Running Koppi's Toy Bipod

Hello all,
I am messing around trying to get a bipod type plotter up and running and have got as far as connecting my motors and drivers and driving them with a configuration created with stepconf wizard.
Picture of my setup

I now want to impliment the bipod kinematics and use the two motors to move a pen as a plotter. i have copied the files from here
gist.github.com/koppi/1568212 and complied the kinematics file using sudo comp --install bipodkins.c

I then try to run the configuration bipod_mm from linux cnc and get the following error:

Print file information:
RUN_IN_PLACE=no
LINUXCNC_DIR=
LINUXCNC_BIN_DIR=/usr/bin
LINUXCNC_TCL_DIR=/usr/lib/tcltk/linuxcnc
LINUXCNC_SCRIPT_DIR=
LINUXCNC_RTLIB_DIR=/usr/realtime-2.6.32-122-rtai/modules/linuxcnc
LINUXCNC_CONFIG_DIR=
LINUXCNC_LANG_DIR=/usr/share/linuxcnc/tcl/msgs
INIVAR=inivar
HALCMD=halcmd
LINUXCNC_EMCSH=/usr/bin/wish8.5
LINUXCNC - 2.5.3
Machine configuration directory is '/home/jacob/linuxcnc/configs/Bipod'
Machine configuration file is 'bipod_mm.ini'
INIFILE=/home/jacob/linuxcnc/configs/Bipod/bipod_mm.ini
PARAMETER_FILE=stepper.var
TASK=milltask
HALUI=
DISPLAY=axis
Starting LinuxCNC...
Starting LinuxCNC server program: linuxcncsvr
Loading Real Time OS, RTAPI, and HAL_LIB modules
Starting LinuxCNC IO program: io
libnml/cms/cms_cfg.cc 622: cms_config: can't open 'emc.nml'. Error = 2 -- No such file or directory
libnml/nml/nml.cc 368: NML: cms_config returned -1.

**********************************************************
* Current Directory = /home/jacob/linuxcnc/configs/Bipod
*
**********************************************************
* BufferName = toolCmd
* ProcessName = tool
* Config File = emc.nml
* error_type = 0 (NML_NO_ERROR)
************************************************************

libnml/cms/cms_cfg.cc 622: cms_config: can't open 'emc.nml'. Error = 2 -- No such file or directory
libnml/nml/nml.cc 368: NML: cms_config returned -1.

**********************************************************
* BufferName = toolSts
* ProcessName = tool
* Config File = emc.nml
* error_type = 0 (NML_NO_ERROR)
************************************************************

libnml/cms/cms_cfg.cc 622: cms_config: can't open 'emc.nml'. Error = 2 -- No such file or directory

**********************************************************
* BufferName = emcError
* ProcessName = tool
* Config File = emc.nml
* error_type = 3 (NML_INVALID_CONFIGURATION)
************************************************************

Shutting down and cleaning up LinuxCNC...
Killing task linuxcncsvr, PID=4063
Removing HAL_LIB, RTAPI, and Real Time OS modules
Removing NML shared memory segments
Cleanup done

Debug file information:
Can not find -sec MOT -var MOT -num 1
Can not find -sec IO -var IO -num 1
Can not find -sec LINUXCNC -var NML_FILE -num 1
Can not find -sec DISPLAY -var INTRO_GRAPHIC -num 1
Can not find -sec DISPLAY -var INTRO_TIME -num 1
emcToolCmd buffer not available
toolSts buffer not available
emcError buffer not available
can't connect to NML buffers in emc.nml
<commandline>:0: io exited without becoming ready
bipod_stepper.hal:66: Unknown command 'connect'
4063
PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND
Stopping realtime threads
Unloading hal components
/usr/bin/linuxcnc: line 433: emc.nml: No such file or directory

