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So can you jog the x-axis using the button in the GUI (ie AXIS, GMOCCPY, QTDragon or whatever you are using)?

You should be able to see the pin 'hm2_7i76e.0.7i73.0.1.input-08' go true whenever you press the button that is connected to the mesa 7i73. If you do not see that change then there is a problem with the wiring of the button.

Also please attach your current hal and ini files so I'm not poking around in the dark.

Moved to "PlasmaC" section.
What card/controller are you using?
Mesa 7i96S/7i76/7i76E/7i77 should be able to do that easily.

Just to be clear, you want to check that ' hm2_7i76e.0.7i73.0.1.input-08' goes true in LinuxCNC using the 'Show HAL configuration' or 'Hal meter' tools.

but my code true and blinking

Not quite sure what you mean.  So ' hm2_7i76e.0.7i73.0.1.input-08' goes true when you press your button connected to the 7i73 and you can jog using the buttons in the GUI?

Oh! So many icons... You have another common problem there. Read this to first solve this issue: forum.linuxcnc.org/38-general-linuxcnc-q...little-issues#226480

Did you follow the instruction here to setup your network: forum.linuxcnc.org/27-driver-boards/3559...ethernet-mesa-boards

Or did you edit the file /etc/network/interfaces as explained here: linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html/man/man9/hm2_eth.9.html

(Both ways are ok but you can use only one of the two)

Have you checked that the pin ' hm2_7i76e.0.7i73.0.1.input-08' goes true when you press the button? (eg using 'halshow')
I presume you can jog the x-axis using the buttons on the GUI.

1. create MDI-command in the HALUI section of your ini file:

2. connect your mesa input pins and the mdi-commands in your hal file:

Sorry I was probably a bit unclear, I was wondering if you saw anything that could prevent good latency. we are working on developing a machine that uses laser 3d scanning and generates g code in a separate program we have created, which is sent to linuxcnc which is run without a display. and all interaction is via a web user interface on another PC. I agree that the price is quite high, but we are thinking of producing several of these machines for sale, so a used PC is out of the question, we need a minimum of 3 NICs for communication with the laser scanner, mesa 7i76e and network. and we would like a PC that will be available for sale in 2 years or more (I know, hard to predict) and it must also have good support for linux. this one, which is intended for servers/firewalls, is probably stable and has good support for Linux-based software. Has anyone here tested latency on something like this, or perhaps have suggestions for something, preferably fanless, that could be good for such a project, or perhaps have a list of hardware that should be avoided?

First and foremost, why are you using CraftsmanCNC configuration? A few years back it was unusable without a lot of editing as it had hard coded file paths.
You have set the Mesa card as you say, but you have not set the PC network for use with mesa, see here:
forum.linuxcnc.org/27-driver-boards/3559...ethernet-mesa-boards

Hi Connor,

I see a lot of your questions have already been answered, but I thought it would be helpful for me to weigh in as well (I’m an applications engineer at Teknic).

The choice between Step and Direction vs. quadrature is up to your personal preference and your controller’s capability. Step and direction is more popular, but quadrature has more noise immunity and other technical benefits. If your controller has quadrature capability, this is what we'd recommend.

As you read in the manual, we do not recommend 5V differential signals because they don’t always reliably swing the full five volts. A lot of manufacturers publish 5V, but the signals can drop as low as 2-3V.

Worse, there's a chance they may work at first, but then over time start to become unreliable (as the environment changes, the components age, if the motor changes temperature, etc.). Single-ended is a better option.

Regarding the enable line, we do not recommend hardwiring the enable for a couple of reasons. First, if the motor ever executes a protective shutdown (e.g., you accidentally ask for too much torque), toggling the enable line is the way to clear the shutdown and resume normal operation. The enable is also a safety feature that helps eliminate the risk of any surprising motion upon power-up. If the motor is powered up but disabled, it will not accept any move commands until the user deliberately enables it.

HLFB can be configured to give you various data. Many CNC operators use HLFB configured to provide “Servo On” or “In Range” to monitor any shutdowns or lagging (due to issues with mechanics, load, excessive friction, etc.). There is more information regarding the different configurations in the ClearPath User Manual (currently pages 50-60): teknic.com/downloads/

I’m not familiar enough with the controller you’re using to recommend specific wiring, but we’re happy to help with any questions about wiring if you would like to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fill out a contact request on our website: teknic.com/contact/

I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions that come up.

