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Commercial software

"Jon Pritchard" <[email protected]
 

To Matt and List: I'm new here....guilty as charged!
My experience with Bestsoft has been the same as what you have shown
from others. I kind of made the assumption that I was the only person
Mr Bestsoft didn't want to deal with...usually the lack of interest in
support becomes obvious AFTER one purchases something. Thank you
very much for taking the time to pull together those posts.

Guess its time to start learning Linux and EMC...

Two questions regarding the above (apologies in advance if they're
silly questions!)

1. Can a machine control "soft" PLC be incorporated with EMC to run
other machine control such as auto toolchangers etc? Or does EMC have
this built in?
2. Is it possible to put together some of the pretty screens for
talking to EMC sort of like one sees on commercial CNC? Whats the
programming language that would typically be used to do this?

Thanks,
Jon Pritchard



-
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 1999 01:23:56 -0400
From: "Matt Shaver" <mshaver@...>
Subject: Re: Commercial software

From: "Jon Pritchard" <jpritchard@...>

I've been looking for "cheap end" software that I can
retrofit<SNIP>

So, uh, you're new here right?

I tripped over a website with a good looking software package:

I've been trying to get ahold of someone at Bestsoft for several
days,
both leaving messages and email. A couple emails over the past
several
months have gone unanswered. Is this outfit for real? Is this
indicative
of the level of service customers can expect? Did they go fishing
and
forget to change the message on their machine?
-----
I think you should send Bestsoft some e-mail and request a brochure.
Let us
know how you make out!

Matt Shaver
mshaver@...



Re: EMC & Linux

Tim Goldstein
 

If you are running steppers on the build date 08-jun-1999 you now have to
configure a parameter called CYCLE_TIME. I was a little confused on this
setting so I called Fred today and again took the time to set me straight.

To make it easier to figure out a value to use as a starting point I have
put a web page at that will give
you the appropriate value for CYCLE_TIME and MAX_VELOCITY if you have EMC
configured to use inches based upon the steps per inch and the maximum speed
your machine is capable of in inches per minute.


Tim
[Denver, CO]


Re: camtronics driver

Tim Goldstein
 

Dan,

Is the case you are using an off the shelf unit or do you make it? I hunted
all over and the only enclosure I could find that was at least that big was
designed to mount in a 19" rack unit and cost around $120. I ended up making
my own case out of masonite with a particle board base.


Tim
[Denver, CO]

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Mauch [mailto:dmauch@...]
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 1999 6:46 AM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] camtronics driver


From: "Dan Mauch" <dmauch@...>

On my 5 amp controller I place everything in a 12X10X6 case . The fan was
mounted on the outside of the case and the transformers are located inside
the case. The transformers are on one side of the case and the drivers are
on the other. No problems with noise.
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: Al Schoepp <aschoepp@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@... <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...>
Date: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 6:11 PM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] camtronics driver


From: Al Schoepp <aschoepp@...>

Just curious, I'm in the process of constructing on of Dan's 5A stepper
drivers and was wondering if it's ok to put the transformer/power supply
components in the same enclosure. I'm new to all of this stuff and was
wondering if the AC current in the enclosure would end up creating a lot
of noise that would affect the stepper driver operation.

Thanks,
Al

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Re: cases.

 

In a message dated 6/10/99 9:41:11 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
timg@... writes:


Is the case you are using an off the shelf unit or do you make it? I hunted
all over and the only enclosure I could find that was at least that big was
designed to mount in a 19" rack unit and cost around $120. I ended up
making
my own case out of masonite with a particle board base.

Tim, check in the surplus electronics stores, and also used computer stores.
I found an old case for an Iomega Disc Drive the big obsolete ones for 3
dollars that was just the right size. Also had a cooling fan, had to put an
aluminum plate on for the front panel.
bill
list manager


Re: unsubscribe

Russell Dunn <[email protected]
 

George,

You cannot unsubscribe from this list in this manner.
You need to go to sign in, select Member's center
from the left hand column and then follow the prompts.

