MPG vs Joypad

I am currently using the keyboard to manually move the machine which leave a lot to be desired. I have read the various articles on gamepads/joypads and MPG pendants and I am wondering which one makes the better interface?

MPGs are available from a number of places. They plug into the parallel port and the EMC interface looks fairly easy to install. A pendant and buffer card from CNC4PC will cost about 200 bucks. I already have a second parallel port.

I can buy a Logitech game pad from many places, such as best buy for about 20 bucks. The software changes don't look too bad based on the simple pendant article.

It seems to me that a gamepad is much cheaper but who do the two compare in operation?
Which do you use???

thanks
chuck

I stopped by bestbuy and bought the Logitech gamepad. I installed it using the simple remote pendant example in wiki. Works very well. Now onto the enhanced version. thanks
chuck

I use the joypad on my mill, router and lathe.
I like to set the 3 speeds as rapid, half speed and incredibly slow to sneak up on a position.
I also added an incremental button to the joypad so I can click one predetermined move at a time while watching for touch off. You can set this move to be as small as you like.

Rick G

I made my own USB pendant using Microchip PIC18F2550 with custom HID firmware
it enumerates as an input device in linux.

I use:
80mm MPG,
3 axis selector with LEDs
3 resolutions+ continious selector with LEDs,
two jog buttons
Feed Override pot

I found that MPG is the most convinient for manual setups.

Thanks guys. You have been most helpful. I like the joypad so far, but there is enough experimenter in me to consider building a MPG too. Is there a writeup on making a USB pendant?

I do have one comment on the simple remote pendant article example. This line is used to first.
net joy-z-jog halui.jog.2.analog <= input.0.abs-z-position

When the axis is reversed, this line is used.
net reverse-z sum2.1.in0 <= input.0.abs-rz-position

In the first reference,
z-position is the horizontal movement of the joystick where
rz-position is the vertical movement of the joystick

It would be nice if there were made consistent in the example and a comment about how to select the one you want. I assume the lathe operator would want horizontal and the mill operator would want vertical.

The buttons you select are just what is more comfortable to you, John and I both used the right stick for the z axis, John selected horizontal I selected vertical. At the time I was working on a router and vertical movement in my mind of the stick related to vertical movement of the axis. This works well on my first mill also. I am now setting up a knee mill with both a z axis quill and a w axis knee, both will move vertical and I will use the vertical joystick for the quill and the horizontal for the knee. (so much for keeping things intuitive) When setting things up I find it is easier to go to hal and watch the different inputs while hitting buttons and pushing sticks to see how they are labeled and then decide which ones to use for what. By the way my router is 4'x8' so I added a USB extension to the joypad which allows me to walk over to where the work is for a better view. It is also nice on a large machine to be able to zip the router around on multiple axis at the same time all from a joypad.

Rick G

For those following this thread who are interested in building their own usb pendants you might want to look here.
generichid.sourceforge.net/
hidcomp.sourceforge.net/

Rick G