Advanced Search

Using SAMBA shares on a linux box from Windows requires a change in policy on the client PC.  Don't ask me what it is. I gave up with Windows too
Its possible your issue is related to this with later versisn of Linux

There are some surface probing routines around. Not sure how good it would be importing a model.
Its fine to run other programs But I don't when cutting.
There used to be a feature in stepconf to import mach3. No idea if it does Mach4
The most useful info is the steps per in Mach. I found it very quick to get a working config if I created a basic working config and hand edited the ini file.
 

GeckoWorks wrote:

Also, I have a wired, cheap MPG and I didn't know about the adversity to USB peripherals. Was and still am thinking about a wireless xhc-whb04b-04 pendent with a USB dongle. Seems someone have managed to make those work on Lcnc pretty recently.  

I also have an aversion to touchscreen machine controls and USB pendants, for the same reason blazini mentions.

Plenty of people have made them work; they work great and some have some rather useful features.

But they sometimes crap out, or have noticable latency.  This drives me nuts, as does not having any tactile feedback from a touchscreen.

Running a program for the first time in single-block, with one hand on the FRO and the other hand punching the cycle-start to walk through the code all while watching the DTG to avoid a turret-spindle kissy-kissy is not something I'm interested in doing with a touchscreen.

Everyone's situation is different, of course.

blazini36 wrote:

rodw wrote:

If you want a well priced industrial monitor, I can recommend green touch www.greentouch.com.tw/
You may find them on Amazon but I dealt direct. So many mounting options now you have a size in mind. 
 
With the exception of the outer bezel their 15.6" panel mount looks exactly like mine. What have  you paid for one of these?

 

I had to get the wall mount version as I was squeezing it into an existing HMI enclosure that was too small to take one like yours. I looked back. 12 nobths ago, I paid USD $157 plus shipping to Australia so all up it was just under AUD $500

I needed 1080p for QTdragon and the existing monitor was only 1536 wide so nothing fitted the display.
 

They have one with a J1900 PC built into  it for USD $287 and I have debated about getting one ike that but I'm sure it will have a Realtek NIC in it.

That thread cutting vid was exactly what I'd cobbled up in my mind, except I'd imagined an X-axis moving as well.

Now take that mechanism, use a less "v-shaped" wire, and add LCNC's external offsets in X to the rotary toolpath.

With some expirimentation you could create some very complicated shapes.

blazini36 wrote:

GeckoWorks post=305244 userid=39868

I love that console! It's the one with the swivel joint to set the angle of the keyboard posted about somewhere else here, right? If so, I already have the pics downloaded to a folder for inspiration. But... I have promised myself not to look at those pics for a long time, haha. 
Reason being, this is my very first CNC not to mention my first Linux endeavor ever. And I am not strong in electronics nor programming, so I've decided to try to keep it as simple as I can for now so I don't take too much on and end up running away from it. 

As such, I think touchscreen and yes, not even hard buttons, even though I know they will be nice to have. And since I wont have them (yet), I will be OK with a larger screen. 

Then with time, when I have actually put some hours onto the control and know my way around it and the machine, I may very well make something like yours - as I said, I frikkin love it:)
Thanks for the words, you must be the person who posted in that thread. As for ease of use/setup, that already has a PC in it configured with LinuxCNC. It has it's own HAL file, so it just has to be "wired in" to the machine's HAL file.

One issue with Touchsecreens is they run on USB, which does not operate in LinuxCNC's Realtime layer so anything that causes the UI to stall makes it so you cannot operate any controls, even the Estop. Most people will cringe and remark if you use some kind of USB pendant but for whatever reason they forget the touchscreens everybody uses are also USB.

You at the very least should do a hardwired Estop. As for other controls, it's not that they are just nicer to press, it's that they have an OS priority to operate. I've had the UI freeze on me while the machine was running in auto and if all you have is a touchscreen when something goes wrong, hopefully you're near the power switch or plug. Holding your finger on a touchscreen widget to jog kind of sucks but it's not the end of the world, you can manage

Good thoughts, all. 
I will definitely have a physical e-stop. The machine has one already but it's on top of the gantry to the right. Once I get the parts for the Lcnc swap, I'll move it to the front somewhere.
Also, I have a wired, cheap MPG and I didn't know about the adversity to USB peripherals. Was and still am thinking about a wireless xhc-whb04b-04 pendent with a USB dongle. Seems someone have managed to make those work on Lcnc pretty recently.  

GeckoWorks post=305244 userid=39868

I love that console! It's the one with the swivel joint to set the angle of the keyboard posted about somewhere else here, right? If so, I already have the pics downloaded to a folder for inspiration. But... I have promised myself not to look at those pics for a long time, haha. 
Reason being, this is my very first CNC not to mention my first Linux endeavor ever. And I am not strong in electronics nor programming, so I've decided to try to keep it as simple as I can for now so I don't take too much on and end up running away from it. 

