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Re: EMC API?
From ginger@... Tue Jun 15 22:45:25 1999CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO-owner@... Delivered-To: mailing list CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@... The interface to EMC typically used by a gui is defined by the C++ header file src/emcnml/emc.hh. and by the documentation for NML in (C++ version) and (Java Version). NML provides the API for sending/recieving any message and the emc.hh file defines the particular messages that EMC uses. There is a CodeGenerator that automatically converts emc.hh from C++ to Java which is typically run by the Makefile in src/java/emc/nml. For example to send a jog message in Java: import rcs.*; import rcs.nml.*; import emc.nml.*; . . . // Setup the NML channel nml_emc nml_emc_object = new nml_emc(); NMLConnection NCCommandChannel = new NMLConnection(nml_emc_object, "emcCommand","emcJavaGui", "emc.nml"); // Create and send a message to start jogging the X axis. EMC_AXIS_JOG jog_msg = new EMC_AXIS_JOG(); jog_msg.axis = 0; // X jog_msg.vel = 1.0; // units per second (units specified with EMC_STAT.motion.axis[axis].units ) NCCommandChannel.write(jog_msg); The classes EMC_AXIS_JOG and nml_emc are automatically generated from emc.hh, and are are imported with "import emc.nml.*" the class NMLConnection is part of the RCS libary and imported with "import rcs.nml.*" As far as I know there is no Tk interface and I would have no idea how to create one, since I am not a Tk programmer. The classes in emc.hh at least have good names that are mostly self-explanatory, but sometimes it can be unclear what the units a variable uses are or which mode you need to be in to use a particular command. We need better documentation and we have made several attempts in the past to do this but I am not sure if any of those documents are current. -- Will |
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Re: ball screws Backlash
With all this talk about Thomson, I thought I'd put in my $0.02. From my
limited experience, they make fine stuff - the Thomson tables, bearings and supported shafts I have seem to be top quality. However, when I e-mailed them about the new ballscrews, the sales-type insisted upon a phone number before they would send specs and pricing. I hate telemarketing, and told them that was why I didn't give out my number, whereupon they got a bit snooty. After this experience, I'll be dealing with _anyone but_ Thomson for my CNC needs. YMMV -Geoff |
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Re: EMC
Dan Falck
Unfortunately, I have been really busy the last couple of weeks. This last
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weekend, I loaded the June 8 th version and got it running, but haven't cut parts on it yet. I've been making a lot of parts on my othe mill for stuff at work that's been keeping me busy. Dan At 09:18 PM 6/15/99 -0600, you wrote:
From: "Tim Goldstein" <timg@...> |
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Re: starting from scratch
OK, let the adventures begin!
Apparently there are a lot of people just reading "lurkers" on this list with as little background and knowledge of EMC, Linux, and CNC as myself. Maybe all the help I have received, and hope to continue receiving, will get more people involved! I'm am going to be going through a complete conversion and set up of a cnc mill and Linux on a new computer. So to start with the basics My first purchase is going to be the Linux OS. The version they have at Barnes and Noble is 5.2 is this the version I'm looking for? Have seen talk on the list about 6.0 and haven't seen it anywhere, not to mention it sounds like there are some unresolved problems for the EMC application. Thanx to Don, Ted, Matt, and everyone else that has been so patient and helpful thus far. Tracey DeChambeau Tadguninc@... |
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Re: TCL/TK GUI and EMC API
Matt Shaver
From: David L Anderson <daveland@...> own use. I sent it out serveral months ago to Fred Proctor and some others interface, I could try to get it to function. I am currently trying to getI was wondering if you got around to uploading this as I'd love to see it! From: Ron Ginger <ginger@...>Ron, meet Dave. Dave, Ron. Now that you two have been properly introduced perhaps you'd like to work together on this ;) While I'm asking for free software previews I though I'd ask if you could let me look at your MillPower clone as well. I sympathize with both of your concerns about the state of the EMC documentation. I'll ask Fred Proctor next time I speak with him if there's a good explanation of how to implement an EMC gui and communicate with the motion control and I/O tasks. Also, in the very near future I'll try to make a start on an EMC user's manual with this and other useful data in it. We'll need better docs if the EMC is ever going to achieve its potential popularity. Matt Shaver mshaver@... |
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Re: Problems with linux 2.2.10 + beta5 + emc-14-Jun-1999 - anyone ?