Kernel message information:
[ 8264.026781] I-pipe: Domain RTAI registered.
[ 8264.026789] RTAI[hal]: <3.8.1> mounted over IPIPE-NOTHREADS 2.6-03.
[ 8264.026792] RTAI[hal]: compiled with gcc version 4.4.3 (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5) .
[ 8264.026796] RTAI[hal]: mounted (IPIPE-NOTHREADS, IMMEDIATE (INTERNAL IRQs DISPATCHED), ISOL_CPUS_MASK: 0).
[ 8264.026798] PIPELINE layers:
[ 8264.026801] fd3f1e20 9ac15d93 RTAI 200
[ 8264.026803] c085cb20 0 Linux 100
[ 8264.053936] RTAI[malloc]: global heap size = 2097152 bytes, <BSD>.
[ 8264.054245] RTAI[sched]: IMMEDIATE, MP, USER/KERNEL SPACE: <with RTAI OWN KTASKs>, kstacks pool size = 524288 bytes.
[ 8264.054250] RTAI[sched]: hard timer type/freq = APIC/12564304(Hz); default timing: periodic; linear timed lists.
[ 8264.054253] RTAI[sched]: Linux timer freq = 250 (Hz), TimeBase freq = 2211341000 hz.
[ 8264.054255] RTAI[sched]: timer setup = 999 ns, resched latency = 2943 ns.
[ 8264.054331] RTAI[usi]: enabled.
[ 8264.114719] RTAI[math]: loaded.
[ 8264.479898] RTAI[math]: unloaded.
[ 8264.522245] SCHED releases registered named ALIEN RTGLBH
[ 8264.536685] RTAI[malloc]: unloaded.
[ 8264.636024] RTAI[sched]: unloaded (forced hard/soft/hard transitions: traps 0, syscalls 0).
[ 8264.638799] I-pipe: Domain RTAI unregistered.
[ 8264.638807] RTAI[hal]: unmounted.

I am very new to linux cnc and cant make much sense out of the error log. Can anyone suggest a way forward?

I commented out this line in the ini
#NML_FILE = emc.nml
as per this upgrading from version 2.3-2.4 guide
guide and now get a different error

Print file information:
RUN_IN_PLACE=no
LINUXCNC_DIR=
LINUXCNC_BIN_DIR=/usr/bin
LINUXCNC_TCL_DIR=/usr/lib/tcltk/linuxcnc
LINUXCNC_SCRIPT_DIR=
LINUXCNC_RTLIB_DIR=/usr/realtime-2.6.32-122-rtai/modules/linuxcnc
LINUXCNC_CONFIG_DIR=
LINUXCNC_LANG_DIR=/usr/share/linuxcnc/tcl/msgs
INIVAR=inivar
HALCMD=halcmd
LINUXCNC_EMCSH=/usr/bin/wish8.5
LINUXCNC - 2.5.3
Machine configuration directory is '/home/jacob/linuxcnc/configs/Bipod'
Machine configuration file is 'bipod_mm.ini'
INIFILE=/home/jacob/linuxcnc/configs/Bipod/bipod_mm.ini
PARAMETER_FILE=stepper.var
TASK=milltask
HALUI=
DISPLAY=axis
Starting LinuxCNC...
Starting LinuxCNC server program: linuxcncsvr
Loading Real Time OS, RTAPI, and HAL_LIB modules
Starting LinuxCNC IO program: io
emc/iotask/ioControl.cc 752: can't load tool table.
Shutting down and cleaning up LinuxCNC...
Killing task linuxcncsvr, PID=4336
Removing HAL_LIB, RTAPI, and Real Time OS modules
Removing NML shared memory segments
Cleanup done

Debug file information:
Can not find -sec MOT -var MOT -num 1
Can not find -sec IO -var IO -num 1
Can not find -sec LINUXCNC -var NML_FILE -num 1
Can not find -sec EMC -var NML_FILE -num 1
Can not find -sec DISPLAY -var INTRO_GRAPHIC -num 1
Can not find -sec DISPLAY -var INTRO_TIME -num 1
bipod_stepper.hal:66: Unknown command 'connect'
4336
PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND
Stopping realtime threads
Unloading hal components

