Sieg KX3 and 5i25. Seeking firmware.

mooser wrote: I thought I needed to flash the MESA 5I25 with a bitfile first before I got into the rest???
M

Can you clarify if you are using a parallel port or a Mesa 5i25? You have mentioned both in the last 2 posts.

Actually I haven't mentioned either :laugh:

I've currently got a manual lathe I converted to screws/steppers/vfd/mach3 a few years ago.
It's all wired with the c11g and gecko (203v I think off the top of my head) and a c6 speed control

I've also got a Tormach 1100 here.
I put pathpilot on the Tormach and liked most of the improvements (still wishing for some features I lost but that's a different story.)

I purchased another Mesa 5i25 and new computer (so the old lathe one still functions as I need it here and there for a few little repeating jobs) with the intent of loading linuxcnc (and eventually PathPilot ?) with minimal cash spenditure (didn't want to invest any more at this time (as in buying the Mesa BOB)

That's were I am now and ran into the first (of many by what I'm reading now) roadblock of needing to flash the Mesa with a bitfile.

From what I've been reading, after that I should be able to stumble through the ini file, probably get lost in the HAL and then maybe get movement and I'll be able to stare blankly at the screen and look into how to deal with the 6-speed gear box.

Looked at Xiline for creating a bitfile and realized it's way over my head.

Anyway, stumbled across this thread and a few others looking at Mesa 5I25 and C11G posted over the past couple of years but it doesn't look like a functioning bitfile is available at this time
M

mooser wrote: Anyway, stumbled across this thread and a few others looking at Mesa 5I25 and C11G posted over the past couple of years but it doesn't look like a functioning bitfile is available at this time
M

Skimming the manual, it looks like the only pin on the C11G with a specific function is pin 14 that creates a spindle analogue out signal based on step rate, so any firmware with step on pin 14 will work.

So, I think that you could actually use the 7i76 bitfile:
github.com/LinuxCNC/hostmot2-firmware/bl...c/PIN_7I76x2R_34.vhd

That also has a second stepgen on pin17 for the charge pump. The question then becomes whether there are enough stepgens left for your motors.

I'll have to look at that file when I get home tonight. I printed a page I found somewhere (here?) on how to try a bitfile safely without bricking the mesa so I've got nothing to loose.
I've also got to look at the chargepump, in the back of my mind somewhere I think I have the chargepump working and may need that, time to break out my notes from the conversion,
Hopefully since it's a lathe and no turret (bubba gang tooling right now) I only need the 2 axis I'll still be ok on pins.

I'll see how far this goes hopefully tonight
M

Here's a C11 bitfile for a 5i25/6i25 and the source pinout file:

freeby.mesanet.com/c11.zip

You can read the pinout with mesaflash

Wow, thanks for that Peter. I shall have a play when time allows.

Regards,
John