Matt Shaver
From: Max Heise <mahe@...>Actually, no. As several other folks have said, you'll need to use the 2.2.36 kernel with rtlinux-0.9J. Are you using RedHat 6.0 or perhaps S.U.S.E. ? If Redhat 6.0, I don't know if you will be able to just drop in the 2.0.36 kernel, or whether you need to regress to RedHat 5.2. If S.U.S.E. (or any other distribution other than RedHat) you are truly an EMC pioneer! An other thing for the FAQ:I just got IP Masquerading working on my Linux machine, and this was my first exposure to ipfwadm (Since I'm running RedHat 5.2 I don't think I have ipchains). Although I think that most machine tool controllers will be behind the firewall, rather than being the firewall, it's probably important to chase down this problem in order to at least understand what's going on. Fred Proctor reads this list and he is also the rtlinux/shared memory guru. See: If anyone needs the exact error message, send me an email.Don't go to a lot of trouble, but I'd like to try mixing firewalling and the EMC on my machine, just to see if I can duplicate your problem under RH5.2. If possible, let me know what you did and what happened and I'll try it out here. Thanks, Matt Shaver mshaver@... |
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Re: EMC API?
mike grady
ron
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I think you need to explain to most of these guys what your millpower clone is/does I wondered how long it would be before it got ported to linux mike Ron Ginger wrote: From: Ron Ginger <ginger@...> |
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Re: MaxNC modifications
Jon Elson
Jon Anderson wrote:
From: Jon Anderson <janders@...>Wow! this really DOES sound like a software problem. I really don't believe this is the motor losing steps due to drag, electrical noise, etc. It may be due to some characteristic of the control software, under just the right sequence of G-code comands, produces step pulses too fast for the motor to follow. But, that bit about fixing the axis offsets blind, and being dead on after repeating the sequence 50 times, is just to consistant to be anything other than software (one way or another). Jon (increasingly happier that I went with servos) |
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Re: MaxNC modifications
Jon Elson
Tim Goldstein wrote:
From: "Tim Goldstein" <timg@...>Depending on the stepper drivers, the problem could be electrical noise. If the stepper drivers take step pulses and a direction signal (and most work that way), then stray electrical noise could cause extra step pulses to be seen at the driver, even when the computer didn't generate them. You could turn various motors on and off near the CNC setup while not commanding any motion from the CNC control. If anything moves, even a couple of steps, that's your problem. Grounding and shielding of the cables between the parallel port and the stepper driver would be the first thing to try. Jon |
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Re: Installing rotary encoders
Jon Elson
From: TADGUNINC@...Yes! But, who can afford these? There are a number of innacuracies introduced by using ballscrews and encoders. but, you should be aware that linear scales are not a panacea! If the ways are worn such that the axes are not orthogonal, or that an axis doesn't travel straight, then the linear scales won't provide accuracy, either. If not I'll be installing encoders on my mill, if so can the programs youThe computer should not be able to tell the difference. Finally, does anybody have info about how well the BOBCAD program works? AndIt does not run on the Linux machine. they do have a DOS emulator, but I hear news that the Windows emulator may be up and running. But, anyway, I use Bobcad/CAM Ver 16.1 on a Windows 95 machine, and then send the files over by network to the Linux CNC machine. I really haven't set Bobcad up to have all the beginning and end functions I should have there, but it definitely does work. I have cut several parts using Bobcad designs run through the G-code generator of the CAM function. I find Bobcad cumbersome, and the added things I have to do to specify roughing passes and finish offsets to be pretty difficult. But, if the geometry is complicated, it definitely does the job! Jon |
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Re: EMC API?