As such, I think touchscreen and yes, not even hard buttons, even though I know they will be nice to have. And since I wont have them (yet), I will be OK with a larger screen. 

Then with time, when I have actually put some hours onto the control and know my way around it and the machine, I may very well make something like yours - as I said, I frikkin love it:)

Thanks for the words, you must be the person who posted in that thread. As for ease of use/setup, that already has a PC in it configured with LinuxCNC. It has it's own HAL file, so it just has to be "wired in" to the machine's HAL file.

One issue with Touchsecreens is they run on USB, which does not operate in LinuxCNC's Realtime layer so anything that causes the UI to stall makes it so you cannot operate any controls, even the Estop. Most people will cringe and remark if you use some kind of USB pendant but for whatever reason they forget the touchscreens everybody uses are also USB.

You at the very least should do a hardwired Estop. As for other controls, it's not that they are just nicer to press, it's that they have an OS priority to operate. I've had the UI freeze on me while the machine was running in auto and if all you have is a touchscreen when something goes wrong, hopefully you're near the power switch or plug. Holding your finger on a touchscreen widget to jog kind of sucks but it's not the end of the world, you can manage

Thanks. I played with that a bit and its seems fairly clunky so I did something far more drastic. I threw out mb2hal and setup vfdmod. That completely solved that problem but now requires I rework the hal connections. Oh well. I did try a little gtpyvcp and immediatly fell into total failure as my installation doesn't seem to the match the install instructions... Off to fire up the live image to see if I munged it or am just lost. LOL

I fairly recently did a retrofit on a Bridgeport R2E3 mill. I think it is one generation earlier than the machines with the BMDC, but the servo side is fairly similar. My machine had Contraves NC400 servo amps that make a maddening whine, so I replaced them with AMC brush-type servo amps. I used the original motor/tach units, and originally used the stock encoders, too. These encoders were 250-line resolution. They caused some servo hunting noise, and one unit was contaminated. So, I eventually replaced all the encoders with eBay knockoffs labeled Omron, with 2500 line resolution. I used my own PPMC interface board set (full disclosure - I make these as Pico Systems). I also added a spindle encoder so I can do rigid tapping. It all works incredibly well!
After some issues with properly programming a cheap Chinese VFD, I ended up getting an Automation Direct unit that came with a real manual.
Jon

rodw wrote:

If you want a well priced industrial monitor, I can recommend green touch www.greentouch.com.tw/
You may find them on Amazon but I dealt direct. So many mounting options now you have a size in mind. 
 

With the exception of the outer bezel their 15.6" panel mount looks exactly like mine. What have  you paid for one of these?

This is some great info.
I am going to install the iso on the old pc and see how it goes.

Another question on the probing can it do points to cloud? this is something I am really interested in.
Probe a surface and import in my cad so I can recreate a model.

Also the Linuxcnc pc that is running the machine do you guys run other programs in it or is it solely used to run the machine.
I need to run sheetcam, maybe inkscape and vcarvepro if it can be installed (wine)

Anyone know if there is a way to extract all the nessecay info from Mach4 to use whatever is usable when the time comes to install linuxcnc?

I have already bought a cheap probe for when I change systems.
Thank you!

 

There's something off with your ini & hal files. Both exactly the same size and seem to binary files.

  So many good things to respond to.spumco.
While I was at work and changing out runs on the shops 3D printers I had a few chances to dig through
youtube and find some interesting examples. This one company builds a 7 axis foam cutter. Essentially
it's a 4 axis like the usual but with a turn / indexer table attachment and also a lathe attachment. It did
give me some ideas . Maybe I was over thinking the problem I may just need to build a rotary indexer
table for my already operational foam cutter plus I still have an extra axis available on the current
Arduino / ramps 1.4 board. and if I need it to operate as a lathe I just need to add some uprights.
The hard part will still be figuring out exactly how to handle the CAM end . And you may be right  the
answer could very well be slicing the cylidricle model up like a pie and just making cuts like it was a bunch
of 2D splines. Somewhere between 36 to 72 should give good enough resolution and just have the indexer
turn in 5 to 10 degree increments between cuts.

  As far as the thick hot wire for scooping out large chunks of foam at a given time, a bent 12 awg wire
only needs around 2 volts but almost 20 amps and ironically the video showcases the thick wire cutting a
coarse thread in a foam pillar .at 3:25

  Obviously the video in not mine . Some may find the music annoying  but just turn down the audio.

 

I did not know those even existed


back when machines had no memory things were different. my Maho had all sorts of interesting canned cycles for complex motion that you would not have the memory to hold in a program.

"Side note - rodw's mention of rail extensions used as way cover mounts is right on the money. This is exactly how my mill's front Y-axis and Z-axis cover ends are mounted."

physically mounting the way covers is a non issue for me. my main problem is simply making them fit. this machine is really small and extending 100mm for way covers each side actually adds like 30% to the machine length. Don't want that.