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Stepconf development

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04 May 2020 21:25 #166680 by nicokid
Stepconf development was created by nicokid
Good morning forum,

two years ago I had made some improvements to the StepConf interface like the test of the existing parallel ports, the ability to manage presets for some machines (Stepcraft in my case), setting halui commands and something else that I don't remember :laugh:
Who is the maintainer of stepconf? Is there interest in developing this tool?

Nicola.
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04 May 2020 22:01 #166684 by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Stepconf development
I believe there is still interest as it still gets used.
Thank you.

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05 May 2020 04:45 #166732 by cmorley
Replied by cmorley on topic Stepconf development
What are you proposing to add?

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05 May 2020 07:00 #166744 by bbsr_5a
Replied by bbsr_5a on topic Stepconf development
there are hundreds of parport settings out and every new CN mashine sees diferent pins
but all are only 12/5 -->12out 5in
and so the basic Stepconf will give you a go
all othere is to do by hand

you can MIX the REF /end switches in 3³ ways
there is no need to get things like this done by a wizard as you only nee to change ONE line in HAL to get it your way

Things like VFD also are individual and shoudt not be based on wizard improvment as there are many POS/Neg and combinations of ON/ENA/FWD/REV errors out that need 2parport to get it working

The Wizard is proved many years workes on all systems
stepcraft goes its own way to get People sticked to there Parport -> serial controllers

IF you realy got in trouble open up a tread and thell the problem also INI and Halfile and someone will get it done

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05 May 2020 13:01 #166768 by cmorley
Replied by cmorley on topic Stepconf development
maybe you should let him answer before telling him he shouldn't do anything.
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05 May 2020 21:16 #166800 by nicokid
Replied by nicokid on topic Stepconf development
Hi Chris.
There are some things in Stepconf that I had edited at the time because I needed them.
  1. Add a general preset. It is true that there are many CNC machines on the market, but many also have the same machine.it is easier to start from a configuration of some kind than to start from no configuration.
  2. A script to find parallel ports. There are a lot of users having problems with this, just read the forum. This is my stupid script:
    def find_parport(self):
                # Try to find parallel port
                lparport=[]
                # open file.
                try:
                        in_file = open("/proc/ioports","r")
                except:
                        print "Unable to open /proc/ioports"
                        return([])

                try:
                        for line in in_file:
                                if "parport" in line:
                                        tmprow = line.strip()
                                        lrow = tmprow.split(":")
                                        address_range = lrow[0].strip()
                                        init_address = address_range.split("-")[0].strip()
                                        lparport.append("0x" + init_address)
                except:
                        print "Error find parport"
                        in_file.close()
                        return([])
                in_file.close()
                if lparport == []:
                        return([])
                return(lparport)
  3. Halui commands: ok this is already there :) A really annoying thing is that if you update the configuration files by hand then you can no longer use the graphical interface...
  4. A minimum of basic interface with gladeVCP as well as pyVCP, with the jog, the zero setting G54, etc.
  5. Added some extra functions, in my case a procedure for the touch for the zero of the Z axis and setting the position (x,y) of the touch sensor.
I think it would be useful to make life easier for new linuxcnc users, most people are not programmers... :lol:

Nicola.
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05 May 2020 22:23 #166807 by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Stepconf development

A script to find parallel ports. There are a lot of users having problems with this, just read the forum. This is my stupid script:

I would not call that "stupid" at all, nicely done, thank you.
It finds and also adds the found address where it belongs.

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06 May 2020 05:54 #166840 by cmorley
Replied by cmorley on topic Stepconf development
1) presets - there are presets for parport signals and for driver timing. Are you suggesting adding more?

2) sounds great

3) reading the old INI sounds interesting - it's a common problem.

4) There is qtvcp now too. we are in transition to python3 so you might want to wait.

5) need more details but in general one must be careful with adding too much - new users tend to apply everything that they see, and that can be a support issue. It's better to have a simple config that works then a fancy one that doesn't because the user missconfigured in the wizard.