Jon Elson
Ron Ginger wrote:
From: Ron Ginger <ginger@...>See : for a picture of the screen. (This is from a month or two ago, they've been improving it still.) can soeone give me a pointer to the right docs?Umm, there is some documentation in the full installation package, but not much on the UI itself. If you have specific questions, I'd be glad to answer them, as I use it, and have done some serious poking around inside the UI before Fred got it working so well. What seems to be really missing to me is a sort of overview doc thatYup, and it is out of date, too (unless it's been updated recently, which may be the case). There really is kind of an overview in there somewhere, that shows the flow of messages between major components, and what, in general, those components do. But, there could be more detail added. Jon |
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Re: Problems with linux 2.2.10 + beta5 + emc-14-Jun-1999 - anyone ?
Jon Elson
Max Heise wrote:
From: Max Heise <mahe@...>I believe the kernel that Fred and everyone else is using is 2.0.36. I'm pretty sure Fred said that he KNEW emc would not work with a 2.2.x kernel, or specifically, Red Hat 6.0. I don't know the reason for this, but it likely has to do with include files or something like that. Jon |
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Re: re vacuum forming
Ted
rtr@...
Brian Robbins builds clear aircraft canopies for his Bright Star Millenium and the Swift foot launched sailplanes by radiant and convection heating as have been suggested on the list. He often uses a small sandwitch oven if the part is small enough. He uses a bigger oven when the part blank needs to be bigger. I hope to build him a radient heat source when time permits. The little sandwich oven has a window so he can see when the blank is sagging enough to conform to the mold properly. When his shop vacuum didn't produce enough vacuum he put another centrifical vacuum in series with it to get enough. This vacuum was provided by Ron Wickersham, but almost any vacuum will work. His vacuum forming machine for small parts consists of a five gallon plastic bucket with the four inch shop vacuum line taped to its side. The form is undrilled for air flow, but it is fastened to a piece of plywood which has holes surrounding it, and in depressions in the mold if such are necessary. These holes port to the 5 gallon bucket. He doesn't find it necessary to provide a sealant along the lip of the plastic bucket. It seals adaquately to the plywood board which holds the form. Ted---------- From: MIADsgns@...these are vacuum formed over plaster casts of peoples' feet - sounds like youwant something that ends up with a flawlessly clear finish - with my equipment (home made), my plastic (or carbon graphite & plastic) ends up with anopaque finish that is fine for orthotics, but would likely be lacking for your well with thin plastic and uses a shop vac. but I need more succion toform with heavier plastic and finer detail. Any clues as to how to modify such? discussion of shop built systems in the above catagories. To Unsubscribe: |
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Re: programs to write G-code
Tim Goldstein
Pretty slick Jon.
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I for one an pretty impressed with your talents. machinist, programmer, electronic designer. You put us mere mortals to shame. Thanks for sharing your hard work. Tim [Denver, CO] -----Original Message----- |
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Re: re vac forming
Tim Goldstein
I have done some composite wing vacuum bagging and used one of the old
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commercial freon tanks as a vacuum reservoir and it held 24" hg no problem. I now use a section of 4" PVC pipe with endcaps for my vacuum tank and I have tested it to 24" hg with no problems. Tim [Denver, CO] -----Original Message----- |
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Re: re vac forming
Tim Goldstein
Sort of funny you mentioned Lindsay Publication. I just got their catalog
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yesterday and have been looking through it to see what books I want to get on my first order. Tim [Denver, CO] -----Original Message----- |
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Re: MaxNC modifications
Tim Goldstein
By the controller I mean the electronics that take the step and direction
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signals and actually drive the motors. OK, a few more questions. Don't know if I have an answers, but questions seem in order! Is the motor rated 5 amp as a unipolar or bipolar? Did I ask what the voltage rating of the motor is? I think your desire for 60 ipm may be a little much. 30 ipm may be a more realistic number to shoot for. The Sherline I had with 125 in/oz motors pooped out at about 35 ipm and 30 was pretty reliable. The Shoptask I have now with 550 in/oz motors and ballscrews (rolled, not ground :( can achieve about 33 ipm, but is rock solid reliable with 24 ipm as a max. Tim [Denver, CO] -----Original Message----- |
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Re: ball screws Backlash
Jon Elson
TADGUNINC@... wrote:
But about your lead screws, how do I contact Thompson?Their phone # is (517) 776-4123 I'm sure they have a web site, but I don't have the URL. As far as theThat is how an anti-backlash ballnut works. It really preloads two nuts against the same screw, that's easier. Jon |
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