume, good for rapid prototyping with a variety of systems that usually make plastic models layer by layer. Catia and ProE are specific CAD drawing programs, not a language for interchanging mchining info. They and many others have a facility to output G-code at varying levels of sophistication. Jon -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] dxf2gcode
Funny, I never noticed that! The website is in German but the program is in English. On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 23:25, tomp [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Emory Smith wrote: ... As Jon said, EMC uses G-Code but many CAD programs have the ability to export in DXF format. If you can do this, then check out: http://www.christian-kohloeffel.homepage.t-online.de/dxf2gocde.html yes it is gocde not gcode :) thanks for the link tomp -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] microstepping stepper power drive
You should be able to substitute bigger output transistors and emitter/source resistors for the originals. You might have to go to a lower resistance for the resistors to trick the drive into not going into protection. Halving their resistance would allow 5 Amps from a circuit designed to limit at 2.5 Amps, etc. If the drive uses TTL chips, there should be plenty of base drive for the heavier outputs. If CMOS, you might have to use Darlingtons for the outputs. Your stock drive probably uses plastic TO-220 outputs, right? Some 2N3055s (with proper heatsinking) would allow around 15 Amps. Resistance divided by 6, use 2 Watt non-wirewounds in parallel to get the power rating. Big honkin' NEMA 56 motors would be easy for it. hth, Emory On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 10:55, Len Shelton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you read that whole post, you'll share everyone's disappointment. Apparently there is a bug in that chip that causes incorrect microstep angles and Allegro is unwilling to admit it or correct it. Len -Original Message- From: BRIAN GLACKIN [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 10:48 AM To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) Subject: Re: [Emc-users] microstepping stepper power drive Perhaps this discussion will offer something to you. *New Allegro Bipolar Stepper Driver A3986* http://cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24699 Opening post suggests 10A at 50V. Have not had the time to read the entire set of posts. On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 10:23 AM, Ian W. Wright [EMAIL PROTECTED]wrote: How many wires do your motors have? Len One has 8, the other 6 so it doesn't really mater whether the drive is unipolar or bipolar. -- Best wishes, Ian Ian W. Wright Sheffield UK The difference between theory and practice is much smaller in theory than in practice... -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory -- SF.Net email is Sponsored by MIX09, March 18-20, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The future of the web can't happen without you. Join us at MIX09 to help pave the way to the Next Web now. Learn more and register at http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;208669438;13503038;i?http://2009.visitmix.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] two e-stop switches
Why do you need them on different pins? You could wire two NO switches in parallel or two NC switches in series. Each set would be handled by a single pin. Emory On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 15:10, Len Shelton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: How do I configure hal to handle two e-stop switches on two different pins? Thanks, Len - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] two e-stop switches
Thanks for bringing this up. EMC has provisions for soft limits set in the ini file, hard limit switches (some of mine also serve as Home switches) and E(mergency)-Stop switches. My E-stop switches (big Allen-Bradley N.O. buttons with guards) are tied to the estop input pin and a relay to kill power to the motors. They are for emergency only. I'm no EMC or CNC guru but this works for me. Emory On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 17:01, Jack Coats [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: e-stop would be manual switches. Not limit switches. Stuart Stevenson wrote: for the plus and minus limits? On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 3:10 PM, Len Shelton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: How do I configure hal to handle two e-stop switches on two different pins? Thanks, Len - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] two e-stop switches
Oops, sorry. Your last email came in as I was responding. Emory On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 17:41, Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thanks for bringing this up. EMC has provisions for soft limits set in the ini file, hard limit switches (some of mine also serve as Home switches) and E(mergency)-Stop switches. My E-stop switches (big Allen-Bradley N.O. buttons with guards) are tied to the estop input pin and a relay to kill power to the motors. They are for emergency only. I'm no EMC or CNC guru but this works for me. Emory On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 17:01, Jack Coats [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: e-stop would be manual switches. Not limit switches. Stuart Stevenson wrote: for the plus and minus limits? On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 3:10 PM, Len Shelton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: How do I configure hal to handle two e-stop switches on two different pins? Thanks, Len - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory -- Those that forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] engrave-11.py
Try using a text editor such as 'PSPad'. It will respect extensions and line endings. About the only thing notepad is fit for is deletion. If you must use notepad, quote the filename in Save As On Mon, Nov 3, 2008 at 17:29, Dave Houghton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello Everyone Oh boy I really seem to have a knack of not doing things right. I've downloaded 'engrave-11.py' - should add here on my windows computer. Windows adds a few lines to the top of the downloaded file. Will these cause a problem? Anyway I delete these 'additions' and rename the file 'engrave-11.py' because it always want to stick 'txt' or 'hmt' on the end of the file name. I then take a copy to the other computer (Linux OS) I saved it to the desktop, 'ticked' the box to make it executable. I've tried 'run in Terminal' and 'run' - nothing seems to happen, except for a screen for a split second when I 'run it Terminal' I've downloaded it 4/5 times now, tried loading with the windows additions without the window additions, always get the same result. I've missed something, can't for the life of me see what, can anyone help please. Regards Dave - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Parallel port in the future - query
