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11 Mar 2021 10:37 #201792 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic VERY new user

KINEMATICS = trivkins coordinates=XYZA
#This is a best-guess at the number of joints, it should be checked
JOINTS = 4[/b]
to
KINEMATICS = trivkins coordinates=XAYZ since the A stepper needs to be ganged to the X stepper ??
or should it be
KINEMATICS = trivkins coordinates=XYZX
or
KINEMATICS = trivkins coordinates=XXYZ kinstype=BOTH

all very confusing.


If the X axis has two motors, and the second motor was previously configured as an A axis, then XYZX is what you want.

Think of a "joint" in the config as a motor.
An "axis" is an actual cartesian direction, controlled by a G-code XYZABCUVW word.

So, previously you (probably) had the X axis moved by motors 0 and 3. And you never had an actual A axis, ie a motor that could be moved by an "A" in the G-code?

In that case XYZX means X = 0, Y = 1, Z = 2, X2 = 3

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11 Mar 2021 15:38 - 11 Mar 2021 16:02 #201824 by clive
Replied by clive on topic VERY new user
Is it that the hal and ini files are responsible for describing the formal logical axes and then assigning them to physical axes and their parallel port pin assignments?

So in the hal file the joints [JOINT_0] through [JOINT_3] are known as x,y,z,a as in:
net xstep           => parport.0.pin-02-out
setp parport.0.pin-02-out-reset 1
setp parport.0.pin-03-out-invert 1
net xdir            => parport.0.pin-03-out
net ystep         => parport.0.pin-04-out
setp parport.0.pin-04-out-reset 1
setp parport.0.pin-05-out-invert 1
net ydir            => parport.0.pin-05-out
setp parport.0.pin-06-out-invert 1
net zstep           => parport.0.pin-06-out
setp parport.0.pin-06-out-reset 1
net zdir              => parport.0.pin-07-out
net astep  => parport.0.pin-08-out
setp parport.0.pin-08-out-reset 1
net adir      => parport.0.pin-09-out
but in the ini file the axes are more formally described in upper case letters, such as this:
[TRAJ]
COORDINATES = XYZX
LINEAR_UNITS = mm
ANGULAR_UNITS = degree
DEFAULT_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 1.30
MAX_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 25.00

[KINS]
KINEMATICS  = trivkins coordinates=XYZX kinstype=BOTH
JOINTS = 4

The mapping from logical to physical is done with the JOINT_ nomenclature?
The kinstype=BOTH ties the two logical X axes together?

But I see a problem.
[AXIS_A]
MIN_LIMIT = -100.0
MAX_LIMIT = 100.0
MAX_VELOCITY = 13.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0

[JOINT_3]
TYPE = ANGULAR
HOME = 0.0
MAX_VELOCITY = 13.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
STEPGEN_MAXACCEL = 37.5
SCALE = 20.9533787323
FERROR = 1
MIN_FERROR = .25
MIN_LIMIT = -100.0
MAX_LIMIT = 100.0
HOME_OFFSET = 0.0
The ini file has a reference to AXIS_A which doesn't exist (as an logical axis) and perhaps is linked to JOINT_3. JOINT_3 should have the same values as JOINT_0 since both are the X-axis motors.
Last edit: 11 Mar 2021 16:02 by clive.

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11 Mar 2021 16:02 #201827 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic VERY new user
Not really.

XYZ (and friends) are directions in the workspace. And are controlled by matching words in the G-code.
These are the "axes"

A physical machine consists of one or more "joints" with typically a single motor per joint.

Joints have numbers, starting from 0. The kinematics file configures how an axis motion from the G-code is translated to a joint motion.

In the case of trivkins this is very simple (trivial, even).

coordinates = XYZX means that the X-number from G-code goes to joints 0 and 3.

Don't read too much in to the signal names in the HAL file (the first thing after "net". Those are just labels and can be anything. In fact it would probably be sensible to change the "astep" and "adir" to be "x2step" and "x2dir" everywhere to help dispel some of this confusion. You don't have an A-axis. You do have a joint-3.

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11 Mar 2021 17:02 #201830 by clive
Replied by clive on topic VERY new user
I can see the sense behind the use of the word "joint" since it's a plausible term for arm-like devices, though somewhat odd for stepper motors. A rose by any other name.

Your comment that, in my case, the G-Code X-number goes to joints 0 and 3 makes things very clear. Thank you.

