recommended pendant that just works, with current versions 2.8.x on

If you really want something that just works and you have plenty of inputs, skip the USB pendants and get one of the XHC professional 433 Mhz pendants that have a receiver hardwired in. They are 6 axis. Shown here at top left wired into a Mesa 7i76e and using the Mesa MPG. You can see the antenna cable in this pic.
Sorry don't have pics of the remote handy.

 

 

Like this one here ?

www.aliexpress.com/item/32880885398.html

Yes, exactly what I have. Several in fact. Sending one to Ireland today.
Initially you needed to specify 5V encoder but thats now programmable or selectable with a link.
Also, you can ask or set the axis and scale selection to be digital to reduce the number of pins. This need a bit more hal plumbing to use MUX components but it lets you select 6 axes with just 3 pins. (2 for the 3 position scale)
7i76e I/O becomes very full once fully wired in so saving a few pins is worth it!
You cannot use the MPG without holding the yellow button down. There is an output for this button. Connect it to halui.mode.is-teleop so it selects the correct mode for MPG jogging.

The Estop input is designed to be used in an external to linuxcnc estop chain controlled by a safety relay with reduneant estop circuits which is nice..

The 3 function buttons I have not really used as it can be a bit dangerous if you accidentally bump cycle start! I was going to AND2 them with the yellow button so it had to be held down to activate the functions next time.

If you are in or near Australia, let me know I might be able to get a better price away from AliExpress. I was thinking of ordering another.

rodw wrote:

Connect it to halui.mode.is-teleop so it selects the correct mode for MPG jogging.

Just to save confusion, I think that you mean halui.mode-teleop? 

Though, now I look, I use halui.mode-manual to enable wheel jogging from the apron controls with my lathe. 

andypugh wrote:

rodw wrote:

Connect it to halui.mode.is-teleop so it selects the correct mode for MPG jogging.
Just to save confusion, I think that you mean halui.mode-teleop? 

Though, now I look, I use halui.mode-manual to enable wheel jogging from the apron controls with my lathe. 

Andy you are right. I checked my config now I'm at work. The reason I did it initially was with Gmocappy the jogging is on a seperate tab and the pendent was not enabled until that tab was selected.  halui.mode-teleop selects that tab in Gmoacappy. so its happy here. Its so long ago, I can't remember if I even tried the manual mode selection.

I wouldn't trade my VistaCNC P4-S for that XHC I like having the screen showing current position and velocity on it.