On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 08:00, Jeff Epler [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 12:34:36PM +, alan wrote: So really my query is also about the future. Where will emc go if parallel ports become a thing of the past? It can go to systems that still have parallel ports, even after they become unusual in new consumer PCs. It can go to systems where parallel ports are available on pci and post-pci add-on cards. It can go to systems where non-parport dumb I/O cards are available. It can go to pci and post-pci internal busses using intelligent cards like the mesa 5i20. (this is the path I personally favor) It can go into embedded systems that are as powerful as today's desktop PCs, but with appropriate I/O (e.g., PC/104) It can go in ways I haven't even considered in writing this e-mail. Whatever someone develops and contributes to emc, that's where emc will go. All that said, for the time being it is simply not a good idea to buy a machine without a parport or PCI slot. I would 100% stay away from laptops. It is not a good idea to buy a laptop for emc (even one with a parallel port), because typically you have to choose between leaving SMI interrupts enabled (which will introduce huge, stall-inducing delays between steps) or disabling them and (according to Intel CPU and chipset documentation) burning up the system because fans and other thermal management techniques like CPU throttling may not work correctly without SMI interrupts. Cast-off Pentium-III or AMD Athlon desktops are probably the best systems to seek out to run emc today. Jeff - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users As Jeff said, I'd stay away from laptops. Some have severe latency problems. Our 2nd CNC box was an IBM PIII/800 from someone's trash. A 2Gig HD got it running. Our current machine (#3) came from an office where they were getting rid of old equipment. It was a P4/1.6. I dropped a P4/2.66G in it, bumped the memory to 512 and it runs EMC fine. I took its 40G HD for myself and put a 10G in it. There are good finds in dumpster diving, curb shopping and being lucky. Another office cleanout resulted in 12 PIII/1G, 256MB machines with 40G HDs. A few of them had PCI parport cards for additional I/O. Check out the local thrift shops too. They will dump machines that have simple problems like dead HDs, etc. It's amazing what people throw away. -- First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] EMC BDI CD Burn
On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 05:45, John Domville [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I had a copy of Linux already running on my CNC dedicated computer long before the disk arrived from SHERLINE. (No ECM2 on the computer) I had down loaded the ISO image to another Windows (XP Pro) computer and with that computer burn it to a CD. That CD would not boot on the LINUX CNC machine. So using the LINUX computer I went back on line and down loaded the image again. I then used the LINUX machine to burn the image to a CD. The burner software was imbedded in LINUX. So all I had to do was click and drag (Copy) the file to the drive and LINUX burnt it for me. Then the CD would boot on the LINUX machine. After playing with it in the run from CD mode where I was able to run ECM2,and after a week or so used the CD to install that version of LINUX / ECM2 to the hard drive. John From: Jaime Dulay [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 2:16 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: EMC BDI CD Burn Hi John, This is a resend. I hope you can help me out on the CD burning issue. Thanks, Jim On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 8:44 AM, Jaime Dulay [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi John, Please see my comments and questions after ***. Thanks. On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 6:47 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I had the same problem. I kept burning the image to a CD on a windows machine but the LINUX computer would not boot from it. *** I did the same thing. Downloaded the iso file from : http://www.linuxcnc.org/iso/emc2.2.2-1-ubuntu6.06-desktop-i386.iso I had an unusual situation where the EMC software from SHERLINE would not install. So I down loaded the EMC2 software from LINUXCNC.org and found that I needed to down load the image with the LINUX machine(using firefox) and then burn the copy to a CD on the same LINUX computer. *** How did you do this? What file did you download? Is this the boot image? I supposed you mean burn the copy to a CD using the Windows machine. Did you use Nero? Then the CD booted OK and I was able to try (RUN) the program with out installing. After a few sessions I did install it. But keep in mind that if you do install from the CD you will reformat the drive in doing so. If the computer is a dual boot windows / LINUX like I had and you want to keep the Windows partition there are specific steps you need to take. There is a tutorial somewhere on LINUXCNC.org. *** I would intend to use a dedicated hard drive for the installation phase, although a dual boot Windows/Linux would be a very good proposition if I'm already familiar with the systems. John Jaime Dulay [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello John, I too am interested to using my Sherline mini mill in a CNC configuration. However, my mini mill is yet to be converted. Good thing I have an XYZ stage with motors on them already would like to try them first on EMC before proceeding with the Sherline conversion. I tried to burn a BDI using a Nero 5 but failed miserably on 3 tries. May I know how you did this? Thanks for your help. Jim - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users You don't burn a copy to CD, you burn the image to CD. Winblow's crappy built-in CD recording software is bad and wrong. Use Nero. Recorder Menu, Burn Image. Use default settings except for write speed. Go no higher than 8x or 12x and you should have a bootable CD. Don't forget to check Finalize CD in the Burn Compilation window. -- First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Desperately seeking my floppy drive
For newcomers, my vote goes to usb sticks. No messy networking to figure out, username/passwords to remember and they are miles ahead of floppies from a reliability standpoint. You do, however have to remember to take them out of the source machine and to the EMC machine ;^) In our case, the house has aluminum siding preventing wireless from working and we haven't made the time and gone to the trouble of running CAT5 to the shop. And as was mentioned earlier, copy the GC files from USB to the EMC hard disk and remove the stick when cutting. -- First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. Emory On Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 07:42, Mark Wendt (Contractor) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: At 11:38 PM 10/26/2008, you wrote: Dave Houghton wrote: Hi Jon Thanks very much, Chris Morley sorted it out for me, the floppy is up and running. I have no idea what fdisk is or what it does, so unless some one told me to use it I wouldn't. It allows you to change the partition table on the hard drive. Fairly easy to corrupt the whole disk. I only use 3.5 because they are there, mainly use for Gcode files. What do you use in stead of floppies? I thought about using the usb ports do you think that's a better idea. USB works fine, probably a lot more reliable in the shop environment. But, I use the network exclusively, unless it is enough stuff to require a CD, like a whole system update. Linux knows Samba as well as FTP. Jon Ubuntu also knows sftp which is a secure ftp based on the secure shell daemon. I gave up using regular ftp years ago both at home and at work to move files around because it passes the username and password in clear text. sftp encrypts the username and password exchange. Mark - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] SMI-Like latency problems that don't respond to rtapi_smi.ko fix
