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That should be here forum.linuxcnc.org/ethercat/45336-etherc...step-by-step?start=0
You don't need to compile anything, it is ready to use.

Hi all,

I’m trying to troubleshoot a Heidenhain LS403 linear encoder (1Vpp analog output) that’s connected via a Heidenhain 1Vpp-to-TTL converter to a Mesa card in my LinuxCNC setup.

We weren’t seeing any motion or position data in HAL, so I decided to check whether the encoder is still producing valid analog signals.

I’m fairly new to working with encoders — and also still learning my way around the oscilloscope — so I might be missing something obvious. That said, here’s what I’ve done so far:

• The encoder is powered via the Mesa card: 5 V and 0 V are confirmed and stable.
• For testing, the signal wires are disconnected from the Mesa. I’m only using it to supply power.
• Based on voltage levels and scope behavior while moving the encoder, I’ve identified A+, A–, B+, B–, R+, R–.
• When I probe A+ or B+ relative to 0 V, I see a flat ~2.0 V line. A– and B– show ~1.5 V. Moving the encoder slightly only causes minor fuzz — no visible sine wave.
• When I move the encoder head, the line does become “noisier” — in the sense that it gets visibly fuzzy — but I never see a clean sine wave.
• I also tried using two probes and a CH1 - CH2 math channel on a Siglent SDS1104X-E to simulate differential probing, but still no sine wave appears.
• I’ve played with timebase, voltage scale, trigger settings, etc., without much change.
  
  At this point I’m unsure whether:
  • The encoder might be dead,
  • The signal needs a specific load to show up properly,
  • Or I’m simply not probing it correctly.
    
    Any tips or guidance would be very welcome — especially from folks who’ve scoped Heidenhain 1Vpp encoders before. Thanks in advance!
    

Just another off topic Milling machine vs router anecdote.

I bought a 2nd hand "what I thought" was a milling machine. I later was informed "Thats not a milling machine" (Indiana Jones rings a bell?)
So I learned everything below 5 tons is "not a milling machine".
Criteria for milling machine min. BT40 or HSK63, min. 15kW spindle power (continous load) tool changer

Point beeing, as long as it does what we want it does not matter much (all good).
For communication I now call my supposed mill a "tapping center", because then people know what I mean.

Joking aside I think the difference for hobby users is the ratio between z-height and x-y travel. A router is more flat and large a milling machine more a cube with a z-range in the magnitude of the x-y travel.

I sure did look at your thread and files.

What I am basically looking for is a minimal hal file that will allow PP to start. I don't know which parts of the various hal files posted are mandatory and needed to get PP to launch, leaving out anything not mandatory.

In the end I will use it on a bridgeport that has servo's using a 5i25 and 7i77 board. The mill has been operational for years using linuxcnc but I would like to switch to PP mostly for the excellent conversational. I have not seen any other conversational that even comes close. (I have used nativecam which is the next best thing)

Meanwhile, I have made progress. I got it to launch in sim mode. I also got a INI file that works with the mesa cards I have but crashes due the hal file various pins etc being wrong.
A absolute minimal hal file would help lots, I can add to that once I have PP launching withuot crashes.