Kind regards,
Russell Dunn
Perth,
Western Australia

----------
From: GeorgeMU@...[SMTP:GeorgeMU@...]
Sent: Thursday, 10 June 1999 22:46
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] unsubscribe

From: GeorgeMU@...

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Installing Linux?

Buchanan, James (Jim)
 

List:

I am still lurking around. I got a copy of Redhat 6.0 form the there
web page. Now I am trying to figure out what to do next. I skimed the
documentation direcroty but may have missed the section of how to set up
a system. I would assume that the file system is different than DOS so
I can't copy the files in DOS format and expect linux to read them.
True?? In dos you Fdisk and then Format. What do you do in Linux? Can
you dual boot between DOS and Linux?


--
James Buchanan
Lexington, Kentucky (The Blue Grass State) USA
Two Truck Climax Locomotive Operator & Builder


Stepper controllers

"Ian W. Wright" <[email protected]
 

Hi,

Having just started to play with my home-brew stepper controllers on a
Pentium machine and realised that the 486 I was trying to use is just
not man enough for the job, it has occurred to me that, rather than
risking just one output card as on the 486, I am now putting my whole
motherboard at risk of destruction by feedback spikes. Even though the
motors are protected by diodes I was wondering if I should try to fit
opto isolators on the input lines to the controller cards. In looking at
published circuits, I couldn't find one which uses opto isolators
(although I did see one which seemed to use them only on the limit
switch inputs for some inexplicable reason ) so, is it usual to use
optos, is it necessary and do you know of available designs which do use
them? Thanks,

Best wishes

Ian

--

Ian W. Wright LBHI
Sheffield Branch Chairman of the British Horological Institute.
Bandmaster and Euphonium player of the Hathersage Brass Band. UK.
See our homepage at:- or
or


'Music is the filling of regular time intervals with harmonious
oscillations.'


Re: Stepper controllers

 

Ian,
I do not use opto-isolators on my controller boards. I DO use
blocking diodes between the driver IC and the stepper motor coils. I use 35V
max at 1.5A. This may not be "powerful" enough to bypass the diodes to
destroy a motherboard. I have never had a problem....
Dave


Re: How do I know if I want Linux

Blue Knight
 

Hi Jon,
Thanks for the info..
I don't think I want to go that route.
I'm just looking for a way to Pgm. the machine on the computer and u/l the
code to the lathe.
I don't want to spend the alot of money for the CAM packages that are out
there.

L8r
Blue Knight "Machinist Due It With Precision"
AKA Joseph P. Mucenski
Tucson, AZ
josephm@... <mailto:josephm@...>

clip....
Unless you have documentation on the computer and its communication
protocol, it might be difficult (unless it is G-code).

To use EMC, you would have to remove the internal computer, and replace
with either a stepper driver or servo amps, as appropriate for your motors.
Possibly you could re-use the stepper drivers or servo amps that are in
the machine.


Re: How do I know if I want Linux

Blue Knight
 

Hi Guy,
Thanks for the response and the info..
Yes, please send me links to the software to "spoon feed" the machine.
I'd like to be able to Pgm. on the computer and then u/l to machine.


L8r
Blue Knight "Machinist Due It With Precision"
AKA Joseph P. Mucenski
Tucson, AZ
josephm@... <mailto:josephm@...>


clip....
There is PC communications software out there that can spoon feed files to
your controller from a PC and
even CAD-CAM design software with serial output. If you need links to any
of these let me know.


Linux and Windows on one Intel PC

Ray Henry
 

Hi

I'm a newbie here thanks to Fred Proctor's post on the EMC list.

I've got Linux and the EMC sim running on a cyrix 300. I can dual boot to
win95 using LILO. Somewhere down the road I plan to add a network. For
machines I'm interested in lathes and have a couple old mills.

I see some stuff listed here about needing both Linux for machine control
and Win for cad/cam. The recent printed issue (June 7, 1999) of info world
had a review of VMware. In that article, "VMware runs windows under
Linux," the author reported on this software which allows windows to run as
a terminal under Linux. Using this program you can switch back and forth
between OS's without reboot. And if windows gives you the death message,
it just wastes that terminal not all of them.

