Amish machinist needs help

It looks to me like he needs nothing more than a text editor. I can't imagine that little box doing much more than that. (besides the rs-232 and maybe DNC capibilitys)

That is a most interesting device, learn something new everyday. Getting on in age I can see why he wants something better or more specifically a bigger screen.

It has been over a month have you found a resolution to this problem? There are options to consider such as the discussed Linux but the bigger problem I see is finding an app that will successfully download the code to the controllers. Some are more difficult when it comes to serial interfacing than others.

As for editing code which apparently is all this unit can do, any good text editor under just about any OS can be used. Text editing isn't the problem in my mind it is the reliable transfer to the CNC controller that is. Most of the "terminal emulators" for communications over a serial port leave a lot to be desired under Linux. Of course there is always Python and a bit of script writing to correct that.

brex wrote:

The device he is using is made by RBR Machine Tools. All of the work he does is in metal. He has a small shop with about 6 machines. He makes a lot of parts for small manufacturers that need pulleys, axles, castings machined and some grinding and just about anything.

I've been in an Amish ( or possibly Mennonite, I'm not sure actually ) shop and I have to say those guys are very talented. In this case the shop was electricity free so obviously no CNC at all. I'm actually surprised that this guy has electricity much less CNC machines.

He likes the CNCGcoder but doesn't like the key pad so he connects a keyboard and the screen is too small. Advancing age does take a toll on vision. If he could connect a larger display to the device that would work but that can't be done.

It is too bad something like an iPad couldn't be used here. The problem is iPad is designed from the start to be a "connected" device. As it is I suspect that the age of custom hardware like CNCGCoder is coming to an end. In a modern shop you would be talking about networked machines or RS232 bridges on the network. This makes me wonder if the Bishop understands that in order to get to the Internet you have to have a physical connection to the outside world?

It would be nice if that concept got recognition as it would open up many possibilities. For example you could put an embedded board of some type in a NEMA 13 panel box, with plugs on the side for monitor and keyboard. If the only software loaded is specific to his CNC needs then it really isn't a machine to connect to the Internet and being in a NEMA 13 box doesn't look like a computer. Have the boot up script launch directly into a text editor and you have obscured the underlying operating system.

Here is a link to the device www.rbrmachinetools.com/pages/cncgcoderhome/cncgcoder.php

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks, brex

Your best bet is to obscure the nature of the hardware/software and make it look like a special function machine. After all CNCGCoder has some sort of underlying operating system, maybe even Linux. So you would be creating a similar platform with a bigger screen.

BigJohnT wrote:

Wow a hand held programmer... is he just typing in G code into the programmer and then loading it into his machine? I'm not sure where LinuxCNC fits at this point...

John

Actually he could solve a good portion of his problems by converting one machine to LinuxCNC! As long as he has a few serial ports to connect to the other machine tools he could use the machine to store and transfer his GCode files to the old controllers. The LinuxCNC controller then serves two functions one to automate the machine and another to handle file storage for the remaining machines.

I know this situation may seem strange to most of us but the Bishop is probably right in that the Internet can be an evil thing even if you are trying to do good. For example I sunk a lot of time today trying to catch up on the various machining related forums I frequent. Some good hopefully came from it but I got nothing done on my day off.

Hopefully the original poster will come back with a comment on how this problem was solved. Maybe I'm to curious but it is often fascinating to see how the Amish and Mennonites get around the different restrictions they have. One shop I visited had a whole bunch of small tools powered by air motors instead of electric motors. I know many would laugh at such an arrangement but it is an example of ingenuity.