Kernel message information:
[10008.185986] I-pipe: Domain RTAI registered.
[10008.185993] RTAI[hal]: <3.8.1> mounted over IPIPE-NOTHREADS 2.6-03.
[10008.185995] RTAI[hal]: compiled with gcc version 4.4.3 (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5) .
[10008.186000] RTAI[hal]: mounted (IPIPE-NOTHREADS, IMMEDIATE (INTERNAL IRQs DISPATCHED), ISOL_CPUS_MASK: 0).
[10008.186002] PIPELINE layers:
[10008.186005] fc609e20 9ac15d93 RTAI 200
[10008.186007] c085cb20 0 Linux 100
[10008.207179] RTAI[malloc]: global heap size = 2097152 bytes, <BSD>.
[10008.207280] RTAI[sched]: IMMEDIATE, MP, USER/KERNEL SPACE: <with RTAI OWN KTASKs>, kstacks pool size = 524288 bytes.
[10008.207284] RTAI[sched]: hard timer type/freq = APIC/12564304(Hz); default timing: periodic; linear timed lists.
[10008.207288] RTAI[sched]: Linux timer freq = 250 (Hz), TimeBase freq = 2211341000 hz.
[10008.207290] RTAI[sched]: timer setup = 999 ns, resched latency = 2943 ns.
[10008.207357] RTAI[usi]: enabled.
[10008.269011] RTAI[math]: loaded.
[10008.625215] RTAI[math]: unloaded.
[10008.667106] SCHED releases registered named ALIEN RTGLBH
[10008.680715] RTAI[malloc]: unloaded.
[10008.780023] RTAI[sched]: unloaded (forced hard/soft/hard transitions: traps 0, syscalls 0).
[10008.782643] I-pipe: Domain RTAI unregistered.
[10008.782651] RTAI[hal]: unmounted.


I'm not sure which version of EMC the Koppi bipod was running under so am not sure if commenting the emc.nl line is needed

The errror is in the print out and it was present in the previous one too

bipod_stepper.hal:66: Unknown command 'connect'

It comes from this section of the hal file

connect enable signals for step generators
newsig Xen bit
linksp Xen <= axis.0.amp-enable-out
linksp Xen => stepgen.0.enable
newsig Yen bit
linksp Yen <= axis.1.amp-enable-out
linksp Yen => stepgen.1.enable
newsig Zen bit
linksp Zen <= axis.2.amp-enable-out
linksp Zen => stepgen.2.enable

There should be a # before the word connect, as it is a comment not a command

The whole hal file uses deprecated commands

newsig Xen bit
linksp Xen <= axis.0.amp-enable-out
linksp Xen => stepgen.0.enable

could be replaced with
net Xen axis.0.amp-enable-out => stepgen.0.enable

It doesn't matter for now, but at some point the old commands may stop working when halcmd is rewritten

regards

Thanks ArcEye. its running now and things are looking good. only problem is I can t seem to open G code files in axis using this configuration. when I hit the open file button, nothing happens. seems to only happen in this configuration as I can do file open in another config I made the stepconf wizard. Any idea how I can get the file open working within this config?

Got it - need to edit the ini file PROGRAM_PREFIX line to match my PC..

So far I have the system up and moving but am having what look like problems with the scaling.

I have wound nylon strings directly onto the 1/4" motor shafts. so the circumference = string wound in 200 steps
ie scale = 200/19.9491mm or 10.0255

so in the ini I set
INPUT_SCALE = 10.0255
for each axis

and the HAL says:
setp stepgen.0.position-scale [AXIS_0]INPUT_SCALE
for each axis

But when the motors move I'm not getting the correct distance unwound in joint mode - or correct distance in MDI control
Looks like all the motions are straight lines in MDI mode but just not scaled correctly.

Any idea what I'm missing??
p.s. how do you jog in world mode in axis?

Hi

So for 100mm commanded movement, what movement do you get?

If it is less, is it always exactly consistant, ie. can you be 100% sure that the nylon is not just slipping on the shaft?

regards

For a 100mm jog the motors are winding only about 16mm of line... So the scale seems to be out by something like a factor of 6.25. when I compensate for this by upping my scale (INPUT_SCALE*6.25) I get what looks better but jogs of the axis 100mm still only produce about 85mm of travel.
Picture of setup

the nylon is connected to the motors and cant slip on the shafts, would be nice if it was that simple. Of course there probably is some simple reason and I just cant see it!

After a bit of trial and error I found that the INPUT_SCALE needs to be set to something like 75 to get the correct output motion. Can't see how this number could pop out though.. I don't like running like this all bodged together, any ideas guys?

Sorry I can't see the picture, just get a page with the file name displayed.

I have had this problem before with Google hosted stuff.
They seem to want you to create an account, download a viewing app etc just so you can view a picture
I have as little to do with google as possible outside of searches, they are the next microsoft, with ambitions of global saturation and domination.

Can you just post the picture direct?

regards