Chris

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06 May 2020 22:24 #166893 by nicokid
Replied by nicokid on topic Stepconf development
Hi,
1) I think it would be useful to have presets for the axes too. For example:
{'name':'stepcraft840', 'human':_("Stepcraft 840"), 'index':STEPCRAFT840, 'units':MM,
		'pin1':ON, 'pin1inv':0,
		'pin2':XDIR, 'pin2inv':1,
		'pin3':XSTEP, 'pin3inv':0,
		'pin4':YDIR, 'pin4inv':1,
		'pin5':YSTEP, 'pin5inv':0,
		'pin6':ZDIR, 'pin6inv':0,
		'pin7':ZSTEP,'pin7inv':0,
		'pin8':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin8inv':0,
		'pin9':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin9inv':0,
		'pin14':DOUT2, 'pin14inv':0,
		'pin16':DOUT3, 'pin16inv':0,
		'pin17':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin17inv':0,
		'pin10':PROBE, 'pin10inv':0,
		'pin11':ESTOP_IN, 'pin11inv':1,
		'pin12':ALL_HOME, 'pin12inv':0,
		'pin13':UNUSED_INPUT, 'pin13inv':0,
		'pin15':UNUSED_INPUT, 'pin15inv':0,
		'xsteprev':400, 'xmicrostep':1, 'xpulleyden':1, 'xpulleynum':1, 'xleadscrew':3, 'xmaxvel':40, 'xmaxacc' :150,
		'xhomepos':590, 'xminlim':0, 'xmaxlim':590, 'xhomesw':592, 'xhomevel':3, 'xlatchdir':0,
		'ysteprev':400, 'ymicrostep':1, 'ypulleyden':1, 'ypulleynum':1, 'yleadscrew':3, 'ymaxvel':40, 'ymaxacc' :150,
		'yhomepos':0, 'yminlim':0, 'ymaxlim':832, 'yhomesw':-2, 'yhomevel':-3, 'ylatchdir':0,
		'zsteprev':400, 'zmicrostep':1, 'zpulleyden':1, 'zpulleynum':1, 'zleadscrew':3, 'zmaxvel':30, 'zmaxacc' :150,
		'zhomepos':122, 'zminlim':0, 'zmaxlim':122, 'zhomesw':124, 'zhomevel':3, 'zlatchdir':0,
		'probe_x_pos':558, 'probe_y_pos':6, 'probe_z_pos':80, 'probe_sensor_height':28.8,
		'steptime':1000, 'stepspace':1000, 'dirhold':20000, 'dirsetup':20000
	},
	{'name':'stepcraft840_HF', 'human':_("Stepcraft 840 + HF"), 'index':STEPCRAFT840_HF, 'units':MM,
		'pin1':ON, 'pin1inv':0,
		'pin2':XDIR, 'pin2inv':1,
		'pin3':XSTEP, 'pin3inv':0,
		'pin4':YDIR, 'pin4inv':1,
		'pin5':YSTEP, 'pin5inv':0,
		'pin6':ZDIR, 'pin6inv':0,
		'pin7':ZSTEP,'pin7inv':0,
		'pin8':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin8inv':0,
		'pin9':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin9inv':0,
		'pin14':DOUT2, 'pin14inv':0,
		'pin16':DOUT3, 'pin16inv':0,
		'pin17':PWM, 'pin17inv':0,
		'pin10':PROBE, 'pin10inv':0,
		'pin11':ESTOP_IN, 'pin11inv':1,
		'pin12':ALL_HOME, 'pin12inv':0,
		'pin13':UNUSED_INPUT, 'pin13inv':0,
		'pin15':UNUSED_INPUT, 'pin15inv':0,
		'xsteprev':400, 'xmicrostep':1, 'xpulleyden':1, 'xpulleynum':1, 'xleadscrew':3, 'xmaxvel':40, 'xmaxacc' :150,
		'xhomepos':590, 'xminlim':0, 'xmaxlim':590, 'xhomesw':592, 'xhomevel':3, 'xlatchdir':0,
		'ysteprev':400, 'ymicrostep':1, 'ypulleyden':1, 'ypulleynum':1, 'yleadscrew':3, 'ymaxvel':40, 'ymaxacc' :150,
		'yhomepos':0, 'yminlim':0, 'ymaxlim':832, 'yhomesw':-2, 'yhomevel':-3, 'ylatchdir':0,
		'zsteprev':400, 'zmicrostep':1, 'zpulleyden':1, 'zpulleynum':1, 'zleadscrew':3, 'zmaxvel':30, 'zmaxacc' :150,
		'zhomepos':122, 'zminlim':0, 'zmaxlim':122, 'zhomesw':124, 'zhomevel':3, 'zlatchdir':0,
		'probe_x_pos':571, 'probe_y_pos':6, 'probe_z_pos':80, 'probe_sensor_height':28.8,
		'steptime':1000, 'stepspace':1000, 'dirhold':20000, 'dirsetup':20000,
