ppncconf error msg 5i25/7i77 combo

I am getting a error message from pncconf and it has me stumped. I can select the 5i25 on the first screen but when I then hit "forward" the error message comes up. The next screen does not show any of the daughterboards even though I have them all in the 5i25 folder and their permissions set to allow access. I am running master which I updated today (build 2.6-pre0-4951)

It looks to me like pncconf is not seeing the files for the daughterboards for some reason. Perhaps the latest pncconf in master ?

As a followup test, I pulled the hal and ini file off my older working machine also with a 5i25/7i77 combo, loaded them on the problem machine and that config boots into linuxcnc fine with no errors, mesa led's indicate normal, this is with the mesa support files unchanged and in the same locations that cause the pncconf error message. So, to my thinking, linuxcnc is happy with the mesa files, their locations, and permissions but pncconf does not "see" the daughterboard support files for some strange reason. (again, I am running master 2.6-pre0-4951 which I downloaded and installed today)







Thanks
George

For some reason the 2nd screenshot didn't appear in the last post

Here is my 5i25 folder Permissions are the same as all other HM2 board xml files (read access allowed)

master works for me.
Did you check the permissions on the 5i25 folder too?

Chris M

cmorley wrote:

master works for me.
Did you check the permissions on the 5i25 folder too?

Chris M

Yes, I checked the 5i25 permissions folder too. A known working hal and ini file load and the boardsand function just fine. Wouldn't that prove the mesa support files, their location and permissions must be just fine? Its ONLY pncconf that cannot seem to find the daughterboard files for some reason.

I tried just about everything I could think of. I deleted the 5i25 folder and reinstalled it using the new auto-install script, same results. The 5i25 selection DOES show on the first selection screen, the error happens going forward to the next screen where the 7i77 would normally be selected. On that second screen, NO daughterboards are shown.

I have done 2 other 5i25/7i77 systems in the past and pncconf worked fine for me on those at the time.

Perhaps we are not running the same release of master? I got mine a few hours before starting this thread.

Linuxcnc does not use the XML files, only PNCconf does.
Your using an installed from buildbot version? Maybe that is the difference (being installed, I use a RIP version) . I will have to check that.

I am going to push a change so you can turn on a debug mode soon, that may help.
It's strange , if 5i25 shows that means PNCconf sees the 5i25 folder. and the error comes from parsing the XML files.
But I have no particular reason for the error message.

Chris M

Yes, I am using the buildbot version, installed via the package manager.

I didn't realize that the xml files are not used by linuxcnc, only pncconf. That explains why a valid config runs fine.

Well, at any rate, I started over with a clean install from the livecd then worked my way up to master and pncconf worked fine. I have no idea what I did different than the first time just a couple days before.

Thanks!


BTW The auto install script for the 5i25 firmware works nicely BUT leaves the 5i25 folder with root permissions, that has to be changed before things work properly. Perhaps a slight change to the script would make changing the access permission from root uneccessary.

I'm glad you got it to work cause I had no idea what the problem was

I didn't make the script to install the XMLs but I wonder what you mean about the 5i25 folder permissions.
My 5i25 folder permission is root and it works fine.

Cheers Chris M

I was a bit unclear about the permissions. It was the permission for access by others , it sets to blank or none after the auto install script. I had to change it to allow read access. The other (owner) permissions were at root and left alone. Also, using nautilus, the 5i25 folder showed a X in the folder icon before changing permissions to allow read access by others.

Another thing I noticed running pncconf was that the help files for the 7i77 and its sisters were already installed when I went to master. I downloaded the help files planning to install them but when I navigated to the folder they were already there (new update to master). Well, I made a pass through pncconf and just for fun selected "help" after getting in a few screens on the 7i77 setup. A help screen came up BUT it was not the help for the 7i77 board, it was a totally unrelated mesa board. I manually looked over the help file for the 7i77 and its very nice.

Thanks for all you continued hard work Chris, it makes life a LOT easier for new users of linuxcnc.

George

Thanks for the heads up about the help file - I will look into that.

I'm glad PNCconf is useful to you. It's not perfect but hopefully helps.

Chris M

There's a bug in PnCConf for 7i77.

When the spindle is connected to channel 5 on 7i77 it does not work from PnCConf but the generated config is correct. When the spindle is on channel 0...4 it works from PnCConf but the config is wrong.

It seems that PnCConf writes hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.spinena for spindle to the config no matter what is the spindle channel, which fails for channels 0..4.
But PnCConf doesn't enable hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.spinena when testing the spindle, enabling hm2_5i25.0.7i77.0.1.analogena instead.