This might not be of any help to you but my home machine - an IBM E Series X Server 205 is unusable for EMC because of the RTAI delay problems. I only run in Sim mode at home (duh!) but put up with and ignore the errors just to see how a job will run. Running the latency test on this machine shows well over 1,000,000 (count the zeros). I think I've checked all the usual bios things to no avail. I will re-check all those settings and post back the results. This machine runs great for all other software and I've never noticed any glitches in day to day things I do. Some motherboards just don't seem to be suited for rtai. -- Emory On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 20:06, Peter Boyer [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi all, This is a first time posting so excuse my newbie-like characteristics. I just finished building a CNC router and am using EMC2 to control it on a Hardy Heron install. My computer is a P4 1.8Ghz Desktop, Matrox Video Card, with 512 MB ram. Presumably, I have an intel chipset. On my first occasion running the software on my router, I got the dreaded Unexpected realtime delay; check dmesg for details error. I ran the RTAI latency calibration tool and observed the kind of 64 second periodic ~150 ms increases increases in latency typical of an SMI (System Mangement Interrupt) issue. After finding an article on the EMC2 wiki directly relating to turning off SMI, I felt very happy and proceeded to implement the solution. I implemented the solution by opening rtapi.conf and editing the file exactly as detailed in the wiki article called Fixing Realtime problems caused by SMI on Ubuntu. I was somewhat confused by the article when it told me to skip to step 6, which instructs the user to copy the rtai_smi.ko module to the appropriate directory - as I understand it, I didn't need to do this on a Hardy Heron install as the module is already present. After installing the module, I ran EMC2 and gave the system a lsmod and saw that the rtapi_smi.ko was running as expected. HOWEVER, I still have (seemingly) the same latency issues as I had before. I still get the Unexpected realtime delay; check dmesg for details error. SO, my questions are: 1) Is there some other similar form of latency that would cause this same problem? 2) Might I need to actually compile another rtapi_smi.ko module in order to fix the problem? 3) I did just do something flat out wrong when I tried to fix the problem? 4) What is ACPI and APM? (I have not attempted to turn it off yet.) I'm pretty frustrated and don't really know where to turn. Any ideas? All the best, Peter - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] em2-review: homing
Also, if you're getting good latency and performance from the laptop, post that info here as well as model, mfgr, etc. Some laptops don't work well for EMC or other things requiring timeliness. E On Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 8:50 PM, rtwas [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, Emory Smith wrote: There might also be a problem with the spelling in yours. HOME_SEARCH_VELOCITY versus my HOME_SEARCH_VEL OMG! You're right! The laptop which holds emc2 is here but the cnc machine is at the school. I'll change the spelling and try it next time I'm down there. Thanks m8. Robert W. - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] ANNOUNCE: pycam - 3D CNC Toolpath Generation
I see the docs follow the standard Linux documentation standards. NONE! Where is PyOpenGL-3.0.0b5.tar.gz? Nothing like that in pycam-0.1.1.tgz and running 'python setup.py bdist_egg' or 'python setup.py py2exe' just causes beeps and a number of 1.9MB PostScript files to be created. Emory On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 8:03 AM, Alex Joni [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: And my favourite license too :) Anyways, I hope you get a lot of help to turn this into something as good and used as EMC, I am sure that a lot of people have been waiting on open source CAM. Alex Looks neat, and you picked my favorite language to write it in! Jeff - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
[Emc-users] steplen, etc
Are steplen, stepspace, dirhold and dirsetup in nanoseconds or microseconds? For instance, is setp stepgen.0.stepspace 1000 absurdly wrong? Or does that mean 1 microsecond? Did the specs change somewhere between versions? Ubuntu 8.0.4/EMC 2.2.6 Thanks, -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Hardy install using emc2-install.sh
Maybe try 'sudo apt-get update' before the install script. -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Disabling Sound for Increased performance.
My EMC machine rarely needs internet connectivity so the flash drive works fairly well for getting gcode into the machine. I'd much rather have a network connection to the machines in the house for doing that. And will have a wired connection eventually. As it turns out, I built a biquad a couple of years ago and had success with it (around 11 dB gain) but never put it to real use and forgot it. I'll see if I can find it and then find a connector/pigtail (the hard part) that fits the D-Link card in the EMC box. As a side note, over the weekend I was playing with an SMC USB wireless dongle. 'iwlist wlan0 scanning' showed -92 to my neighbor's wlan. I cut a hole ~91mm from the bottom of a Pringles can and put the dongle ~31mm into the can and got -82! And I'd been poo-pooing the Pringles can stories on the internet! Anyway, thanks for the unintended reminder about the biquad, Emory snip Personally, I could not live without a network connection on any PC. Just in case it might be helpful, I DIY these: http://www.wallacecompany.com/biquad/ http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/ http://www.trevormarshall.com/biquad.htm for point to point (and sector) connections at long distance (miles), even through walls (hundreds of yards). So weather tight enclosures are often not necessary. I use pretty much whatever is in the shop for materials. -- Kirk Wallace (California, USA http://www.wallacecompany.com/machine_shop/ Hardinge HNC/EMC CNC lathe, Bridgeport mill conversion, doing XY now, Zubal lathe conversion pending Craftsman AA 109 restoration Shizuoka ST-N/EMC CNC) - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Limit Switches
Hate to be a me-too-er but I'll be watching this thread. What I'd like would be to assert a pin om the parport for a Sonalert. On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 8:05 PM, Len Shelton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I use a small desktop CNC router and axis. Limit switches would be helpful in jog mode if they didn't pause EMC2 completely, but rather just stopped you from moving in that one direction - with maybe an on-screen notification that you had reached the maximum travel. I would like to retain homing capabilities. Anyone have any idea how to pull this off? Len - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Disabling Sound for Increased performance.
