On Sunday 08 October 2017 02:03:05 John Dammeyer wrote: > Hi Gene, > Truly a matter of how we use our tools and how often. > > I have a PCB touch plate for my MACH3 JGRO style CNC router. Had to > modify some example code for the button on the screen including a > couple of reminder dialogs to make sure (really sure) that I > attached/removed the clip lead from the router bit since my router > shaft is insulated. I believe there was even a youtube video on how > to set all that up. > > Without good documentation all of this is hard for someone new at > this. For example, the Xylotex.ini file didn't have any documentation > that the max velocity was in ips and no comment to that effect. The > same file also has totally different example values in the comments > from what is actually used. Very confusing for a while. > > The Xylotex.hal file has this commented out for the probe input. I'll > have to check and see if this can be used. > #probe input > #net probe motion.probe-input <= bb_gpio.p8.in-18 > #setp bb_gpio.p8.in-18.invert 1 > > But where to start after that? Does one load a TouchPlate.nc file and > run it. Then load the actual g-code file again? > > Can you make it pause and print a comment to let you know it's going > to go to the touch plate location? Can it show any dialogs to guide a > user through the operation? > > For the MACH3 system I move the Z axis over and close to the top of > the item I want to have as zero. I then click on a button on the > screen. Then I wait and follow the dialogs. The first tells me to > attach the clip because without it no ground will be sensed and the Z > will try and go through the table. Next it moves, touches off and > lifts to 1" above with the zero now set. Finally another dialog to > remind me to remove the clip off the tool. > > Takes longer to type than to do it. Change or adjust the tool then > place the PCB on the work and just re-zero. > > And as far as custom G-Code, I use Alibre CAD and MecSoft Visual CAM > to create my G-Code. I routed a parabolic reflector out of MDF that I > don't think I could have done with hand written G-Code. Same with > DB-9 and DB-25 cut-outs. > > But if I want to do a bolt circle of 8 holes I can use my Shumatec DRO > (once I find the manual) but I think it would take me a lot longer to > write G-Code by hand.
Thats a canned function in that you invoke it, then follow the invocation with a list of hole locations, which LinuxCNC will continue drilling holes until the stop this function is sent. The linuxcnc normal install includes the manuals which can be read or even printed if you like dead tree formats, but its around 750 pages these days just for the main manual. > > How easy is it to add a button to the main user interface that starts > the touch plate action? I just put the call to the o<word> subroutine at the top of the file that needs it with an text editor. But I have more than one subroutine depending on what I want the machine calibrated to when the subroutine is finished. I have one that does only the TLO, another that zero's all 3 regular axis touchoffs by hunting inside a small brass half cube, another that finds the center of a hole. In axis, one can add buttons on the right panel that could do that, but never actually gave it a thought since what I do, does work. You would create the button in xml then use hal to connect it to a halui mdi function. When you do a probe operation, the contact point is recorded in memory, and can then be used in some gcode math to achieve what you want to do. All of those memory tables and locations are in the documentation .pdf. > > I know. Way more questions and perhaps the wrong place for them? Nope, right place. But its 2:30 AM here and I'm hitting the sack for some snoozing time. Take care, John > Thanks > John > > > A temporary touch plate is a piece of pcb material with a wire > > soldered to the top face and connected to an interface breakout pin. > > Stick it down someplace with a half a drop of superglue, and when > > that operation is done, rip it off & hang it on a peg till the next > > time you need it. Wire that pin up to motion.probe-in in the hal > > file and a line or 8 of gcode (G38.2 usually), done. Then you don't > > worry about the TLO in the tool table. None of my TTS toolholders > > have a permanently assigned and calibrated tool in them as I'd have > > to buy another $300+ dollars worth of the Chinese versions to do > > that. I am so used to writing my own gcode that I don't normally use > > more than the arc calculator. I'm fairly familiar with loop and > > subroutine constructs, and have written 90 line programs that might > > take 3 days to run. The one time I looked at Mach, it would have > > taken me 3x as long to become "productive" using it. Of course for > > me, productivity isn't relative as 90% of what I do is one offs for > > my own use anyway. > > > > The outside parties making wizards aren't outsiders, but generally, > > members of this list and often authors of some of LinuxCNC itself. I > > only know of two other lists I am on where that is the case, most > > lists are users only and the lists seem to be an insulating wall > > between the authors and the users. Here we have some extremely > > talented people. And I thank them everytime I make some swarf. > > > > My $0.02. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Jon Elson [mailto:el...@pico-systems.com] > > > > Sent: October-07-17 8:01 PM > > > > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > > > > Subject: Re: [Emc-users] MachineKit on the BeagleBone Black > > > > > > > > On 10/07/2017 12:38 PM, John Dammeyer wrote: > > > > > Enter the MachineKit LinuxCNC port and in some ways I feel > > > > > like I've > > > > > > stepped > > > > > > > > back into the dark ages. Simple things like how do I see if a > > > > > limit > > > > > > switch > > > > > > > > is closing or not. > > > > > > > > Use Hal Configure, or HalMeter to just see one at a time. > > > > You can add these to the PyVCP virtual control panel while > > > > setting up. > > > > > > > > > There doesn't seem to be a screen with hardware > > > > > interface. Etc. > > > > > I can see in the .ini file where I can set max override but > > > > > not max jog speed. I'd like to be able to output max step > > > > > rate and verify that everything else is working. > > > > > > > > The maximum speed is in the [TRAJ] section of the .ini file, > > > > MAX_LINEAR_VELOCITY > > > > The jog speed slider cannot be set above that. > > > > > > > > > So is MachineKit just an interesting exercise for the College > > > > > or > > > > > > University > > > > > > > > level? To show CNC can be done with a 1GHz 32 bit ARM? That > > > > > the real solution is LinuxCNC on a 1GHz PC (or faster) with an > > > > > external > > > > > > controller > > > > > > > > that can be set up with the Stepping Configuration program? > > > > > > > > Machinekit is almost identical at the user's level to > > > > LinuxCNC. That includes what you can see in > > > > HAL. The GUI is a bit sluggish on the ARM CPU, but it is > > > > tolerable. You do have a wider selection of > > > > motion hardware interfaces on a PC. The PRU stepping scheme > > > > on the Beagle Bone is nearly as good as > > > > external hardware step generators. > > > > > > > > Jon > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > >---- ------ -- > > > > > > > Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most > > > > engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Emc-users mailing list > > > > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > >---- -------- Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the > > > world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! > > > http://sdm.link/slashdot > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Emc-users mailing list > > > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > > > Cheers, Gene Heskett > > -- > > "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: > > soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." > > -Ed Howdershelt (Author) > > Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >------ -- > > > Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most > > engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot > > _______________________________________________ > > Emc-users mailing list > > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >-------- Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's > most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users Cheers, Gene Heskett -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
