Sinumerik controlpanel with Linux CNC

The manuals can be found here:
support.industry.siemens.com/cs/document...tzung?dti=0&lc=de-CH
These panels seem to come with several different interfaces some "user" buttons are directly available on individual pins some are matrix-keypads that can send HEX codes over USB then there is Profinet, step7 ...

Onkelmat wrote: wow that panel looks brand new !

It is (and already out of date!).

Profinet isn't very friendly (outside Siemens walled garden) as far as I know - I think Aciera is effectively advocating looking at older model MCPs.

Speaking of Profibus, I just found this:

bues.ch/cms/automation/profibus.html

Explicitly mentions integration of Profibus into LinuxCNC.

Maybe somebody finds this interesting. I have no experience with this though.

Does someone know of the matrix works ? is it like an Keyboard "Collum/Row" array or is there some brainbugs logic ? As far as I distrust Siemens i think they won´t go the whole mile to encrypt their peripherals to a certain point.

Has anyone access to some internal Documents ? or some extra information.

Onkelmat wrote: Does someone know of the matrix works ?

If you can find simple row-column pins then LinuxCNC has:

linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/man/man9/matrix_kb.9.html

Which can work with GPIO or (better) with a Mesa 7i73.

And then there is a new HAL component that I am keen for someone to try out properly:
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/man/man1/sendkeys.1.html

Aciera wrote: Speaking of Profibus, I just found this:

bues.ch/cms/automation/profibus.html

Explicitly mentions integration of Profibus into LinuxCNC.

Maybe somebody finds this interesting. I have no experience with this though.

Hi@all!
I have the same MCP Panel from the first pic here on my mill but didn't come to a solution for using it.
There are different types of it available. Ones with idc headers (maybe simple row/column) and also different types of bus connection. Newer ones with profinet may won´t actual be usable for linuxcnc machines.
The older idc ones may will work but there is soo much wiring and i think with those leds onboard the wiring will be much painful..
So a bus connection would be really great.
My MCP comes with a MPI bus. So pyprofibus may also not be helpful in this case.
I really want to try that panel connected to a RS485 converter to see if its usable but I honestly don't know how to start.

Cheers
Conny

The IDC one definitely looks to be matrix-wired. It should be possible to mount a 7i73 on the back of it and make it into a smart-serial device.

Hi Andy,

yeah totally. But what about the button LEDs are there so many outputs on the 7i73 free for it?

For reference: already posted pics of the pcb here forum.linuxcnc.org/30-cnc-machines/34845...it-with-7i76e#113857

do you also see chances to get this type of mcp working?

Thanks
Conny

JimPanski wrote: yeah totally. But what about the button LEDs are there so many outputs on the 7i73 free for it?

If there is an LED for each button, maybe not. Though Charlieplexing might help.

For reference: already posted pics of the pcb here forum.linuxcnc.org/30-cnc-machines/34845...it-with-7i76e#113857

That looks like a lot more than a simple matrix-wired keypad. I think that one would be a challenge. Is that really the same as the one in forum.linuxcnc.org/30-cnc-machines/41429...-cnc?start=10#200813 ?

Charlieplexing sounds interesting - but it has the limitation for one led at a time

Yes, these pics are from my panel (but mpi type) which is the same type as Onkelmat postet in the first post at the first picture here in this thread.
Mine was connected by MPI bus on the S7 plc on the sinumerik FM-NC.
After I understood that this is no simple serial connection I was searching the siemens docs and found the other types of it but with different connection types.
It would be really nice to get away connecting it by a bus connection rather than throwing it away - buy matrix type of it - buy 7i73 - connect gazillions of wires :dry: ...