My sentiments, exactly! I have sound, networking, update and several other services disabled. I use a somewhat unconventional method of doing it. I create the directory /etc/rcd.2.not and move* the unneeded links from rc2.d there. That way, if I need any of those services back, I can issue /etc/rc2.d.not/servicename start|stop. I use a USB flash drive to get gcode into the machine since wireless networking doesn't work at the distance I have and an ethernet cable is impractical until we get some construction finished. The reason I did this was that within a few minutes after startup, the machine's CPU usage goes very high for a few minutes and I figured it was auto-update trying to get a network connection going. It's a shotgun approach but it works and there was no clue in System Monitor, top or ps as to what was causing the high CPU usage. There's no need for any readers to flame me about doing it this way. When I'm ready to do cutting, I leave my I.S. Tech hat in the house. I'm just saying that it works for me. YMMV. * mc (apt-get install mc) makes that process much easier. Very little typing ;^) Emory On Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 3:08 AM, Organic Engines [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, After a whole bunch of thought it occurred to me that sound is essentially real time and probably a resource hog. Any reason not to unload all those alsa, oss, snd and etc modules? Ultimately network, printing, bluetooth and other stuff can go once your system is working. The idea is getting toward what would be essentially an embedded system. No fluff to distract your pc from doing it's machine control job. Dan - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
[Emc-users] DXF2GCODE
There is a fellow in Germany that has come up with a DXF to gcode converter for Linux (and Windows). I've not had a chance to try it out but it looks promising. Similar to what ACE is to Windows. If this works out, we may be able to do a project in Linux, start to finish! Website (in German): http://www.christian-kohloeffel.homepage.t-online.de/dxf2gocde.html Translation of the page to English via Google Translate: http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christian-kohloeffel.homepage.t-online.de%2Fdxf2gocde.htmlhl=enie=UTF8sl=detl=en Not responsible for weirdness in translation. Most of my German comes from Hogan's Heroes. I do like the drink server but I don't think I have the required hardware to download a cocktail ;^) -- Emory - This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100url=/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
[Emc-users] All parallel ports not the same!
I just upgraded my properly working EMC machine from a P3/800 to a P4/1600 and was getting really bad motion control an all three axes. I just copied my .ini and .hal files from the old machine expecting everything to just work. I'm using two parports, the on-board for axis control, the PCI for switches, LEDs, etc. The bad motion control mentioned above was the dropping of MANY steps during rapids. You could hear the motors stutter very often. After spending a couple of hours trying to figure out the problem, I changed the line 0x0378 out 0x0dc00 out to 0x0dc00 out 0x0378 out in the .hal file (which reversed parport.0 and parport.1), swapped the parport plugs and gave it a try. It worked perfectly! It seems that the on-board parport just didn't have the right stuff but the PCI one did. And, yes I did try the setting the parport BIOS settings for Bi-directional, ECP and EPP to no avail before making the port changes. I had even diddled the steplen, stepspace, dirhold and dirsetup values without joy! Just thought I'd put this info out for any who might have similar problems. I'm not at the machine at the moment and don't have the mfr/model of the motherboard and PCI parport. Hope this might be useful to someone, -- Emory - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] OT: Perfboard Wire
I use some Belden control cable left over from a lighting project. It's 10 or 12 conductors of 24 ga stranded wire. It doesn't melt near as bad as Cat 5 or phone wire. You might check with sound and lighting companies around town to see if they have any scraps. A 10' piece will last a good while. Emory On Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Kirk Wallace [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have been using CAT-5 wire to solder up perfboard circuits, but the insulation melts back. Does anyone have a favorite wire for perfboarding? -- Kirk Wallace (California, USA http://www.wallacecompany.com/machine_shop/ Hardinge HNC/EMC CNC lathe, Bridgeport mill conversion, doing XY now, Zubal lathe conversion pending Craftsman AA 109 restoration Shizuoka ST-N/EMC CNC) - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] gedit/gcode questions
I should have made it more clear. It's the dialog that appears after CTRL-H or clicking the Replace button. The text boxes where you put the search for and replace with terms have a memory or history. That's what I'd like to do away with. Thanks, Emory On Fri, Jul 4, 2008 at 6:58 AM, John Thornton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If you are talking about the highlight of the words after a find it is Search/Clear Highlight. I've grown to like it as a power windoz user you know what I'm use to... It does take a bit to get used to but once your over the learning curve it is easier. John On 3 Jul 2008 at 21:12, Emory Smith wrote: Any way in gedit to turn off the history of FIND/REPLACE? Using it to edit GCode and the history of last find/replace is bugging me. It could cause a dangerous/expensive situation if not carefully paid attention to. Just let me put in what I want to replace and what to replace it with! Or is there a better editor for text files? I do like the tabs like Firefox. Amazed by GUI in Linux. Never used it until I found EMC. Using TUI, I have set up mail, www, dhcp, dns and MySQL servers in the past. This new-fangled stuff baffles me! ... and I like Macs! What's wrong with me? ;^) Confused in Memphis, Emory -- --- Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
[Emc-users] gedit/gcode questions
Any way in gedit to turn off the history of FIND/REPLACE? Using it to edit GCode and the history of last find/replace is bugging me. It could cause a dangerous/expensive situation if not carefully paid attention to. Just let me put in what I want to replace and what to replace it with! Or is there a better editor for text files? I do like the tabs like Firefox. Amazed by GUI in Linux. Never used it until I found EMC. Using TUI, I have set up mail, www, dhcp, dns and MySQL servers in the past. This new-fangled stuff baffles me! ... and I like Macs! What's wrong with me? ;^) Confused in Memphis, Emory - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] EDITOR
