Convert MESA 7i76D 4-Axis Robot to 5-Axis Robot --> Failing

I have a small robot arm that I am attempting to control with LinuxCNC. Ultimately, I would live to have full IK... but for now just being able to control it is fine. I used the PnCConf Wizard and even though all 4 axis are rotary... the best I could do was an XYZA configuration... it works... I can program the robot and tinker. Great.

Now I am trying to add a 5th axis. I have a cross-slide so the robot arm can move side to side. I made a copy of the X-Axis and renamed it to the U-AXIS. I then went in and changed it from AXIS-0 to AXIS-4, changes all the other "stuff" from "X" to "U" which worked fine when I did it on a parallel port machine in my murky past.

But this... it has a failure and I just can't figure it out.

Anyone here able to see what the issue is... I'm simply not seeing it.  

Error List (Debug Output)


Working 4-Axis Files
 
 

Failing 5-Axis Files
 
 

Thanks in advance,
Jerry

This makes no sense (to me) but I tried changing it from XYZAU to XYZUA and that didn't work.

I changed it to XYZAB and it worked. ????

The irony is that XYZA are all ROTAIONAL steppers, and AXIS-B will actually be linear.

But hey, if it works... for now I don't care... not looking at the display anyway at this time... just programmability.

Maybe... someday... perhaps... if I get a LOT of help... I'll do a real IK version of this thing... but honestly... I can't do it without someone VERY experienced to help me with that. There used to be a PUMA sim... can't find it now... but if that could be converted to the MESA 7i76D card and the DH lengths and angles updated... it would work. (And... then I could use it to get my REAL PUMA working again.)

Jerry

The puma sim is in 'configs/sim/axis/vismach/puma' and the corresponding kinematic is in 'src/emc/kinematics/pumakins.c'.
That (like 'genserkins.c' ) is for 6 DOF.

For robot kinematic work I would recommend to update to 2.9.x as the switchable kinematic feature is very useful.