LinuxCNC-RIO - RealtimeIO for LinuxCNC based on FPGA (ICE40 / ECP5)

meister wrote:

i knew you were working on something modular but you exceeded all my expectations, respect !

WOW !!!!!

image missing /media/kunena/emoticons/w00t.png

Thanks! It really did turn out to be more complicated than I first imagined (the more I thought about using the colorlight modules the less I liked the idea, so in the end I just decided to go for FPGA onboard).

I'm also not fully certain if the non-opto-isolated encoder and stepdir modules will be a good idea- at least the motor drives I'm using all have opto-isolated stepdir inputs, and the PC side is isolated via Ethernet- so should be good enough for my uses.

Time will also tell if 12 bits per module is enough or too limiting. Probably the only use case I can see is something that needs a lot of IOs wired directly- the shift-register based module should be enough for general purpose CNC use (buttons, endstops, relays etc).

It all makes a very solid impression on me.
I also find optos on the step/dir outputs excessive, I don't know of any drivers without built-in optos.
The advantage of your board is also the modular design,
so you can easily replace a part if it doesn't suit someone.

I find the 12bit per module more than sufficient, I had already experimented with modular boards and 8bit + enable were actually sufficient for me. The whole thing was actually mostly limited by the number of connectors I could place per module.
 

I have an old cnc4pc board with the RJ45 connectors, in all honesty I found them a bit of a PITA. The plugin screw terminals are great. Tho the ones that Mesa uses are really expensive, but unlike the more common ones, which you cant put side by side and have the plug part "straddle" the socket part or use 4x2 way plugs in a 8 socket, the Mesa ones can.

I'm really sold on bootlace ferrules & screw terminals.
I had a think my self about a modular design for my hardware, even had a run of boards made, but then thought going with a Parallel Port compatible setup would make a change over from a Parallel Port s\w stepgen system easier. Tho I'm still running with an EPP interface.

meister wrote:

Hi Russell,
good idea, thank you very much,
I would prefer riocore
it is no longer worth doing new things with the old version
Cheers.
Olli

So where is the thread?
 

forum.linuxcnc.org/9-installing-linuxcnc...-scratch-for-dummies

i build some debian packages for riocore (debian 11 + 12):

multixmedia.org/debian-packages/

if someone like to test it without having to deal with git and so on,
but you need always the right toolchain for your board.

the easiest to install is yosys/next-pnr for the lattice FPGA's: