Rotary Axis setup in LInux Axis

I am looking for information on setting up the 4th axis which would be for a rotary axis on a Probotix Meteor.
This system is using all 4 axis's due to the fact that it has 2 steppers for the Y axis, but on the Linux Screen it of course shows the X,Y and Z.
I am also using Vcarve to create the Gcode for the file,
Here are my questions:
1. What Post processor in Vcarve should be used?
2. What changed to the INI file need to be added
3. What additional changes to Linus CNC need to be made
4. Does anyone have any screen shots, videos of what the screens should look like with the design opened?
Thanks

Hi

You are going to have to show us what your current setup is.
I am just assuming that you have an A axis which shadows the Y axis and is the second Y stepper
(zip your whole config folder and attach it)

1. What Post processor in Vcarve should be used?

There are none listed in the wiki, will all depend what VCarve outputs, as to whether one of the others can be simply used or altered to fit the bill
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Cam_Post

Crucially you need to know what VCarve will output for the rotary axis
Can you select which axis it uses? Or will it only output moves for the A axis, meaning you will have to use the B axis as your second Y axis, or convert all gcode to swap the axis letters

2. What changed to the INI file need to be added
3. What additional changes to Linus CNC need to be made

The extra axis needs to be added with appropriate settings, the hal file too needs the stepgen, parport connections etc for that axis added

Have a look at the stepper-gantry config, which I assume your current config is based upon.
Then look at the stepper-xyza config which shows the setup where a A axis is added to a mill type XYZ config
Yours will need to be a meld of the two basically

There is no stepconf option for this, you will need to alter by hand, so you need to become familiar with what is in your current config and what other configs which have your desired features, have that is different

If using an installed system, /usr/share/doc/linuxcnc/examples/sample-configs is where to start looking

regards

I will upload later today, but after e-mailing Vectric, they are telling me that they do not make a wrap around type post processor.

there has got to be a way that this will work?

take a look here
www.222artisans.com/Rotary/RotaryYaxis.html

are you looking at turning , or engraving on the wrapped surface ?

use your google fu

It does not matter what Ventric produce, there are lots out there, including for Mach 3 and Fanuc, which won't be a million miles out
www.cnczone.com/forums/post_processors/

It all depends what VCarve outputs, if it is basically RS274 gcode that should not be a problem, but AFAIK it is a windoze only program and I certainly have never used it.

If you are looking for something that will produce code without your having to learn anything about gcode, that is more problematic

wrapped surfaces CNC basher

Arc Eye,

you are saying give the Mach 3 file a try? one question it saves in txt format, do you just change the extension to .nc?

you can either change the post processor file to output with .nc or you could just rename the gcode file , or even add .txt to your linuxcnc ini file
the vetric post processor files are simple txt files and can be edited to suit your requirements . the 3 axis ones in the wiki here are slightly modified to suit more closely linuxcnc
Mach3 or fanuc postprocessors are as close as you will get to linuxcnc , depending mostly on codes used , but again this can be edited or modified to suit if any particular gcodes you need , and are not covered

just make sure that any gcode files produced are with linux line endings and not Dos line endings as this would give you problems later on

cnc basher,

bear with me I am a newbie, do I did try the Mach 3 file and changed the extension, when opening it would not work, I am assuming that it is because of the DOS endings instead of the Linux types.

do you have Vcarve to show an example?

Arc eye,

I have uploaded the files you requested of the linux setup I am currently using