Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
04 Jan 2024 14:11 #289779
by JT
Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming was created by JT
After looking at some 7i97T and some daughter card issues it came to me like a vision across the sky the other day that what the tool needed was to be less rigid and much more flexible with outputs and joints. So what I have started (which will break the tool for a few days) is to allow the user to have multiple daughter cards and to skip drives as they see fit. For example say you have a 7i76 and step/dir 1 is burned out you can skip it now in the tool! You can have axes anywhere you want.
This is the start of the main.hal file showing the board then the axes and the joint and output they use.
I think this has been a long time coming and it the biggest improvement I've ever done.
Please comment on what you see.
JT
This is the start of the main.hal file showing the board then the axes and the joint and output they use.
# Board: 5i25
# Board: 7i76
# Axis: A Joint: 0 Output: 0
# Axis: B Joint: 1 Output: 2
# Axis: C Joint: 2 Output: 3
# Board: 7i77
# Axis: X Joint: 3 Output: 0
# Axis: Y Joint: 4 Output: 4
# Axis: Z Joint: 5 Output: 5I think this has been a long time coming and it the biggest improvement I've ever done.
Please comment on what you see.
JT
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04 Jan 2024 15:29 #289788
by JT
Replied by JT on topic Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
In order to not break the tool in the mean time if you want to test/see the changes you have to run it from the command line like this:
./mesact tPlease Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
05 Jan 2024 08:55 #289840
by rodw
Replied by rodw on topic Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
Ever since 2.8 was released with the new joints vs hard coded axes, it has been crying out for the configurators, (yours, stepconf, pncconf) to use joint numbers in the configs! Great idea!
The OCDC side of me has sometimes seen me edit configs to do this. That way, the only line that alocates the axes is
COORDINATES = XYZ
in the ini file so if you want to do it XZY you can!
It is especially nice with ethercat configs where the slaves are numbered from 0 and up. These configs need to be built manually and it makes complex stuff nice and clean to follow ( make sure my motor drives are located on the ethercat before any I/O modules.
Ref: github.com/rodw-au/linuxcnc-cia402/blob/main/cia402.hal
The OCDC side of me has sometimes seen me edit configs to do this. That way, the only line that alocates the axes is
COORDINATES = XYZ
in the ini file so if you want to do it XZY you can!
It is especially nice with ethercat configs where the slaves are numbered from 0 and up. These configs need to be built manually and it makes complex stuff nice and clean to follow ( make sure my motor drives are located on the ethercat before any I/O modules.
Ref: github.com/rodw-au/linuxcnc-cia402/blob/main/cia402.hal
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05 Jan 2024 11:31 #289851
by JT
Replied by JT on topic Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
In the Mesa CT you could always define the axes as you wish from the start with no predefined template. You can just have a machine with just a C axis or you could have an XYYYXX machine. It's always been free form with the Mesa Configuration Tool.
What I'm working on now is to have up do two daughter cards and you can use what ever stepgen/analog you wish for any axis.
To illustrate the following configuration can be built with the improved Mesa CT
The only thing that must be in order is the joints the rest are free form as you need them.
JT
What I'm working on now is to have up do two daughter cards and you can use what ever stepgen/analog you wish for any axis.
To illustrate the following configuration can be built with the improved Mesa CT
# Board: 5i25
# Board: 7i76
# Axis: Z Joint: 0 Output: 0
# Axis: Y Joint: 1 Output: 2
# Axis: Y Joint: 2 Output: 3
# Axis: Y Joint: 3 Output: 4
# Board: 7i77
# Axis: X Joint: 4 Output: 1
# Axis: A Joint: 5 Output: 3The only thing that must be in order is the joints the rest are free form as you need them.
JT
The following user(s) said Thank You: besriworld
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06 Jan 2024 05:02 #289925
by rodw
Replied by rodw on topic Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
Sounds much nicer. Sadly once you go over to the ethercat darkside you have to manually write your hal files wich takes me back to when there was no support in pncconf for the 7i76e (So I have mostly done my configs by hand anyway.
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08 Jan 2024 13:56 #290210
by JT
Replied by JT on topic Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
Mesa CT 2.1.0 has been released with the improved hal and many more improvements.
JT
JT
The following user(s) said Thank You: besriworld
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08 Jan 2024 14:45 #290218
by JT
Replied by JT on topic Mesa CT Huge Improvements Coming
Some of the features of Mesa CT
* Small 800 x 600 size for small monitors.
* Create any type of configuration using any outputs
* Fully editable ini file by the user, when loaded and saved custom sections and key value pairs and comments are not lost.
* Firmware Flash, Reload, Verify Mesa cards
* Read the config on the card as well as other card operations
* Search for an Ethernet Mesa card using the common addresses that Mesa uses
* Information about all the cards as well as the manuals for the cards, some
cards have additional information.
* Add MDI commands to the ini file
* Add a Smart Serial card and configure the I/O
* Add customs HAL commands
* Change Motion, Debug, Thread Period Options, Digital and Analog I/O count
* Add a VCP Panel
* Add and configure the Classicladder PLC options
* Get Motherboard, CPU, and NIC information about the PC
* Test the Thread Period
* Check the configuration for errors at any time during the creation
* Load a configuration at startup
* Create a backup of the entire configuration directory with a date and time stamp
* Board layout image of all the daughter boards as well as the selected board
* Wiring diagram for the Smart Serial connection
* HAL function assistant to help create custom HAL code
* Create additional HAL files
* Add a README file
JT
* Small 800 x 600 size for small monitors.
* Create any type of configuration using any outputs
* Fully editable ini file by the user, when loaded and saved custom sections and key value pairs and comments are not lost.
* Firmware Flash, Reload, Verify Mesa cards
* Read the config on the card as well as other card operations
* Search for an Ethernet Mesa card using the common addresses that Mesa uses
* Information about all the cards as well as the manuals for the cards, some
cards have additional information.
* Add MDI commands to the ini file
* Add a Smart Serial card and configure the I/O
* Add customs HAL commands
* Change Motion, Debug, Thread Period Options, Digital and Analog I/O count
* Add a VCP Panel
* Add and configure the Classicladder PLC options
* Get Motherboard, CPU, and NIC information about the PC
* Test the Thread Period
* Check the configuration for errors at any time during the creation
* Load a configuration at startup
* Create a backup of the entire configuration directory with a date and time stamp
* Board layout image of all the daughter boards as well as the selected board
* Wiring diagram for the Smart Serial connection
* HAL function assistant to help create custom HAL code
* Create additional HAL files
* Add a README file
JT
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