Best regards,
Bridgette O.  - Teknic Servo Systems Engineer

I took a little detour and decided to temporarily give a HP Slimline that I had laying around a try. My ultimate goal is to a NUC that is a good candidate so I can put it inside my main cabinet where the BAT J1800 used to live. Right now I just want to get my mill working again without having to swap back to the J1800 + 6i25 + 7i76.

I have Debian 12 installed with 2.9. running QTDRagon_HD. The machine comes up and can be homed. P4S Pendant works. But when I try to go to the Probe tab I get the error shown below. Is there something else I need to install/update?

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/qtvcp/widgets/simple_widgets.py", line 649, in paintEvent
self.paintIndicator()
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/qtvcp/widgets/simple_widgets.py", line 707, in paintIndicator
p.drawRoundedRect(topLeft.x()+(self.width()*((1-self._w_fraction)/2)) + self._top_edge_offset,
TypeError: arguments did not match any overloaded call:
drawRoundedRect(self, rect: QRectF, xRadius: float, yRadius: float, mode: Qt.SizeMode = Qt.AbsoluteSize): argument 1 has unexpected type 'float'
drawRoundedRect(self, x: int, y: int, w: int, h: int, xRadius: float, yRadius: float, mode: Qt.SizeMode = Qt.AbsoluteSize): argument 1 has unexpected type 'float'
drawRoundedRect(self, rect: QRect, xRadius: float, yRadius: float, mode: Qt.SizeMode = Qt.AbsoluteSize): argument 1 has unexpected type 'float'

I have an ATC spindle and want to keep my tools in a straight line (rack/linear). Can someone point me to a proven, yet simple, rack ATC implementation for use with Probe Basic? I don't care to have the fancy GUI elements like the automated carousel. 

I'm aware of M6 remap, subroutine files, and the presence of the var file with numbered variables.

I've read a handful of posts on this forum, and browsed through a handful of github repos with examples and have tried implementing a few. But it seems like there is 20 ways to do the same thing with LinuxCNC (of greatly varying age), all which have none or partial documentation and usually no "how to's"

This is for my CNC router, running deb installed Probe Basic on 2.9 with Debian 12. Current using a simple parallel breakout, but have my Mesa 7I76E waiting to be installed. I'm very much an amateur with LinuxCNC.

Thanks.

PCW wrote:

For single ended wiring:

+5V -- > DRIVE STEP+ AND DIR+
7I76 STEP- --> DRIVE STEP-
7I76 DIR- --> DRIVE DIR-


On a 7I76/7I76E the 5V and 24V are isolated unless
the 24V common and 5V common connect externally.

That said, it probably does not matter because
If the enable has + and - inputs its fully isolated
so just needs its - input connected to 24V common
if you use a field output.

One disadvantage of using mixed 5V and 24V signals
is that a wiring mistake may damage 5V outputs.

Follow up questions.  I do have both 5v and 24v supply in the cabinet.  24v was simply going to handle the sensors and pneumatic relays, and the 5v was going to handle the case fans and supply v5 logic to the mesa.  Any benefit to this vs just doing all 24v?

Is there any GOOD reason to tie the enables to outputs vs just the 5v line?
 

Thanks, I'll see about routing those to inputs and have it configured for fault mode or what ever they call it.

andypugh wrote:

Single-ended v Differential is not related to step/dir v quadrature. Both step-dir and uadrature can be single-ended or differential. 

It probably doesn't matter which control type you use. I consider quadrature to be a little more elegant than step-dir though. 

As for sigle-ended v differential, I am not sure that I really understand what they are saying. In general differential is more resistant to electrical noise, and I would also expect it to have a greater voltage swing unless they are doing something odd in the driver. 

Okay, so, I'll go with the quadrature mode.  I like the idea of it vs step/dir.

On the differential part, I'm a bit stumped on that too.  I'm going to check with them and see if they can tell me what voltage swing they're expecting, and possibly see what hardware they've tested this on.  Maybe PCW can tell us what the voltage swing is on the MESA 7i76e card.  I would much prefer to use differential vs single ended.