Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
29 Mar 2024 03:56 #297059
by pippin88
The LinuxCNC homepage makes no reference to hardware. Working out what hardware is actually usable is a major barrier to new users.
There is lots of fantastic work going on to increase and improve hardware options for LinuxCNC - but knowing about much of it requires being active on the forum and digging through long forums threads to work out.
Searching for LinuxCNC hardware: the top result is wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/wiki.p...C_Supported_Hardware
The official LinuxCNC docs (linuxcnc.org/docs/stable/html/user/user-intro.html) also link to this wiki page.
This is woefully outdated, like all of the wiki (are we still using the wiki? should we? It's mostly outdated)
There is no current maintained list of hardware usable for LinuxCNC
I propose (and am drafting) a list of hardware interfaces.
I suggest there should be a tab / link on the LinuxCNC homepage to help new users get started.
I have started a github repo for draft documentation.
github.com/pippin88/linuxcnc-hardware/tree/main
Thoughts?
Suggestions?
There is lots of fantastic work going on to increase and improve hardware options for LinuxCNC - but knowing about much of it requires being active on the forum and digging through long forums threads to work out.
Searching for LinuxCNC hardware: the top result is wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/wiki.p...C_Supported_Hardware
The official LinuxCNC docs (linuxcnc.org/docs/stable/html/user/user-intro.html) also link to this wiki page.
This is woefully outdated, like all of the wiki (are we still using the wiki? should we? It's mostly outdated)
There is no current maintained list of hardware usable for LinuxCNC
I propose (and am drafting) a list of hardware interfaces.
I suggest there should be a tab / link on the LinuxCNC homepage to help new users get started.
I have started a github repo for draft documentation.
github.com/pippin88/linuxcnc-hardware/tree/main
Thoughts?
Suggestions?
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29 Mar 2024 08:42 #297071
by Unlogic
Replied by Unlogic on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
Having just finished my first LinuxCNC build I really see your point here.
If the documentation gets included the main LinuxCNC codebase and updated with each release by us in the community then it should also stay somewhat up to date unlike a wiki page which is easy to forget about.
If the documentation gets included the main LinuxCNC codebase and updated with each release by us in the community then it should also stay somewhat up to date unlike a wiki page which is easy to forget about.
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29 Mar 2024 14:16 #297108
by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
forum.linuxcnc.org/18-computer/38838-har...ts-used-pc-s?start=0
forum.linuxcnc.org/18-computer/39371-res...ith-linuxcnc?start=0
There is quite a list there, from old used PC's to some new builds i did (one or two costing more than 1K$) and also somewhere there is a reason why a list can not be made, namely an Acer laptop that worked perfectly for machine control with no issues for weeks at a time, so i got another one, same model, same numbers, same look, same everything = it was useless, utterly useless. The processor was not the same stepping/family/model.
In general, Enterprise Edition PC's from Dell, HP, later Lenovo, and especially Fujitsu, work and chances of it working for LinuxCNC are as follows:
Fujitsu = never had one with bad latency, out of about 20
HP = about 1 in 15 might not have good latency, even then can be fixed just by removing the add on graphic card
Lenovo = 1 in 7 might be bad latency and not easily fixable, rarely have BIOS clock issues ... complicated
Dell = mixed bag, you can go through 20 and all will work then end with 10 that do not, always, always between generations (not processor generations)
The works/does not work above refers to LinuxCNC, not the actual PC, they all work and are very, very good hardware quality vise.
forum.linuxcnc.org/18-computer/39371-res...ith-linuxcnc?start=0
There is quite a list there, from old used PC's to some new builds i did (one or two costing more than 1K$) and also somewhere there is a reason why a list can not be made, namely an Acer laptop that worked perfectly for machine control with no issues for weeks at a time, so i got another one, same model, same numbers, same look, same everything = it was useless, utterly useless. The processor was not the same stepping/family/model.
