Just an addendum. Likely Peter at MESA can create a different 7i92 file that
fills the need for the Chinese BoB. Here's a comment that is inside my Pi4
MESA hal file.
Note I identify the .pin file for the MESA.
Note too that there is no secondary function on pin 1 which is configured as an
output for the machine enable signal.
No beginner is going to want to start cutting traces to redirect one of the PWM
output modules to the first DB25-1. So to truly make the 7i92H compatible with
the Chinese BoB it needs a different .pin file. But there's no point if we
can't first create a Tormach Pi4 LCNC image file.
# external I/O signals
# IO Connections for P2 MESA 7i92_C11Gx2D.pin (from file)
# Pin# I/O Pri. func Sec. func Chan Pin func Pin Dir
# 1 0 IOPort None
machine-is-enabled (output)
John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dave engvall [mailto:dengv...@charter.net]
> Sent: January-26-23 10:09 AM
> To: emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net
> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Running PathPilot on non-Tormach Machines
>
> Different strokes for different people.
> Tormach supplies a niche market and is surviving. :-)
> I went the other way and bought a machine with a dead control at
> auction. Trucked it in, shoved it thru the door of my shop and then
> spent the next year getting it running, New servo amps, servo-to-go
> card,� encoders on the ballscrew, etc. Not for someone that wants a
> turnkey op. Resale is not good; e.g. Mazak converted at Galesburg went
> out the door for way under 1K$ and that had the tool change working, new
> driver cards, and I think new amps. Labor of love or a challenge but
> certainly not a business opportunity!
>
> I must admit the subject prompted a lot of traffic.
>
> Dave
> On 1/26/23 8:45 AM, ken.stra...@sympatico.ca wrote:
> > Nor do I! That is why I sent a pile of cash to Tormach instead of trying to
> > roll my own. It just works and allows me to make chips without worrying
> > about editing files or applying updates that break things or... Others
> > obviously favour different choices!
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Stuart Stevenson <stus...@gmail.com>
> > Sent: January 26, 2023 11:38 AM
> > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) <emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
> > Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Running PathPilot on non-Tormach Machines
> >
> > "Define a set of hardware that works and make their own distribution with
> > only one user interface. It doesn't surprise me that nobody wants to do
> > this thankless task."
> >
> > Perhaps thankless but Tormach has built a presumably profitable business by
> > doing exactly that.
> >
> > And then packaging and selling the hardware to match.
> > An added dimension many (me included) do not want to tackle.
> >
> > Overall, I am very impressed (and satisfied) with the capability and
> > progress.
> >
> > thanks
> > Stuart
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Jan 26, 2023 at 9:33 AM <ken.stra...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> >
> >> "Define a set of hardware that works and make their own distribution
> >> with only one user interface. It doesn't surprise me that nobody
> >> wants to do this thankless task."
> >>
> >> Perhaps thankless but Tormach has built a presumably profitable
> >> business by doing exactly that.
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Eric Keller <keller...@gmail.com>
> >> Sent: January 26, 2023 10:01 AM
> >> To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC)
> >> <emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
> >> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Running PathPilot on non-Tormach Machines
> >>
> >> On Thu, Jan 26, 2023 at 8:24 AM <ken.stra...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> >>
> >>> To me this is the minimum level of magic required to make a
> >>> commercially viable product. The vast majority of potential users
> >>> are uncomfortable (or don't want to bother) with manually modifying
> >>> configuration files. Of course the power of LinuxCNC is due to the
> >>> possibility of configuring things for all sorts of hardware. Without
> >>> magic the flexibility means that it will never be mainstream.
> >> Nobody wants to give up the flexibility though. The problem that lcnc
> >> has is aptly summarized in this thread where someone gave up because
> >> they wanted to use an Rpi4 and ethercat. That's fine, and there are
> >> plenty of people that have ethercat running with lcnc, maybe even on a
> >> Rpi4. But both the
> >> Rpi4 and ethercat require a bit of messing around, I think, and
> >> neither are really mainline lcnc. Getting a 3 axis running on a Mesa
> >> board on a PC with decent latency (another sticking point,
> >> unfortunately) is trivial. Someone mentioned 4 axis. The problem
> >> with that is that everyone has their own 4th axis. This is also the
> >> problem with lcnc in general. I would say more than 90% of the
> >> problems I see with people having trouble setting up lcnc is they have
> >> a totally nonstandard install that wouldn't work with any other
> >> software either. So they can't get it to work with lcnc, buy
> >> something standard, and go install Mach. And then badmouth lcnc any
> >> time the subject comes up.
> >>
> >> The people that want to make lcnc more popular could do something
> >> about it, I think. Define a set of hardware that works and make their
> >> own distribution with only one user interface. It doesn't surprise me
> >> that nobody wants to do this thankless task.
> >> Eric Keller
> >> Boalsburg, Pennsylvania
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
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