ROS LinuxCNC Link

Thanks Andy, I appreciate the reply.

In your opinion, what advantages do you see in how MachineKit has its own HAL only program and running LinuxCNC with HAL standalone?

ROS would be commanding joint positions and controlling the motion planing and LinuxCNC would be used for controlling the hardware and I would need a GUI connecting everything together.

I would like to create a Python based programming language for controlling the robots rather than G-Code. Tormach are doing this with their new robot. Would I have to write a new interpreter for this?

Sorry for all the basic questions but I am a non programmer trying to work out what is needed to make something like this work.

thefabricator03 wrote: Thanks Andy, I appreciate the reply.

In your opinion, what advantages do you see in how MachineKit has its own HAL only program and running LinuxCNC with HAL standalone?

I am not an expert on Machinekit, but I think that their change was purely packaging, making it possible to install HAL without the rest of LinuxCNC. Otherwise the function is the same.

Hi,

I would like to create a Python based programming language for controlling the robots rather than G-Code
This is ok.

The most easy way to start is run Linucnc. Sent some python coded joint position's to the nml interface.
You can do for example, sent joint positions trough halcommand or halui. Halui is very close to nml.
Halui command's are very usefull.

Imagine linuxcnc as a pid controller.
And see what happens. I worked kind of this way to get a gremlin preview in axis that the command's works.

Step 2 would be connect the Ros output command's to nml or your custom python program.

Step 3 would be use ros & hal only. etc.

So step by step you will get it running.

Thank you Grotius, That has answered all my questions. Now its time to get to work!

Hi,

For info. In python you can do a system command.
For example : "halcmd setp ..." as a system command will work.

This is not very elegant, but it helps you in the process.

If you need any python examples how to set up port's and pin's. I have them somewhere on my hdd.

Thanks,

If you could post the examples in this thread when you get a spare minute I am sure it will help more that just myself.