From the article, it sounds like you will need to get a working copy of
Linux running and then use VM to load a copy of the Microsoft Windows of
your choice. Windows will run slower for some apps but you might consider
VM if you need both systems on the same machine. The mag said $99 with a
special for a few more days. I'm not affiliated with VM.

Ray Henry

---------------------
Infoworld - (article isn't there yet)

VMware -

Infoworld article Author - kevin_railsback@...
---------------------


Re: camtronics driver

Dan Mauch
 

On my 5 amp controller I place everything in a 12X10X6 case . The fan was
mounted on the outside of the case and the transformers are located inside
the case. The transformers are on one side of the case and the drivers are
on the other. No problems with noise.
Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: Al Schoepp <aschoepp@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@... <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...>
Date: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 6:11 PM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] camtronics driver


From: Al Schoepp <aschoepp@...>

Just curious, I'm in the process of constructing on of Dan's 5A stepper
drivers and was wondering if it's ok to put the transformer/power supply
components in the same enclosure. I'm new to all of this stuff and was
wondering if the AC current in the enclosure would end up creating a lot
of noise that would affect the stepper driver operation.

Thanks,
Al

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Discuss your thoughts; get informed at ONElist. See our homepage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
welcome to CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@..., an unmodulated list for the
discussion of shop built systems in the above catagories.


Re: Shoptask threading indicator

Dan Mauch
 

Thanks. I do some specilized work for Shoptask now and then. The electronics
threading indicator waas built to shoptasks's specifications.

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Lenoir <Joel.Lenoir@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@... <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...>
Date: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Shoptask threading indicator


From: "Joel Lenoir" <Joel.Lenoir@...>


----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Mauch
The shoptask electronic threading indicator uses a reflective sensor and
indicates the relative spindle posistion.
I recently bought this upgrade for my machine. Noticed the Camtronics name
on the printed circuit board.

Nice job, Dan

JOEL LENOIR



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unsubscribe

 

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Re: Programming question

Jon Elson
 

William Scalione wrote:

I have a 3 axis stepper controller from eggert electronics and I am
<snip>

If I need to move X axis 10000 steps and Y axis 7256 steps I get
7256/10000 = .7256
or Y axis needs to move .7256 times the speed of the X axis, but that
number can't be sent to the controller so I will have a rounding error
on all moves that don't come out even. One axis will finish before the
other axis.

Any suggestions (besides throw the controller in the trash)
Sorry, but integer stuff just doesn't work for multi-axis coordinated
motion.

I can always use it as a drill controller since any moves on the X and Y
axis will be with the tool up and it will not matter if the axis' do not
arrive at the same time.
Yup, that is about all you can get this indexer to do. It is NOT a
CNC controller.

Jon


Re: Shoptask threading indicator

Tim Goldstein
 

I will preface this comment with the disclaimer that I an no electronics
wiz, but I have built 10 of 15 different kits in my life and I will say that
the board in my Camtronics kit was the nicest one I have ever worked with.
All thru plated holes and everything was very clean. And, Dan is an all
around nice guy to deal with.


Tim
[Denver, CO]

-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Lenoir [mailto:Joel.Lenoir@...]
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 1:50 PM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Shoptask threading indicator


From: "Joel Lenoir" <Joel.Lenoir@...>


----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Mauch
The shoptask electronic threading indicator uses a reflective sensor and
indicates the relative spindle posistion.
I recently bought this upgrade for my machine. Noticed the
Camtronics name
on the printed circuit board.

Nice job, Dan

JOEL LENOIR



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Re: EMC

Tim Goldstein
 

Fred,

Thanks for looking after us stepper guys!!

I haven't had a chance to play with the 08-jun-99 build much tonight, but it
installed with no problems and trying to find the correct setting for the
new CYCLE_TIME is quite a time consuming task as you load up EMC, try some
rapid moves, close EMC, edit the .ini file and repeat. Any way to put the
settings in the configuration menu that is in Xemc so you can just try
different settings without restarting EMC?