XYZABCDE = Joints 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 for rather simplified legs on a spider but some legs probably always move together so XYZZYXDA is also possible.

Do I need that kinstype=BOTH statement at all?

What performs the linkage between the logical joints and the physical connections? Is it the
setp stepgen.0.position-scale [JOINT_0]SCALE
statements in the hal file?

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11 Mar 2021 17:25 #201836 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic VERY new user

I can see the sense behind the use of the word "joint" since it's a plausible term for arm-like devices, though somewhat odd for stepper motors. A rose by any other name.


It is about as good as anyone seems to have come up with for as a word to describe both sliding and rotating mechanisms.

[/quote]Do I need that kinstype=BOTH statement at all?[/quote]

What that does is start the machine up in joint-mode (you will see the DRO showing 0,1,2,3 until you are homed) This is almost certainly what you want for a gantry, but the docs should explain further. linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/man/man9/trivkins.9.html
(Though having read that, I am not 100% sure which I would prefer)

What performs the linkage between the logical joints and the physical connections? Is it the

setp stepgen.0.position-scale [JOINT_0]SCALE
statements in the hal file?


The actual links between the joints and a particular stepper motor are defined by the HAL file.
Look for a line containing "joint.0.motor-position-cmd". That is connecting a specific logical joint to a specific step-generator. (and there is no requirement that joint.0 has to use stepgen.0, but it would be unusual not to)
Then the outputs of that step genearotor (step and dir pins) are steered to a specific parallel port pin elsewhere in the HAL file.

This might appear complicated, but it means that you can use external hardware to generate steps, or connect to an analogue servo, or digital serial positioner with simple edits to the file.

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11 Mar 2021 17:25 - 11 Mar 2021 17:26 #201837 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic VERY new user

I can see the sense behind the use of the word "joint" since it's a plausible term for arm-like devices, though somewhat odd for stepper motors. A rose by any other name.


It is about as good as anyone seems to have come up with for as a word to describe both sliding and rotating mechanisms.


Do I need that kinstype=BOTH statement at all?


What that does is start the machine up in joint-mode (you will see the DRO showing 0,1,2,3 until you are homed) This is almost certainly what you want for a gantry, but the docs should explain further. linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/man/man9/trivkins.9.html
(Though having read that, I am not 100% sure which I would prefer)


What performs the linkage between the logical joints and the physical connections? Is it the

setp stepgen.0.position-scale [JOINT_0]SCALE
statements in the hal file?


The actual links between the joints and a particular stepper motor are defined by the HAL file.
Look for a line containing "joint.0.motor-position-cmd". That is connecting a specific logical joint to a specific step-generator. (and there is no requirement that joint.0 has to use stepgen.0, but it would be unusual not to)
Then the outputs of that step genearotor (step and dir pins) are steered to a specific parallel port pin elsewhere in the HAL file.

This might appear complicated, but it means that you can use external hardware to generate steps, or connect to an analogue servo, or digital serial positioner with simple edits to the file.[/quote]
Last edit: 11 Mar 2021 17:26 by andypugh.

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11 Mar 2021 17:40 #201840 by clive
Replied by clive on topic VERY new user
I see:
net xpos-cmd joint.0.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.0.position-cmd
net xpos-fb stepgen.0.position-fb => joint.0.motor-pos-fb
net xstep <= stepgen.0.step
net xdir <= stepgen.0.dir
net xenable joint.0.amp-enable-out => stepgen.0.enable
but only that one appears. I guess there should be four of them?

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11 Mar 2021 17:56 #201842 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic VERY new user
Well, there will be joint.1.motor-pos-cmd, joint.2.... etc
One for each joint.

And if you follow the xstep signal through the HAL file you will see where that is sent.

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11 Mar 2021 21:04 #201863 by clive
Replied by clive on topic VERY new user
Attached are my much edited ini and hal file. They are accepted without error, however, I can't manually move the X axis. Y and Z are OK.

Ideas? I feel I am getting close :)
Attachments:

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11 Mar 2021 21:21 #201869 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic VERY new user
You probably won't be able to jog X until both sides are homed.
I don't see any homing information in the INI file.

Try adding HOME_SEARCH_VELOCITY = 0 and a HOME_SEQUENCE = to each joint (0 for Z, 1 for Y and -2 for X, I think)

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