AXIS is it and it worked! Thanks, Emory - Sponsored by: SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards: VOTE NOW! Studies have shown that voting for your favorite open source project, along with a healthy diet, reduces your potential for chronic lameness and boredom. Vote Now at http://www.sourceforge.net/community/cca08 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Website Found
Yeah, not much said about EMC there. And there was a mention of Realtime NT!!! NT is a pretty old technology and; where do you get it? I bet it ain't free either. Looks like it might evolve into a really good site. Hopefully, they'll get educated. The main attraction of EMC, at first glance is that it's free. After one digs into it though, the quality, configurability and stability take center stage. I just hope they don't follow the path of FUD like many other industries do when dealing with the Linux/Windows situation. My penny's worth, Emory On Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 6:40 AM, John Thornton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Looks like it is run by a mach supporter... -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Rookie help
As a PC tech, I've seen several older Compaqs, especially laptops do as you describe. Sometimes they will freeze for seconds at a time then continue. And with a freshly and properly installed OS with good drivers, etc. I know this isn't what you want to hear but consider replacing the machine. Maybe if a friend has a more 'generic' PC and likes the iPaq, y'all could trade. Someone surfing the net and doing email wouldn't be as endangered as someone using it to control a machine with strong electric motors and sharp cutters ;^) I'm using an IBM Netvista found in a dumpster. Due to its small size (what we call a laptop-in-a-box), I expected similar behaviour. It's a Celeron 800/256MB but it runs EMC without a hitch. Maybe check junk/second-hand stores, too. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, Emory On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 7:00 AM, John Thornton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On 20 Jun 2008 at 21:59, Jack wrote: I have EMC2 installed on an old Compaq iPaq desktop running Ubuntu 6.06 from the EMC2 install CD, driving a HobbyCNC controller and gantry with Kirk lead screws. When I use the sample stepper_inch config it works, but I need to tweak the configuration some to change the stepping (thread pitch, etc) but when I try to generate my own using the config tool in Axis, it just doesn't work. Suggestions? I'm not sure what the config tool is in Axis but if you use the EMC stepconf wizard you should be able to make a new config and test each axis as you go. If you are using the stepconf wizard then you need to be more specific as to what you did, what you expect to happen and what happens. Hobbycnc does not provide clear information on step timing the best we have is here. http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Stepper_Drive_Timing I figure this is probably something dumb I am doing, and I am willing to RTFM, I just need some direction. With the sample config, it is jogging back and forth OK, but it is not set for the right threads per inch for the lead screws. Once I get this working, next comes home and limit switches and a hardware emergency switch. The latency test runs, but if I do try to use the computer, sometimes the numbers go out of sight. 'Normally' it runs about 15000. When it goes 'crazy' It reads over a million. My 500MHz celeron may be to slow, but it is what I am playing with for now. Thanks. ... Jack If you have an onboard video sometimes that will give you problems. http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?TroubleShooting When the computer goes crazy don't expect the machine to remain uncrazy! John - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] SheetCam TNG V0.0.24 for Linux released
Even I got installed and working! Thanks for putting in the time and trouble. It really looks nice. Planning to play with it tomorrow. Emory On Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 3:50 PM, Leslie Newell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am glad that fixed it. It is slightly embarassing to release something that mungs people's machines :-[ LEs Eric H. Johnson wrote: Les, The new sheetcamlibs package did the trick. Both sheetcam and the packaging system seem to be working fine. Thanks, Eric - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] SheetCam TNG V0.0.24 for Linux released
I've had enough. Won't install on 804. On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 8:34 AM, John Thornton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Les, The install went find on Ubuntu 6.06 here John On 18 Jun 2008 at 22:54, Leslie Newell wrote: Hi Kent, Most of the install issues have been with older versions. More recent Linux distributions are more standardised and easier to work with. With dialog boxes, the help is supposed to appear on the side of the window. It works reasonably well on Windows but Linux windows tend to be a lot more spread out so the help gets a bit big. Maybe that was one of those good ideas that doesn't work too well in practice. Les Kent A. Reed wrote: Les: It's interesting to see the problems some are running into. Starting with a fresh copy of Ubuntu 8.04LTS, I installed SheetCam TNG V0.0.23 last week using the autopackage. No problem. Last night, I followed your instructions and had no problem uninstalling V0.0.23 or installing V0.0.24. I understand your pushing sand up a hill with your nose metaphor (I have sometimes felt it was more like pushing sand up my nose with a hill) but the installs just worked for me. Once installed, however, SheetCam TNG V0.0.24 is doing some funky interleaving of various window panes when I invoke Help. I'll try to do a screen capture if you haven't seen the behavior already. Regards, Kent -- --- Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] SheetCam TNG V0.0.24 for Linux released
Unpacking sheetcamtng (from SheetCamTNG-0.0.24.deb) ... dpkg-deb (subprocess): short read in buffer_copy (failed to write to pipe in copy) dpkg-deb: subprocess paste returned error exit status 2 dpkg: error processing SheetCamTNG-0.0.24.deb (--install): short read in buffer_copy (backend dpkg-deb during `./usr/share/SheetCamTNG/resources/Splash1.bmp') Errors were encountered while processing: SheetCamTNG-0.0.24.deb gdebi-gtk also gives a file corrupted error. Tried downloading the .deb files with Firefox AND wget. Same errors. The libs installed OK. Emory On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 8:59 AM, Leslie Newell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Andrea, I had sort of expected that to happen somewhere along the line. The sheetcamlibs package is a bit of a bodge at the moment. I would have used the standard Ubuntu wx libs but they are not fully up to date, also they are not available at all for earlier versions of Ubuntu. I am not sure what is the best thing to do here. Sometimes working with Linux can be like trying to push sand up a hill with your nose :-( Thanks, Les Andrea Montefusco wrote: Installing sheetcamlibs-2.8.7.deb on Ubuntu 7.0.4 I get the following message: /usr/lib/libwx_baseu-2.8.so.0', che si trova anche nel pacchetto libwxbase2.8-0 it seems that your package contains some file included in libwxbase2.8-0 that is already installed on my system. Note that I dont have previous version of sheetcam installed in my system. As quickdirty solution I forced the overwrite of offending files: dpkg --force-overwrite -i sheetcamlibs-2.8.7.deb Finally, I run the program: wow ! Many thanks for give to us (Linux-minded) this thing. - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] E-stop Surprise
