Experimental gcode interpreter accepting c++ syntax.

Hi,

Disclaimer : * this post is just for info. *

We all know the SAI "stand alone interpreter" from linuxcnc is quite complex.

Therefore i was investing some time in building a interpreter my self. I started using the muParser library
and wrote code to parse gcode. I was focussing on the hard part, like how to deal with nested while loops in the gcode.
I finally get that to work using a node structure. But how about the rest. Like integrating for loops, if, else, and everything else.

After 2 weeks, i decided to try something different. So i made 2 programs. The first program is a gcode parser, the second
program is a interpreter.
In my previous attempt i was trying to reinvent the wheel, but now the gcc compiler does the work for me.
All this code was working within 2 day's.

What is special about this gcode program builder in my opinion :
- It compiles gcode programs into a executable.
- It parses raw gcode into gcode the interpreter can read, like parsing G0 to G(0);
- Within the gcode, c++ code may be used. So when program run's you can just start your ethercat master from inside the gcode.
- Also all hal commands, and all possible c++ code solutions can be used. So in fact you can load and run a entire AI from the gcode.
- Sub programs may be compiled and run within the running gcode. This is a slower process, but is possible.
- Each gcode program that runs send's data to the interpreter trough shared memory.
- Sub programs may be called inside the gcode, they may run in seperate thread by using "&", or in the current program flow,
as a result, this could run multiple machines at the same time, as multiple gcode processes are running.
- Perfect syntax debugging trough the compile process.
- Gcode executables are closed source, so a customer may run the file, but can not directly edit or copy the file so easely.
- Time optimal solution, compiled code is fast.
- Compact and simple source code.

What is the interpreter doing :
- It opens and run's the given gcode executable file.
- It reads the shared memory, the gcode file is sending data struct to, and fills a local string buffer with the gcode commands.
- It displays the gcode commands in the program.
- It waits for ok signal when asked by the gcode program, this is for probing, or for other things that need a ok signal to go on.

Downsides:
- Gcode files are compiled machine code.

Preview gcode program builder :
 

Preview interpreter:
 

For now the interpreter runs in the user environment. No hal connection is made so far.









 

Very good, congratulations on the initiative.
I am developing a G code generator in Python that transforms DXF files for a punch press. It is not being easy, there is a lack of professionals in the market for such a challenge.

Sounds cool, could solve some issues trying to work HAL controls into Gcode without using workarounds.

What are the actual plans for it? I assume it will be made available, is it designed to be run as an alternative to the standard interpreter? Integrated into GUIs etc..

@Programmador,

Very good, congratulations on the initiative.
I am developing a G code generator in Python that transforms DXF files for a punch press. It is not being easy, there is a lack of professionals in the market for such a challenge.

There is a good read in dxf library for c++, for python there is also a dxf lib. I think ezdxf.
Along the way, you will succeed somehow.

@BlazinI36

Sounds cool, could solve some issues trying to work HAL controls into Gcode without using workarounds.
Yeah, you can use c or c++ directly in the gcode file.
I was thinking to create a virtual ethercat slave, that is not a servo
or a stepper but a gcode interpreter.

What are the actual plans for it? I assume it will be made available, is it designed to be run as an alternative to the standard interpreter? Integrated into GUIs etc..
At the moment i have no time to develop it further as the trajectory planner has to be finished. After that
i maybe will go on this interpreter.

The whole idea for this test is, how should you create a interpreter. I have used a parser like muparser. But this is
a waste of time. The best parser so far i found is the gcc compiler.

I have no plans with it further at the moment. It's like a time stamp in my programming experience, maybe i can use
the knowlegde later on. But it sure has potential to be become fully functional.