In general, Enterprise Edition PC's from Dell, HP, later Lenovo, and especially Fujitsu, work and chances of it working for LinuxCNC are as follows:
Fujitsu = never had one with bad latency, out of about 20
HP = about 1 in 15 might not have good latency, even then can be fixed just by removing the add on graphic card
Lenovo = 1 in 7 might be bad latency and not easily fixable, rarely have BIOS clock issues ... complicated
Dell = mixed bag, you can go through 20 and all will work then end with 10 that do not, always, always between generations (not processor generations)
The works/does not work above refers to LinuxCNC, not the actual PC, they all work and are very, very good hardware quality vise.
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29 Mar 2024 19:47 #297136
by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
The point of the Wiki is that anyone can update it.
If you think it is out of date, then consider fixing it (it sounds like you are already collating the information)
At the bottom of the page is the edit link.
You might need to follow the "BAsic Steps" link above to see the edit link. And then you might need to know that our penguin is called Chips.
If you think it is out of date, then consider fixing it (it sounds like you are already collating the information)
At the bottom of the page is the edit link.
You might need to follow the "BAsic Steps" link above to see the edit link. And then you might need to know that our penguin is called Chips.
Attachments:
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29 Mar 2024 22:19 #297154
by pippin88
Replied by pippin88 on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
If the wiki is still considered in use, then happy to update it.
I thought the wiki had gone out of use, as only updates for many years on many pages was name change from EMC2 to LinuxCNC.
I still suggest that the LinuxCNC website homepage have some information on hardware.
A new user goes to check out this LinuxCNC thing they've heard about and all they get is a list of releases and some download instructions. No info on computer hardware or hardware interface to CNC machines.
I thought the wiki had gone out of use, as only updates for many years on many pages was name change from EMC2 to LinuxCNC.
I still suggest that the LinuxCNC website homepage have some information on hardware.
A new user goes to check out this LinuxCNC thing they've heard about and all they get is a list of releases and some download instructions. No info on computer hardware or hardware interface to CNC machines.
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29 Mar 2024 23:31 #297166
by pippin88
Replied by pippin88 on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
I've started updating the wiki.
Notes:
Admin password is all lowercase - does not work with a capital
Could not get editing to work in Firefox. It would accept login including admin password but no edit link on any page. Chrome works fine.
Notes:
Admin password is all lowercase - does not work with a capital
Could not get editing to work in Firefox. It would accept login including admin password but no edit link on any page. Chrome works fine.
The following user(s) said Thank You: tommylight, Unlogic
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30 Mar 2024 07:05 #297195
by HansU
Replied by HansU on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
The "Hardware Drivers" section gives a rough idea about the supported hardware. But I agree an overview page is still missing.
I could imagine a section Hardware Overview in General User Information.
It would be nice if you could write your doc page in Asciidoc and submit a Pull request on Github when you are done.
I could imagine a section Hardware Overview in General User Information.
It would be nice if you could write your doc page in Asciidoc and submit a Pull request on Github when you are done.
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30 Mar 2024 07:56 #297199
by pippin88
Replied by pippin88 on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
For the official docs I think we should add a new page, perhaps after system requirements.
Forked LinuxCNC to add the page I suggest
github.com/pippin88/linuxcnc/blob/master...he-linuxcnc-software
Thoughts?
First I think I'll give it a couple of weeks for people to provide feedback.
Editing the wiki is faster / less bother to other people than pull requests.
But ultimately official docs are a better thing I think
Forked LinuxCNC to add the page I suggest
github.com/pippin88/linuxcnc/blob/master...he-linuxcnc-software
Thoughts?
First I think I'll give it a couple of weeks for people to provide feedback.
Editing the wiki is faster / less bother to other people than pull requests.
But ultimately official docs are a better thing I think
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30 Mar 2024 12:12 #297206
by rodw
Replied by rodw on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
It really needs to be in the docs.
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30 Mar 2024 14:29 #297210
by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Improve documentation regarding hardware - list of hardware interfaces
Whatever happens it should be good to include this topic by MozMCK on improving latency, he did a great job of figuring out what should be changed and also made a script that fixes stuff automatically, seems to make a huge difference for almost any PC.
forum.linuxcnc.org/38-general-linuxcnc-q...irq-affinity?start=0
forum.linuxcnc.org/38-general-linuxcnc-q...irq-affinity?start=0
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