I've got two big ole Allen-Bradley push buttons wired in series. One in easy reach on each side of the machine. They're the pull and twist to close and push to open type. They're in the AC mains circuit so operation is nearly instantaneous. They control power to the router, motors and controller, but not the computer. They were about $30 US for the pair on eBay. Cheap insurance, I think. Before them, I had run a $45 cutter way into the vacuum table (since repaired with Bondo) and had a Roto-Zip pull itself out of the router into the table. (More Bondo ;^) A few of mistakes like that has made me more careful and observant and I've not yet needed the E-Stop buttons since installation but I'm glad they're there. On a 'real' machine like yours, they can save life, eyes, limb and $$$. DO IT! Thanks for listening, Emory On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 2:46 AM, Kirk Wallace [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My mill isn't fully functional yet and I neglected to realize the ramifications of this. A bracket I needed to make required a tool change, so I decided to just do it manually. I checked the program by lowering the knee and single stepping through the program, which at the time seemed okay. I raised the knee, started the program and drilled the holes. The table homed for the tool change displayed the tool change message and proceeded to go ahead with the program without stopping. Unfortunately, the new tool that didn't get changed is shorter so the tool collided with the table. I tried to click the e-stop button in AXIS but it had no effect. Then I realized that the tool change message had the window focus and I needed to clear it before the e-stop would work. I realize I made a few mistakes here, by not having a proper config file and a hardware e-stop button, but I wonder if there should be a way to have the AXIS e-stop always on top and available. -- Kirk Wallace (California, USA http://www.wallacecompany.com/machine_shop/ Hardinge HNC/EMC CNC lathe, Bridgeport mill conversion, doing XY now, Zubal lathe conversion pending Craftsman AA 109 restoration Shizuoka ST-N/EMC CNC) - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Parallel port PCI card
I concur on the 2 port card. It's always nice to have an extra port. I added a single port card to my machine that had a built-in and would have put a 3 port in if I'd had it. I like I/O ;^) Emory On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 6:33 AM, Ed [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: aaron Moore wrote: Hi Can anyone tell me what kind of parallel port pci card I need to connect my computer to the breakout board. I have one computer with no parallel port and another computer with a parallel port that does not give out the right signals I presume. I need to get one of them to work. Thanks Aaron Check at dalco.com for a 2 port card. That is the one I am useing, ordering another one today.Ed. - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith - Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://sourceforge.net/services/buy/index.php___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Way OT: Contact Lube
Lubri-Plate has been a fave of mine for years. Should be available at electronics supply places. Emory On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 12:41 AM, Kirk Wallace [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have a Hobart TIG with really stiff AC/DC+/DC- and AMP range selectors. They are eight inch rotary switches with 1/8th inch thick blades and wipers. Does anyone have a favorite lube or should I run them dry? I tried an electronics cleaner/lube and it turned into a stiff wax. (EMC tie in: I can't work on the Shizuoka until I get it fixed.) -- Kirk Wallace (California, USA http://www.wallacecompany.com/machine_shop/ Hardinge HNC/EMC CNC lathe, Bridgeport mill conversion, doing XY now, Zubal lathe conversion pending Craftsman AA 109 restoration Shizuoka ST-N/EMC CNC) - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2008. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Newbie Help Needed - Losing Steps
Andrew, What did you do to switch to 1/4 step mode. Was it within EMC or something on your controller? Is there a FAQ? I'd like to try that. Thanks, Emory On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 8:08 PM, Andrew Ayre [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: John Kasunich wrote: Andrew Ayre wrote: [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: John Kasunich [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Newbie Help Needed - Losing Steps Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:46:09 -0400 Andrew Ayre wrote: Hi, I have a gantry style machine with three axis. The X and Y axis have the same motor and the same nut and lead screw on each). I am testing the machine using manually entered commands into AXIS such as: G01 F80 X1 G01 F80 X0 When manipulating one axis at a time (no cutting, just moving around) I have found that I lose steps at different feed rates for each axis. X - lose steps at 148 ipm Y - lose steps at 81 ipm All those calculations are for theoretical limits to the step rate. But the reason you are losing steps is much less theoretical. You are probably running out of torque. When step motors go faster, the amount of torque that they can produce drops. When the load needs more torque than the motor can make, you lose steps. It does seem odd that the X can go faster than Y. X has to move more weight (I assume that X is the gantry, and Y moves a much smaller weight across the gantry). But something is making Y require more torque than X, so Y loses steps first. Regards, John Kasunich It looks to me like Andy is using full step motion. Probably what is happening is that he's hitting resonant frequencies that are a bit different for each axis. The extra weight of X might even work to advantage to help it cross that zero torque spot. Rayh Hi Ray, yes I'm using full stepping. My next step was to switch to 1/4 or 1/8 microstepping. So could that actually help? I know that the speeds overall will be reduced of course. Micro-stepping will lower the theoretical speed, but as you've already calculated, the theoretical speed is pretty fast right now. On the good side, micro-stepping will mostly likely increase the torque somewhat, especially at certain speeds where full-stepping causes resonance and dramatically lowers torque. Regards, John Kasunich Update - I switched to 1/4 stepping mode. Movement is smoother and quieter. The top speed of each axis is now limited by the speed of the real time system on my PC, with no stalls. Thanks for the help. :) Andy -- Andy PGP Key ID: 0xDC1B5864 - This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://stratcat50.googlepages.com Band: http://defoliants.googlepages.com Blog: http://stratcat50.blogspot.com/ - This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100. Use priority code J8TL2D2. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Parallel Port Problems
