LinuxCNC on Raspberry Pi 5

Hello cornholio,

Thank you for your reply!

I see your point about "AI".

In your reply you separated the "CNC" part of the task (feed speed, etc.) from the "system" part of the task (boards, drivers, etc.). I agree with your split and then assert the "system" part of the solution should "just work".

LinuxCNC on Pi 5 should work as easily as say Google Maps on Android, with no system experience required to install and use the application.

Do you see folks in this thread who believe a better experience is possible? Who exactly would champion a better experience for Pi 5 and LinuxCNC? I believe many of the people who answer the system questions posed in this thread would also be contributors to an effort to revise the code. I have seen similar efforts succeed.

Let me know!

Thanks,
Tom Alborough

If you want true "as easy as an installing an app on your cell phone" buy a commercial cnc machine from one of the Big Boys.

This is all I have left to say on the matter.

Hello cornholio,

I get your point.

I would like to buy (some kind of a) Raspberry Pi 5 and the electrical hardware needed to make a CNC machine. The reason I'm writing to you is to ask you this: What should I buy? I'm not looking for a configuration that works. I'm interested in a configuration that people want to work. What hardware do the readers want to load software on and run without any hitches?

Thanks,
Tom Alborough

You coming at this arse about. Which makes me wonder if this is for academic purposes, a potential commercial endeavor or a tech blog.
First one decides on the type of cnc machine they want to build, then they choose the controller to suit.
The simplest entry point for one who has no plan for their actual "cnc machine" would be.

A Lenovo M73e tower, preferably with an i5, the appropriate MB to Parallel Port cable ( there's some trickery with the cable that enables the PP hardware) and a generic Parallel Port breakout board. I've recommended this combination as I know it works, I have tested it with a lathe for basic functionality. I actually found this machine on the side of road with a celeron processor, which I swapped out for an i5 (3470 I think) and an SSD from the "useful box".

What people want is something that will run their hardware (their cnc machine be it a plasma cutter, lathe, mill router, laser tube profiler, PnP machine, cnc soldering machine) at a price point they can afford. As you can guess this is quite an expansive list.

Thank you cornholio.

I'm looking to cut wood for building boats.

If I run into issues doing the above well, I earned a living doing Unix driver and kernel work a while ago; I would like to contribute now if I could. I have experience with a number of device driver debugging and kernel development techniques.

Let me get some hardware and software in. Again, if there is a certain feature that doesn't work that should work, let me know.

Thanks,
Tom Alborough

As far as my testing has shown, on my cobbled together 7c81 clone SPI works on the RPi 5.
I received my RPi5 around Nov\Dec 2023 and can't say I've noticed any hardware issues. Booting from a NVME drive has shown no issues, I've run octoprinter on it, once again no issues.
Speed wise even when running via a SD card is night and compared to my RPi400, which has a slightly faster CPU than the RPi4. Actually to be fair it is a bit of a beast.
No trouble building Linuxcnc packages, even with 2 cores isolated, tho I suspect this may not be needed when connected to a Mesa board.
Bang for buck a PC from the last ten years is far better value.

Personally I'm still undecided whether to use my clone with an EPP interface with a PC or with the RPi5 via SPI.

To tell the truth I'm in 2 minds whether I actually want to CNC the lathe, the only reason I started to convert it is the AUD $600 to get hold of a new screw, maybe it would be worth it, if only to have one of the few Myfords with a leadsrew that isn't worn.

Back to topic.
Whilst the RPi is able to run Linuxcnc not a lot of info for the official Raspberry Pi foundation images are applicable, as it is only really the RPi kernel sources that are used, needed for use of loading overlays, the rest is pulled from Debian arm64 repos. Config.txt must be edited to enable the SPI interfaces. And Linuxcnc will need building from source to have the hm2_spix driver. Last time I looked the pre built packages pre dated the new driver.
Re Tommy's comment regarding a small SBC controlling a large CNC machine, how would you feel riding a bike at 220-240 kph ( on a race track of course) that's ecu is controlled by a Motorola microcontroller ? Cos that's the brains used in a lot of Ducati's and Moto Guzzis around 2000 vintage. Very hackable, very easy to download the operating code off and disassemble. Even a fully unqualified shit kicker like myself was able to do, the one and only time I did anything with C Sharp.

I'm going to assume model boat building, other wise I'd imagine you would have researched the larger machines required for human scale boats. If all you want to do is profile cuts, eg bulkheads and the like and you aren't using timber over 3mm or so I would suggest a 10w - 20w laser cutter might be the better choice. No need for Linuxcnc as the supplied controllers do a fine job, I have one myself. Far easier to deal with the "fumes" from a laser cutter than the sawdust you would get with a router.....and far gentler on the thinner timber components as the cutting forces are reduced to practically zero on the material being cut.
At a recent exhibition of local model boat builders I met a Hungarian gentleman who did some amazing work with a hand held rotary tool, timber was carved so thin as to be almost see thru. When asked whether he be human or magician, he puffed out his chest and proudly stated "I am Hungarian".
Tho I would suggest a honeycomb type bed and air assist to reduce scorching and a build up of residue in the cut.

Hello cornholio,

I'm actually building both types of boats: model (1/4 scale) and real-sized; the first being a prelude to the second.

The RC boat starts with a "short kit" bought off of eBay - just the frame members (laser cut). I just have to put a skin on it.

I would dearly love a laser CNC machine to cut out the frame members for the real boat but many boat plans are not digitized (like mine) so the first thing I need to do is to turn a CNC machine into a giant "digitizer". Does experience doing that exist? It does seem doable and if I create the files I might be able to find someone to laser them for me for a price.

Thanks,
Tom

I’d look for a CAD package that lets you import an image and “trace” it. Bear in mind that the time it takes you to do that it maybe just as quick to cut the various members the traditional way.