PathPilot running 7i80 mesa card

Vmax549 wrote: I do believe it could be made much simpler to setup and modify.

( TP

No one is stoping you from doing just that, instead of repeating in CAPS the same sentence that is absolutely not true, but i do understand why you insist on it.

Of course you beleive that way . All LinuxCNC programmers believe that. The average Joe will disagree with you as well. But that is why there are so many other controllers to pick from and LinuxCNC will remain obscure at best.

Why would I want to try and fix it. I am not teh Man in charge. Besides what you just said is one of teh most repeated sayings in teh LinuxCNC world. IF you don't like it then learn to program and fix it yourself. That drives off potential users faster than anything that could be said. The Linuxcnc gurus have been saying that since EMC.

( TP



It is what it is, (;-)TP

Vmax549 wrote: The real problem with that senario is it may take an average person a year or MORE to half way learn how LinuxCNC works. MOST will never get there.

I think that is crap. Using either stepconf or pncconf the average user should be able to have his machine operational in half a day. Heck, I managed to get mine going just by editing the config files by hand without any experience or any drama.

But people insist on trying to get an unsupported GUI built by a manufacturer for their own machines operational on different hardware and flounder time and again. So when they fail, they blame Linuxcnc ? Personally I don't think there should be a section on this forum for PathPilot.There is nothing in the LInuxcnc docs about it so why should users here support it?

I think we need to seperate 2 different types of users here and fix one statement
it does not take a year to learn LinuxCNC,

For the average user who just wants to run PP, download LinucCNC, run PCNCONF or StepConf and you're up and running as a average user in a very short time. a day or two as your tweak things.

For the user looking to customize PP yes that takes longer if you have no exposure to LinuxCNC first. This is that persons learning curve which could be short or long. I would not say it takes a year to learn LinuxCNC no mater what however.

I know I try to get new users to PP to first get their machine working with LinuxCNC then move to PP. Then when they come here with "It works in LinuxCNC but I don't understand the INI and HAL files" we'll willing to help.

BTW you can run PNCCONF and StepConf from PP. I've added the files and even added ADMIN PNCCONF and ADMIN STEPCONF to the ADMIN commands (just playing around, learning).

As I have stated, PP is a GUI, Tormach made it to support their machines and to support their customers they restricted what it does and does not do. this is not unusual to see vendors disable features of products the incorporate into their support structure.

if you live in that PP is not hard to get running. My one wish of Tormach that would make it easier is if they would sell their machine controller boards to anyone instead of only registered users. then running PP would be a snap for users who want to just run it

@rodw
This forum exists because users like us want to run PP which uses the LinuxCNC engine. To say a forum shouldn't exist because it's not supported, Then they why support any GUI that is not delivered with LinuxCNC, Isn't that the purpose of the User Interface forum, Oh that's right. users help those users out, its only PP that this applies too right.

ANYONE can get a copy of PP in either source code format OR a Complete installable copy of PP ready to go on a USB drive. Teh source code format does NOT include teh copyrighted button graphics you get a generic set of button images.

IF you duplicate teh Tormach hardware it is not hard to setup and it is a nice GUI to use that for teh most part works teh same as a comercial controller. and it gets better over time.

Linux CNC could have done that many years ago but chose not to.

I worked with PP to help someone be able to change teh mesa card to another model with much more I/O so other features could be added, Encoder for rigid tapping and encoders for FRO and SSO and GPIO to run a tool changer. . The original PP ran a 5i25. the lastest uses a 7i92 and I used a 7i80 4 port model. So far so good ,it works . Would I recomend it to everyone ?? Not a chance. The learning curve was extremely steep.

This is my 50th year working around this field so I did not just fall off the cabbage truck this morning.

Yes this site could pull teh PathPilot section ANY time it wants to. The users will just move somewhere else

(;-)TP