Amen on the coffee. Still on first cup. Did you try the .hal equivalent of explicitly configuring the parport like: loadrt hal_parport cfg=0x0378 out? And as Rayh said, you might need resistors. Is it a standard desktop PC with on-board parport? Keep us posted, Emory On Dec 20, 2007 7:54 AM, Ray Henry [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: These suggestions may be irrelevant, John. I've not had a full dose of coffee. Is the bios for this parport set to spp or out? Have you tried inverting these pins using HAL's parport parameters? I seem to remember that a couple of the pins you list were considered inverted in hardware but that diagram seems to have gone away. From the current HAL User Manual it sounds like HAL takes account of pins that were inverted in hardware. Also long ago we had to use external pull-up or pull-down resistors to create a well behaved parport. Rayh On Thu, 2007-12-20 at 06:41 -0600, John Thornton wrote: I have a CNC4PC parallel port breakout board connected to my parallel port via a parallel port cable. When testing all the outputs in EMC2 via the HAL command setp parport.0.pin-nn-out (all unlinked first) pins 1, 8, 9, 14 and 16 do not come on. Does this look like some kind of pattern or something? Any ideas? All the other pins in and out work as expected. Thanks John - SF.Net email is sponsored by: Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;164216239;13503038;w?http://sf.net/marketplace ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Microsoft Defy all challenges. Microsoft(R) Visual Studio 2005. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/vse012070mrt/direct/01/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Y axis shifting
OK! Got it sorted out. Mostly mistakes caused by my own mistakes. The motors are 7.7 Volts, not 5 as I stated. The instructions for the stepper driver clearly say to use a power supply 1 Volt higher than the motor's required voltage. I was running all motors from a 5 Volt supply. I whipped up a power supply from the junk boxen that puts out 8.9 Volts and should be good to ~5-6 Amps. Y-Axis is much happier now. The X-Axis (which hasn't had problems at low feed rates) will be happier, too and will be able to use higher feed rates. Z-Axis (5 Volt motor) has always been happy and very fast. No changes there. The Y-Axis is hard to move by hand due to friction. All the linear bearings are in good shape but the X-Axis sits on the Y-Axis and there's just a lot of weight. Would a double-stack NEMA 23 motor help me here? The stepper driver can handle 3 Amps per motor. And I could add heavier (than TIP-120) transistors to it off-board. I'd forgotten many things about my DIY machine, having started on it in 2002 and working on it off and on since then. Fortunately, I saved all documentation that I generated and was able to refer back to changes I'd made. EMC is FANTASTIC! The stability, configurability and general feel is vastly superior to all the DOS and Windows (non-) solutions I've tried. Thanks to all who offered suggestions. It also prompted me to clean up my nasty wiring. Emory -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - SF.Net email is sponsored by: Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;164216239;13503038;w?http://sf.net/marketplace ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
[Emc-users] steplen, stepspace, dirsetup, and dirhold questions
Trying to get a clue about the stepgen values. Confused by different docs from the wiki. Excerpts included below. I have installed EMC 2.2.1 from latest Live CD. Excerpt1 seems to use base-periods for the values, excerpt2 says nanosecond units. Is excerpt1 from old, not-updated documentation? If I wanted to apply the changes illustrated in excerpt1 to a 2.2.1 system, would I use dirhold 3 ? And according to paragraph 2 of excerpt2, would stepspace 2000 give me 2 microseconds between steps? Thanks, Emory excerpt1 http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?TweakingSoftwareStepGeneration 1.4. Use steplen, stepspace, dirsetup, and/or dirhold snip We need another 15uS. Since the period is 16uS, we need one more period. So we change dirhold from 1 to 2. Now the minimum time from the end of the step pulse to the changing direction pin is 5+16=21uS, and we don't have to worry about the Gecko stepping the wrong direction because of latency. /excerpt1 excerpt2 http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?UPDATING#stepgen_and_freqgen_changes 1.3. stepgen and freqgen changes The units for steplen, stepspace, dirsetup, and dirhold have been changed from BASE_PERIOD units to nanosecond units. Internally, the values given are rounded up to a multiple of BASE_PERIOD, and at runtime the parameters are changed to display the rounded up value. snip In step modes 0 and 1, setting stepspace to 0 will allow step (or up/down) to be asserted on every invocation of make-pulses. Use a stepspace value of 1 to signify the smallest nonzero stepspace. /excerpt2 -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - SF.Net email is sponsored by: Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;164216239;13503038;w?http://sf.net/marketplace ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Y axis shifting
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm making progress. Installed EMC 2.2.1 from the latest live CD and am experimenting with steplen dirhold that I didn't have in 2.0.1. Adjusting acceleration on the Y axis has helped too. Getting a nice ramp up and down. After running stepconf, I have a configuration with these values: steplen 1, stepspace 0, dirhold 36920, dirsetup 36920 Changing steplen to 2, dirhold dirsetup to 75000 helped. Fewer dropped steps. Left stepspace at 0 because of no docs on it. Didn't know whether to double it or half it ;^) In my hal file, setp parport.0.reset-time 5000 is new to me. Any reason to change it? Are the dirhold dirsetup numbers nanoseconds? Can't find info on what stepspace dirsetup do. Any hints where to look? I can sometimes hear the stepper bump when it drops a step. Tomorrow, I'll put an oscilloscope on 2 of the leads to the Y motor, run it and watch for anomalies in the waveform that coincide with the bump sound. (It'll only do it whenever I look away, of course ;^) These questions were asked of me in this thread: What stepper drive? Stepper3. Rated 25V @ 1A. 1MHz max What stepper motors? Vexta PH265-04-C18, 1.8/step, 5V 1A Thanks again, -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - SF.Net email is sponsored by: Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;164216239;13503038;w?http://sf.net/marketplace ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Y axis shifting