I found that if you have the MAX_VELOCITY set high and the CYCLE_TIME set
low I would get repeatedly get an axis follow error. The odd thing was if I
was at Z0.00 and did a G0 Z-3.00 I never got the error. From that position I
did a Z0 and I would always get the error message at the exact same point if
I started from the same position. Change the start position and the error
would occur at a different point, but always the same for each start
position and always when traveling from a negative Z value to Zero. I did
thing to try a negative to a smaller value negative so I don't know what
happens then.

Is there any way to calculate what a particular CYCLE_TIME entry will allow
as a maximum steps per second? It is looking like my machine is happiest
around .00052 - .00055 for a CYCLE_TIME, but I am not sure where to set the
MAX_VELOCITY to match the rates.



Tim
[Denver, CO]

-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Proctor [mailto:proctor@...]
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 2:44 PM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@...; emc@...
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] EMC


From: Fred Proctor <proctor@...>

EMC Users/Victims,

Thanks to all of you who have posted replies to the CAD/CAM mail list to
questions that I should have answered. I was suffering email paralysis
and couldn't summon the will to attack my inbox.

For those of you on the emc@... mailing list (see
for subscribing), you should
note that the CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@... mail list has become the place
for EMC experience sharing. Apparently nobody on this list sleeps. I'll
post any EMC stuff to both lists in the future.

As Tim Goldstein noted, I put a new release of the EMC code on the FTP
site. It's at:

ftp://ftp.isd.cme.nist.gov/pub/emc/emcsoft/linux_2_0_36

with files:

emc-08-Jun-1999.tgz (tar file of new release)
emc-08-Jun-1999.txt (copy of RELEASE_NOTES)
emc-08-Jun-1999.log (result of install script, for comparison)

If you install this and notice problems, LET ME KNOW ASAP. I've tested
this on my stepper motor test stand on a desktop PC and a laptop, and it
worked, but we'll see.

I've appended a description of the fixes at the end of this message.
Basically they have to do with setting the default and max feed rates,
honoring them when they're set, and setting the stepper pulse rate.

Going through the mail list, I notice a couple of hot items that I'll be
working on in the next few weeks. These are:

1. An EMC User's Guide. Installing Linux and RT-Linux is a pain, and so
is installing and configuring the EMC, so this guide is intended to
cover how to get and set up an EMC PC. I will work with Matt Shaver to
get a draft that I will post to the FTP site, and if anyone feels like
commenting (or contributing) let me know.

2. A part program verifier. There is actually one of these already, in
emc/plat/linux_20_36/bin, called "rs274ngc". Tom Kramer here at NIST who
wrote the interpreter uses this. I'll clean it up and make it easier to
use. I just ran it, and got:

me> cd emc
me> plat/linux_2_0_36/bin/rs274ngc
name of tool file => tool.tbl
name of setup file =>
1 N0 USE_LENGTH_UNITS(CANON_UNITS_INCHES)
2 N0 SET_ORIGIN_OFFSETS(0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000)
3 N0 SET_FEED_REFERENCE(CANON_XYZ)
4 N0 SET_ORIGIN_OFFSETS(0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000)
5 N0 SET_FEED_REFERENCE(CANON_XYZ)
6 N0 SET_ORIGIN_OFFSETS(0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000)
7 N0 SET_FEED_REFERENCE(CANON_XYZ)
8 N0 SELECT_PLANE(CANON_PLANE_XY)
Cannot open tool.tbl

so you see it needs some work. I'll ask Tom how to use it.

Regarding the incredible pickiness of the interpreter with regard to
cutter compensation corner radii, circular move start and end radii,
etc., I'll ask Tom how we can set this up to not die horribly when you
are half an angstrom off.

3. Contouring, so you can run that 2 MB racecar part program that comes
with MasterCAM. I had a grad student from the Netherlands work on this
and we've cut a bunch of wax cars. I don't know if any of you have tried
running dense G code programs but it doesn't work well in the current
release.

