PathPilot Tormach Clone Setup

I've got to ask this as I've read a number of posts and although a number of uses have got path pilot to work running a variaty of Mesa Hardware, what is the current (as of end 2020) near enough clone of Mesa Hardware setup that PP will just install on from memory stick?

{I have a lathe, small hobby, complete with step and direction servo spindle (0-2500rpm), and (direct / hollow) spindle encoder (1000ppr).

I don't have an ATC, but I use multifix tool holders}

I just want something that works....



I have to hand a 7i76E which I'm happy to use but I'd rather just explore what a drop in {idiot proof} setup would be currently as time available is short (its a hobby + i have a new job, thanks 2020).... but I'm happy to buy something else Mesa wise. I would rather it was ethernet interfaced and not PCI (5i25) as I don't have any PCI slots...... I use small fanless PC's.....

I've dabbled with linuxcnc on and off over the years but never stuck with it....

Looking for something that just "works" with little under the bonnet time. I've bought a copy of the PP usb a couple of days ago and am waiting for it to ship, so it will be a little while before I'm good to go. Fed up with trying to adapt other things to a lathe application with CSS, threading (taper lead-in / out) and a selection of macros and access to parametric programming.

Its a nice lathe.... I want to get the best I can from it as a hobbyist (no business interest).

Thanks for your time + guidance.

Hey!

I ran my orac on a 7i92 using a breakout board (cmm106) i think......anyway,
to run out of the box, the 7i92 does..not sure about the 7i76..,...but your pins need to match tormach pinouts as it downloads the mesa bitfile on start up unless you tell it to load your own...another learning curve but not impossible...

if you install pathpilot and open up the slantpro hal file you can see what pin (and legacy parallel port pin) serves what function, this way you can possibly match your i/o

I really like pp, all the functions just......work.

One niggle though, on power up all the pins default to logic 1 unless told otherwise....I.e. spindle on at full speed for a few seconds, so you have to do some clever relay stuff or use a charge pump...

be prepared for some fun, pp uses period measurement to determine guard switch status etc so you'll have to get used to it..if you like and when you're ready i can send you my own hal as an examp,e.

after all the ...errr...fun...it's epwell worth the effort....

all the best.

I

hi Dorro, thanks for this I ordered a 7i92

let the fun begin....

I'll help you as much as i can...

read the docs for the 7i92..I ran my stepper drivers direct from 7i92 pins to get things working....but you'll need a breakout board or two...

and yeah..it's fun!.....

.....Hold down left shift and alt when you get the tormach splash screen and you'll get to the desktop...from here you can navigate and edit hal and ini files...

thanks very much
(sorry I got the 7i92 (not 96!!!))... too many similar numbers...

fingers crossed it should all arrive over the Christmas period (I use a forwarding agent from the us to UK as the shipping from tormach and Mesa was eyewatering..... to be fair I actually bought it from mesaus... who do have very sensible and reasonable international shipping costs)

robertspark wrote:

thanks very much
(sorry I got the 7i92 (not 96!!!))... too many similar numbers...

fingers crossed it should all arrive over the Christmas period (I use a forwarding agent from the us to UK as the shipping from tormach and Mesa was eyewatering..... to be fair I actually bought it from mesaus... who do have very sensible and reasonable international shipping costs)

You can get them from Portugal eusurplus.com/

I thought the cost was a little high from there including shipping and Portuguese VAT (23%)

I know where I stand with buying from the US suppliers (I've bought from mesaus before)

7I92H 95.97€
DHL Shipping to UK 22.10€ (only option)
Shipping insurance 12.00€
EU VAT (23%) 29.92€
Total 159.99€
total cost to door £144.80

MesaUS
7192H $89.00
first class shipping $19.50 (option for ups too 61.15... not needed for me)
$ 108.50 >> £80.42
+ 20 % VAT £16.08
total cost to door £96.50

That's not too bad..

I paid a bit less but waited a little longer..I think mine came from eusurplus.com...but i really can't remember.....

It's worth doing a bit of research while you wait, get pathpilot installed and boot to desktop,....if you don't do the keyboard thing it will try to start pathpilot with no ethernet connection to the mesa card and quit.

I made a custom bitfile for my card and told pathpilot to load it at startup, just because i wanted to cover as many options as poss..but it's not required.

you will need to modify the HAL file though because it uses a period measurement to determine if the chuck guard is open or if a limit switch has been triggered.

for my lathe i by-passed this part and connected (netted?) the signals directly to the tags...it will make more sense as you learn how it all bolts together.........

read about ini and hal these files are bread and butter.....

above all.....have fun.

I adapted the signals between the 7i92 and my BOB (an old PMDX-132) using a ribbon cable, and a pin header with jumper wires. Not pretty but it works.

When you get to the Linux screen, find the Startup Apps widget and disable PAthpilot and be sure to enable Mate-panel. From then on you start PP from a terminal with ./operator-login command.

And if you Update pathpilot, your old files will still be on the disk under its verion number.