amplifiers. The scope should have at least 100mhz bandwidth and the probes should be precalibrated so that the test square wave on the front of the scope is indeed square and flat top and bottom when observed. It is they are. Tek 475 with switchable probes. Also, do not use probes without the 10x attenuation enabled as the added capacitance of a direct probe may|will also total the amplifiers. Ah, glad you reminded me of that. By the time I would have gotten the vert gain low enough for the trace to be on the screen, poof!. Informational wise for this sort of troubleshooting, scoping the step and dir signals *to* the amplifier, and comparing the rise times, steplen times and dir setup times to what the amplifiers need will probably be far more usefull. A parport that doesn't have adequate drive will be not only slow, particularly the pullup times, but may not have the source and sink current cajones to satisfy the amplifiers input voltage requirements even with arbitrarily long steps. This is not an uncommon problem. Excellent! The PC is a mini-desktop. Most of which are a laptop-in-a-box and have wimpy parports. I'll put the scope on the inputs of the stepper controller. For some reason, I expect to see not-so-square pulses. It also has a PCI parport card being used for switches, LEDs, etc. It would be easy enough to switch the plugs and transpose parport.0 and parport.1 throught the hal ini files. I'll replace the PC-controller cable too. It's just a dirty old generic printer cable. Probably not even IEEE-1284. Anyway, I've been playing with parameters in 2.2.1 that weren't available in 2.0.1 and have made some improvements. Just found the rest of the info on steplen, stepspace, dirhold dirsetup that I didn't have. Looks interesting. But it's 1045PM, cold and raining so I'll just wait till tomorrow. Thanks again, Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - SF.Net email is sponsored by: Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace. It's the best place to buy or sell services for just about anything Open Source. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;164216239;13503038;w?http://sf.net/marketplace ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] rs232 output
Unless you already have some sort of RS232 receiver/decoder for those valves, etc., it would be simpler to add a PCI parport. I did that and now have all kinds of inputs and outputs. I paid about 12 USD for the port. Of course, if you're using a laptop, the cost for a PCM card would be much more. PCI parports are available in single and dual port models. You then use lspci to find the address of the newly added port and add *loadrt probe_parport loadrt hal_parport cfg=0x0378 out 0x out* to your *.hal file where the 0 is replaced with the port's address found with lspci. I or anyone else here would be glad to help you with your configuration if needed. I'm using 3 inputs for X, Y Z limit (opposite ends of axes from home switches) and 7 outputs to drive 3 home LEDs, 3 limit LEDs and a Xen LED. HTH, Emory On Nov 30, 2007 3:27 AM, Klemen Dovrtel [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is it possible to send a simple command to rs232 within the G code using emc. I would like to control the pneumatic valves and some other simple stuff and i don't want to sped parallel port pins for simple things like this. BTW, is there an option to control individual I/O pins via parallel port using G code. Regard Klemen Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make Yahoo! your homepage. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs - SF.Net email is sponsored by: The Future of Linux Business White Paper from Novell. From the desktop to the data center, Linux is going mainstream. Let it simplify your IT future. http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/8857-50307-18918-4 ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - SF.Net email is sponsored by: The Future of Linux Business White Paper from Novell. From the desktop to the data center, Linux is going mainstream. Let it simplify your IT future. http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/8857-50307-18918-4___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Can't control spindle with M3 command
I had the same problem. I tried adding the speed control (S100) to the M# command and it works for me. Thanks! On Nov 5, 2007 1:03 PM, Mark Jackson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi...I have just started working with EMC2. I reconfigued the Hal to control the spindle with pin 16. I can control the steppers just fine but the spindle doesn't respond via the m3 commands. I *AM* however able to control the spindle from the manual controls. Please can anyone tell me what I am missing? Thanks much! MJ - This SF.net email is sponsored by: Splunk Inc. Still grepping through log files to find problems? Stop. Now Search log events and configuration files using AJAX and a browser. Download your FREE copy of Splunk now http://get.splunk.com/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://defoliants.googlepages.com - SF.Net email is sponsored by: The Future of Linux Business White Paper from Novell. From the desktop to the data center, Linux is going mainstream. Let it simplify your IT future. http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/8857-50307-18918-4___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
Re: [Emc-users] Multi I/O Driver support - kernel patch
loadrt probe_parport loadrt hal_parport cfg=0x278 out 0x20A0 out The 0x20a0 here comes from the manual and mine is different and is what I got from 'lspci -v'. Also using a PCI parport with Sunix chip. hth, e On 5/21/07, Cliff Haslam [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi I'm changing from Dos-based CNC to emc2 (and new to Linux and emc). If I understand correctly, to get a second parallel port (in addition to the motherboard Parallel port) from the PCI 2-port parallel card I need to patch the kernel for 'Multi I/O driver support'. The PCI card is found with lspci -v and the pinout.hal is configured but the port remains uninitialised. The PCI card (SUNIX/Digitus) driver installation provides a patch. What would be the correct kernel source for 2.6.15-magma (the latest live CD installation)?. Is it available from http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/?. ..or am I off on a tangent? TIA Cheers Cliff -- Discover the new Windows Vista Learn more!http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=windows+vistamkt=en-USform=QBRE - This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/ ___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users -- Emory Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/___ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