The fixes in the new EMC release I mentioned earlier (thanks to Tim
Goldstein, to whom this list was originally directed) include:

1. The INI file parameter [TRAJ] DEFAULT_VELOCITY is used to set the
initial value for the jog speed in the xemc GUI. Note that the units on
this in the INI file are in units per SECOND. We decided to keep all
time units to seconds in the INI file. If you have set your units to
inches (e.g., [TRAJ] LINEAR_UNITS = 0.03937...), then setting [TRAJ]
DEFAULT_VELOCITY to 0.5 will yield an initial value of 30 IPM.

2. The INI file parameter [TRAJ] MAX_VELOCITY is used to set the rapid
(G0) rate, and as an upper limit for the jog speed in xemc. The units
are the same as in (1) above. More importantly, the motion system will
clip all velocities to this max limit, even if the feed rate override is
above 100% (e.g., INI file parameter [DISPLAY] MAX_FEED_OVERRIDE = 1.5,
for 150%). So, if your stepper system can't run faster than 45 IPM, for
example, you can set the INI file value to 0.75 and you should never be
able to run faster than this, even with 150% feed rate override. Note
that this will make feed rate overrides above 100% appear not to
function for rapid moves or programmed moves at close to the rapid rate.

3. The stepper motor pulse rate used to be set via a compile-time
parameter set to 400 microseconds maximum pulse period, which is 2.5
kilohertz. Now, the INI file parameter for [AXIS_0,1,...] CYCLE_TIME is
used. There is a single stepper motor pulse task, so it's run at the
rate for the fastest axis (smallest CYCLE_TIME). I make all the
CYCLE_TIMEs the same. Note that making the CYCLE_TIMEs shorter yields a
faster maximum pulse rate, and a faster achievable maximum velocity.
Making it too fast may cause the steppers to malfunction, or may consume
too much compute time and starve out the other tasks. You should set
this rate to be the maximum your motors can take. Apparently the 2.5
kilohertz default was too fast for you, which was causing motor
malfunction and the need for the MAX_VELOCITY described in (2) above.

Because of the way the stepper motor task works, you can get following
errors with stepper motors. This happens when the commanded motor speeds
exceed the maximum pulse rate. This can be seen easily by setting [TRAJ]
MAX_VELOCITY to something high, and jogging an axis at the max speed.
You will notice when you let up on the jog key that the motor keeps
going. It's because the commanded position has outpaced the stepper's
ability to keep up.

I recommend setting the [AXIS_0,1...] CYCLE_TIME to be less than the max
the stepper can take, and then setting [TRAJ] MAX_VELOCITY to be the
corresponding inches per second. You need to figure out the max pulse
rate by trial and error, unless it's documented.

--Fred

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Re: I know I want Linux!

David L Anderson
 

Sorry got the address wrong !!!

Bob
I mentioned the Redhat distribution or boxed set. It is sold by redhat
software and is available from


dave


Re: How do I know if I want Linux

Jon Elson
 

Blue Knight wrote:

From: "Blue Knight" <josephm@...>

Hi All,
Does anyone know if Linux/EMC can be used to run an Emco Maier Compact 5 CNC
Lathe.
It has one RS232 (serial) port on it.
From what I understand this port can be used to load code from a computer
and also save to a computer.
The machine has a computer built into it. Entries are input via a numeric
keypad.
Unless you have documentation on the computer and its communication
protocol, it might be difficult (unless it is G-code).

To use EMC, you would have to remove the internal computer, and replace
with either a stepper driver or servo amps, as appropriate for your motors.
Possibly you could re-use the stepper drivers or servo amps that are in
the machine.

Jon


Re: Welcome to [email protected]

Jon Elson
 

John Craddock wrote:

From: John Craddock <johncrad@...>

Hello All,
Fred Proctor from NIST mentioned this list as discussing, amongst other
things, the EMC experiences. Is there a list archive where I can read
past mail? If so how do I access that archive?
Use the web address for onelist, and you will find the archives somewhere
in the menus.

Jon