Help Wanted for creating new UI with Qt and EtherCAT

Hi folks,

I'd like to create a new interface and am in need of some help. I'd like to create something like the attached mockup, and overall it is fairly ambitious. I've installed and messed around a bit with LinuxCNC, a few existing interfaces, and Qt Designer, but haven't been able to completely figure it out. I have some programming experience in C# but not in Linux. Trying to sort out all the pieces of LinuxCNC is not easy, so I'd be happy to pay for someone's time to help get me started with a bit of tutoring or coding work. Once I get started off right I should be able to take it from there.

The end goal is to create a modern looking and user-friendly interface, with a lot of common sense features built in. I am a mechanical engineer and own a small machine shop, and I've got some designs for a CNC machine I'd like to build and possibly sell. If we can create an interface that is also customizable and open source so others can make use of it, that would be a bonus. I would like to avoid any dependencies on existing interfaces, not sure how reasonable that is but I know it will definitely be much more work.

I would like to use EtherCAT and have seen some posts regarding it, but not sure how well it is supported, or if there are any issues with implementing it. The system ideally would be a small PC connected directly to EtherCAT servos drives, I/O modules, etc.

The interface design is based on  www.openbridge.no/.

Any advice, cautions, referrals, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

Probably start with qtdragon and customise it to suit. TTS toolng and a probe works well in it. I use it. If you premeasure tool length as Tormach does it, you don't need a tool height sensor.

Ethercat is certainly a lot easier to use today than it used to be but becasue you are interfacing linuxcnc with the ethercat master, there is some additional complexity in setting it up. But it only took  a day for me to get movement.

Thanks for the info. I tried modifying qtdragon, I think where I got stuck is not being able to find the .ui file to edit, it wasn't in the config folder. It would be great to have a look at that. I would want support for a tool height sensor and can program that if you mean qtdragon does not include it.

Can you elaborate on EtherCAT and how you set it up?

There is a sticky I put together installing ethercat in the ethercat section.

There is a sticky I put together installing ethercat in the ethercat section.

modifying qtdragon - depending on what version of linuxcnc you are using...
open a terminal and type 'qtvcp copy' no quotes

A dialog for copying screen code to the user configuration folder should display.

looks like this:
linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/gui/qtvcp-v...ub:qtvcp:panels:copy