-----Original Message----- > From: Ron Ginger [mailto:rongin...@roadrunner.com] > > I would like to try to run PathPilot on my own mill. I now run Mach4, > but I would like to see how well PathPilot works. > > I see I can simply download a copy from the Tormach site. what > interface board do I need? > > What is Tormachs position on this? I know they have to release the code > because it is based on open source, but do they oppose its use? > > thanks > > ron ginger >
Hi Ron, Long time. Have you asked Tormach what kind of interface board they use? I doubt it's a parallel port. My guess is if you use open source LCNC for your system. Spend the time/money to create a custom user interface for it but don't want everyone using it you'd likely use a customized piece of hardware as the break out board. However, unlike MACH, the two important files in LCNC are the .INI and .HAL files. In the Tormach image those two will describe how they talk to the machine hardware. For example I use a MESA 7i92H and for a while had dual boot for WIN-XP and LCNC to a PMDX-126 break out board. It's Ethernet to the MESA which emulates two parallel ports onto the PMDX. Here's how I documented (for my own needs) the first parallel port with the DB-25 pins cross referenced to the MESA pins. Looking forward to what you find out. John Dammeyer # external I/O signals # IO Connections for P2 MESA 7i92_PMDX126Ax2D.pin (modified from pin file) # DBn.m_PMDX_Jn.m I/O Pri.func Sec. func Chan Pin func Pin Dir System usage # P1.1_J6.2 0 IOPort None (Out) machine-is-enabled (output) # P1.14_J6.3 1 IOPort PWM 0 PWM (Out) spindle-vel-cmd-rps PWM (output) # P1.2_J4.2 2 IOPort StepGen 0 Step/Table1 (Out) x axis step pulse (output) # P1.15_J12.9 3 IOPort None (In) max-x-y-min-z (input) # P1.3_J4.3 4 IOPort StepGen 0 Dir/Table2 (Out) x axis dir signal (output) # P1.16_J6.4 5 IOPort None (Out) spindle-ccw output (output) # P1.4_J3.2 6 IOPort StepGen 1 Step/Table1 (Out) y axis step pulse (output) # P1.17_J6.5 7 IOPort StepGen 4 Step/Table1 (Out) Charge Pump frequency (output) # P1.5_J3.3 8 IOPort StepGen 1 Dir/Table2 (Out) y axis dir signal (output) # P1.6_J2.2 9 IOPort StepGen 2 Step/Table1 (Out) z axis step pulse (output) # P1.7_J2.3 10 IOPort StepGen 2 Dir/Table2 (Out) z axis dir signal (output) # P1.8_J1.2 11 IOPort StepGen 3 Step/Table1 (Out) a axis step pulse (output) # P1.9_J1.2 12 IOPort StepGen 3 Dir/Table2 (Out) a axis dir signal (output) # P1.10_J13.4 13 IOPort None (In) estop-external-in (input) # P1.11_J12.3 14 IOPort QCount 0 Quad-A (In) min home-x (input) # P1.12_J12.5 15 IOPort QCount 0 Quad-B (In) min home-y (input) # P1.13_J12.7 16 IOPort QCount 0 Quad-IDX (in) max-home-z (input) _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