		'spindlecarrier':1500, 
		'spindlepwm1':0.18, 'spindlepwm2':1.0, 'spindlespeed1':3000, 'spindlespeed2':20000,
		'spindleatspeed':0, 'spindlecpr':1000, 'spindlefiltergain':0.010, 'spindlenearscale':150,
	},
	{'name':'stepcraft840_HF_TOOL_CHANGE', 'human':_("Stepcraft 840 + HF + Tool Change"), 'index':STEPCRAFT840_HF_TOOL_CHANGE, 'units':MM,
		'pin1':ON, 'pin1inv':0,
		'pin2':XDIR, 'pin2inv':1,
		'pin3':XSTEP, 'pin3inv':0,
		'pin4':YDIR, 'pin4inv':1,
		'pin5':YSTEP, 'pin5inv':0,
		'pin6':ZDIR, 'pin6inv':0,
		'pin7':ZSTEP,'pin7inv':0,
		'pin8':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin8inv':0,
		'pin9':UNUSED_OUTPUT, 'pin9inv':0,
		'pin14':TOOL_CHANGE, 'pin14inv':0,
		'pin16':DOUT3, 'pin16inv':0,
		'pin17':PWM, 'pin17inv':0,
		'pin10':PROBE, 'pin10inv':0,
		'pin11':ESTOP_IN, 'pin11inv':1,
		'pin12':ALL_HOME, 'pin12inv':0,
		'pin13':UNUSED_INPUT, 'pin13inv':0,
		'pin15':UNUSED_INPUT, 'pin15inv':0,
		'xsteprev':400, 'xmicrostep':1, 'xpulleyden':1, 'xpulleynum':1, 'xleadscrew':3, 'xmaxvel':40, 'xmaxacc' :150,
		'xhomepos':590, 'xminlim':0, 'xmaxlim':590, 'xhomesw':592, 'xhomevel':3, 'xlatchdir':0,
		'ysteprev':400, 'ymicrostep':1, 'ypulleyden':1, 'ypulleynum':1, 'yleadscrew':3, 'ymaxvel':40, 'ymaxacc' :150,
		'yhomepos':0, 'yminlim':0, 'ymaxlim':832, 'yhomesw':-2, 'yhomevel':-3, 'ylatchdir':0,
		'zsteprev':400, 'zmicrostep':1, 'zpulleyden':1, 'zpulleynum':1, 'zleadscrew':3, 'zmaxvel':30, 'zmaxacc' :150,
		'zhomepos':122, 'zminlim':0, 'zmaxlim':122, 'zhomesw':124, 'zhomevel':3, 'zlatchdir':0,
		'probe_x_pos':571, 'probe_y_pos':6, 'probe_z_pos':80, 'probe_sensor_height':28.8,
		'steptime':1000, 'stepspace':1000, 'dirhold':20000, 'dirsetup':20000,
		'spindlecarrier':1500, 
		'spindlepwm1':0.18, 'spindlepwm2':1.0, 'spindlespeed1':3000, 'spindlespeed2':20000,
		'spindleatspeed':0, 'spindlecpr':1000, 'spindlefiltergain':0.010, 'spindlenearscale':150,
	},
Or create an easily expandable XML file.

2) Ok.

3) Reading the contents of the ini file seems excessive to me. Before this, I simply thought I had the option to edit the INI file directly from stepconf, just like I do with HALUI command. You could add a page where you simply write text under the various sessions:

[EMC]
[DISPLAY]
[KINS]
[FILTER]
[TASK]
etc.


4) I have seen the transition to python3, I have been two years behind :laugh:
It seems to me that Stepconf is already ready. Please maintain compatibility with python3.5
Users need a few big buttons to press on their touch screens. Stepconf in this is very poor.

5) Uhmm, yes, in the case of the touch, just check that the user has added the PIN "Probe IN" and put conservative default values on the axes. I have destroyed several drill even without the stepconf functions :laugh:

Maybe we can start with point 2 (parport)? Who Writes the Code? :)

Nicola.

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08 May 2020 03:51 #167007 by cmorley
Replied by cmorley on topic Stepconf development
Aren't you going to write the code?

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  1. Configuring LinuxCNC
  3. StepConf Wizard
  5. Stepconf development
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