Ditching Mach 3/4 LinuxCNC is The Plan!

Once the restore disk is ordered I guess it takes a week or so to be shipped. Not to high on their priority list unless you provide a machine serial. To bad they do not have a pay then download burn or make a boot able usb. The PC I will run it on my son at one time had a few versions of Linux on it in the past. Will install 2.7.0 this week and go from there. (Unless I can find/obtain an ISO of PathPilot) On another form users report the install hangs at the flash screen unless a mesa card is installed to be flashed.

Cannot order the disk till monday of next week so will find out about 2 weeks later.

For now will get the PC out of the attic and install LCNC 2.7.0 see if i can get it to go while waiting.

By the time it arrives i may just spring for the Mesa combo depends on funds available.

i'm expecting the cd any day , i'll let you know on findings , and any mods needed

Drug the clunker gateway 510xl pc box out of the attic tonight! PC is 2004 vintage I hope the PC is Compatible With LCNC not to old.

I believe it only has 1 LPT port so may be limited.

I am 3rd shift type of person so when I get up this afternoon and do my errands I will see if it still boots.

In setting up LCNC I should be using my pin outs from mach correct. (Going form memory and poor notes)

Motors
P1 Pin 2 Step X M1
P1 Pin 3 Dir X M1
P1 Pin 6 Step Z M2
P1 Pin 7 Dir Z M2

Cannot remember if I used pins 4 & 5 for Z axis (Ny notes are poor) I will have to verify when I get out to the garage and look at my config but simple to swap if needed.

Limit Switches (I think I can Combine my + and - inputs to free up an input if needed.)
P1 Pin 11 M2 Z+
P1 Pin 12 M2 Z-
P1 Pin 13 M1 X-
P2 Pin 11 M1 X+

Spindle Control.
P1 Pin 14 Spindle Rev (Active Low)
P1 Pin 15 Spindle Index From Encoder
P1 Pin 16 Spindle Fwd

How is Quadrature handled LPT or Serial? Mach did not support Quadrature for the spindle so it was never hooked up. Do I Just Assign A & B to available Inputs? Will 2000ppr be to fast? The Hitachi VFD has Modbus I herd of people using it to control the spindle but never really got in to it as Mach did not support non china Huanyang VFD in Modbus via a plugin.

Charge Pump (Min. Frequency: 200 Hz minimum square wave)
P1 Pin 17 Charge Pump

The ports below I can switch if needed to Port 1.

Port 2 Pin 1 Coolant ON
Port 2 Pin 14 Relay for Aux 110V

After reading more about Mesa Combo and seeing the limited inputs on the PMDX. I do plan on doing a mesa combo in the near future for sure. Once i get it going i will off the pmdx and ess to recoup the costs.

I really do want to play! These Machines are an addiction like Flying!

What else to do when you have a sloppy compound slide and awaiting a ridged tool post mount.

I am Not a pro at cad at all I am still learning but hope to make this mount as soon as I can get the drawing correct. By then I should have LCNC set up and hopefully PathPilot and a mesa combo!




Thanks Again LCNC Group!

I am currently trying to get my PMDX126 working in Extended I/IO mode to give me 8 inputs and more outputs. Steve Stallings of PMDX gave me a hal file that decodes the signals on pins 11,12,13 &15 and splits them into 8 inputs. Haven't got it to work yet due to my limited knowledge of hal and its connections but am hopeful of one day getting it working. If I do I will post the info.

Operating in expanded mode would be cool. Can you post the HAL.

Got the PC booted, Had to re-flash my Samsung SA-350 Monitor ran the live disk seems like it runs! Will try and install it on the hard disk before i get to involved. Off to the surplus junk store to see if they have a DB25 cable and possibly a 2nd LPT card.

Well bummer.. when trying to install on hard drive from DVD drive!

First Error:
Apt configuration problem. An attempt to configure apt to install additional packages from the CD failed

Second Error:
The 'grub-pc' package failed to install into /target/ Without the GRUB boot loader, the installed system will not boot.

Will wait for the kid to get home he is versed in linux.

Solved, If you have 2 DVD Drives Use DVD Drive #1 Not DVD Drive #2 to do the install.