A Teensy -> Python Interface Manualmatic MPG/pendant

fletch wrote:

I have uploaded the schematic used by the code base and a small Arduino sketch to test the wiring is as expected: github.com/Stutchbury/Manualmatic-Pendan...main/Hardware/wiring

 

Awesome! I just got the teensy reading the encoder, sending via serial and Pathpilot reading the stream and stepping X/Y. Was gonna put a button on it to switch axis's then saw you uploaded a schematic! Thank you.

Scott...

Making a bit more progress. Your library is helping a lot!



Scott...

That's really good to hear. I've uploaded the knobs stl for the prototype cradle. Cleaning & documenting the code now
How did you get the YT video to embed?

THERE'S CODE!!

Saturday Night's alright for fighting, but it's also quite a good night for quietly releasing code...

I've uploaded the Arduino sketch here and the actual component here on github. All the required libraries are available via the Arduino Library Manager. You will need Teensyduino installed to compile & upload.

This is a 'mock' linuxcnc interface so the pendant can be run attached to a PC that does not have LinuxCNC installed. Used primarily for UI dev. To run, from a command line in the mock directory: $ ./mock_cnc_machine.py mock.ini and it'll wake the pendant up.

I will add some documentation in the next few days but to add to LinuxCNC:

• Copy both Manualmatic.py (the class def) and manualmatic (the component) to your config directory (I know I said it would be only one file but keeping the class separate from the component allows me to mock it)
• Add the following line to custom.hal (replace gmoccapy.ini with your ini file name):
  loadusr -W ./manualmatic gmoccapy.ini
• Start LinuxCNC, preferably from the command line (to see any errors).
• That's it!

The first time it runs, there will be a delay "Waiting for component 'manualmatic' to become ready" but it will connect eventually. After that it will always connect immediately. This might just be my Pi's USB...

EStop reset your machine - you can then turn it on with the 'On/Off' button on the pendant. Unfortunately you still have to home the machine on the main UI because I haven't worked out how to do that yet...

Once homed, you will have almost complete manual and auto control (all except loading the file) from the pendant. I haven't even looked at MDI.

I would really appreciate feedback - on both the C++ and Python (neither are my first language) and on my understanding of how LinuxCNC works (I only started late last year)... Please be gentle.

Can I do the happy dance now?

To link the youtube video, I just copied the URL and pasted it into the inline message. Nothing special...

I'm working on the attached model. I am doing it in fusion 360. Pretty close to done. The buttons will be here tomorrow. I'm leveraging a bunch of work that was done by the guy in this video on the pathpilot side, so all I have to do is the hardware side and pathpilot is picking it up nicely. The thumbstick is an amazing addition!



Scott...

That's an interesting pendant I hadn't found - is it tightly coupled to PathPilot? I can't find any source other than the shop front to buy a complete one.

In early messing around I did look at the  thumb slide from Sparkfun or this xbox one to sit between the two rotary encoders. I may revisit - it seemed like a good idea but doesn't appear to be implemented on 'regular' pendants.
 

fletch wrote:

That's an interesting pendant I hadn't found - is it tightly coupled to PathPilot? I can't find any source other than the shop front to buy a complete one.

In early messing around I did look at the  thumb slide from Sparkfun or this xbox one to sit between the two rotary encoders. I may revisit - it seemed like a good idea but doesn't appear to be implemented on 'regular' pendants.
 

Yes and no. The process he uses to communicate with the pendant is exactly the same as you have done. He sends a serial packet with a command and data that is read in a python script and sent to Pathpilot (linuxcnc). But after that he is tightly coupled with pathpilot. All of his server side code is imbedded into Tormach provide python scripts. 

Scott...

Thanks - do you have a link to the code? I'm always interested in how other people have done it! The beauty of Open Source, eh?

In principal, it would only be a (my) server side Python class that would need to be customised to use with PathPilot? It's not the principal objective, but I'd like to think the manualmatic is at least slightly agnostic...

fletch wrote:

Thanks - do you have a link to the code? I'm always interested in how other people have done it! The beauty of Open Source, eh?

In principal, it would only be a (my) server side Python class that would need to be customised to use with PathPilot? It's not the principal objective, but I'd like to think the manualmatic is at least slightly agnostic...

This is his patches link from his home page. Pretty difficult to install without first having pathpilot installed. The install first looks for pathpilot, then does a diff against the files to build the current version.

Scott...

Now the initial code release is done, I've added a quick/temporary bezel STL file to github - I kept catching the display ribbon cable... github.com/Stutchbury/Manualmatic-Pendant