LinuxCNC for low level stepper motor control?

Thanks John, I feel confident that I can achieve my needs with LinuxCNC and a blob of G-Code, you've been a great help. I have additional questions, related but not exactly along the same lines, so I shall start new threads elsewhere and give you a break!

You might want to take a different approach. Instead of looking at this as an NC project look at it as an industrial automation project. One approach being to use the PLC functionality of Linux CNC. Another approach might be to write some Python or C code to drive the automation.
As an aside the PLC approach makes for easy programming and debugging of I/O.

Industrial automation does sound very much like what I'm trying to do. Though I'll take simplicity over features, are there any resources you might recommend to give me a basic idea of the PLC functionality? If I could write C code, that might be advantageous, how might LinuxCNC be made to accept C code?

Thanks Wizard.

I see John already responded with info on Classic Ladder which should be very helpful.

As to specific answers about LinuxCNC I can't answer any as I'm new to LinuxCNC myself. My experience though lies in industrial automation. I have a bit of experience with machines that implement what amounts to a CNC controller and a PLC, this on separate hardware. As such I can reccomend implementing functionality in a way that makes sense on the hardware/software you have. In this case I/O a sequential control on the PLC (ClassicLadder) closely linked to CNC code.

While it certainly can be done, I don't reccomend doing a lot of I/O control via NC code. Generally it is better to have that code running independently of the NC code. There are exceptions though, I once worked on a system that had two threads of NC code running. One to sequence hardware, a chuck loader, and another to drive the actual machining operations. These days though it appears that most manufacture prefer to run a PLC process along with the NC process. The idea being to use the best tool for the job. In your case it looks like the NC element is really simple relative to the larger control issue thus the suggestion to control the NC unit from out side of the NC interpreter.

As to getting your code to interface there is most likely multiple possible approaches. That will require going over documentation and some experimentation. However I would start off learning ClassicLadder first as a soft entry into LinuxCNC.
Smecky wrote:

Industrial automation does sound very much like what I'm trying to do. Though I'll take simplicity over features, are there any resources you might recommend to give me a basic idea of the PLC functionality? If I could write C code, that might be advantageous, how might LinuxCNC be made to accept C code?

Thanks Wizard.

That is good to hear! My position can best be approximated as a technician, though jack of all trades might be the common term. Right now we are swamped with work and thus I have little time to pursue some of my interests. I actually need to build a garage or move, setting up a shop in the basement is a bit tight.

The funny thing is I actually have a lot of CNC machinery in the plant almost none of which machine metal. We have CNC based plastic injection molders running FANUC controllers and a packaging machine with an embedded CNC controller. This is why the post originally jumped out at me, using a CNC controller in this way is not impossible or even unusual. It might however be a lot of work for a one off machine compared to a couple of indexing drives and a PLC.

BigJohnT wrote:

Hey Wizard,

I do the same thing by day industrial automation...

John

ClassicLadder will also run on embedded platforms (Arduino, etc.) which could be an alternative if you wish to eliminate the PC from the equation: sites.google.com/site/classicladder/