PathPilot controlled lathe toolchanger

micknucam wrote: Hi Iron Man yes PathPilot outputs a pwm signal it's easy to measure on an oscillascope. I use a tool change start output signal on the 7i76 which starts the pic reading the pwm signal , then pulses the tool change complete signal input on the 7i76. As u select each tool u can see the pulse width change think it's 10 % for each tool The GUI does not know what the actual tool number is u need to type it in there is no feed back !! The PIC handles all that as its last function is to compare the actual tool position with the required. If they don't match it trips a relay and e stops the machine !! My system was a 7i76 CNCBASHER changed the bit file for me and it works solid now !! You need an absolute encoder on your tool changer as its a bit messy otherwise.
Let me know if u need any help my world is upside done at the mo have rebuilt my machine shop and re organised and decorated my electronics room but will keep checking !!

Micknucam

Micknucam thanks. I will probably use a PIC 16F690 if possible. I have a CUI AMT203 12bit ABS encoder with SPI interface. If I understand your work, you wanted a more precise PWM signal.

Iron-Man

andypugh wrote: Presumably in HAL you could see what HAL pin drives the PWM (at a guess, iocontrol.0.tool-number) and send that, instead to a tool changer component in HAL.

Thanks Andy. I want to make as few changes to pathpilot as possible.

Iron-Man

Iron-Man wrote: Thanks Andy. I want to make as few changes to pathpilot as possible.

That would be a HAL config change.

Adding extra hardware _just_ to use a pretty UI that someone has added to LinuxCNC to do things that LinuxCNC can do anyway seems vaguely perverse to me.

Hi guys,
I am in the process of making a tool turret also. Great topic here but I little confusing for me with the PIC and all the setup. I am wondering what would be the simplest way to add a tool turret to Pathpilot?

Thanks,
Raul

which ever way , it all depends on what functions you need , i can add a toolchanger relativey easily ,
it all depends if you want to dig into the code base or not .

cncbasher wrote: Be careful . this is one area where pathpilot changes a few things , especially if you want to interface to their UI
you'll also need to compile from pathpilot sources , rather than the binarys . you may also find other components missing .
so one step at a time .

i'll take a look if you become stuck .

Thanks,

Iron-Man