Tormach manual controls

I know, I know, it one of those one-off sorta deals. Gosh I wish the PCNC had some sort of manual controls. They don't even need power feeds but simple had wheels would be great.

As an alternative what about a simple benchtop. So when your chamfer didn't cut just right you could throw it in the manual mill make a quick pass & be done, oh and the tormach needs has to stop for that one cut you needed to redo. Does anyone else have this situation?

What I'd really like is a benchtop that could accept my tts system so I'm removing cutters or buying extras...

Steve

I use mine as a manual mill a lot. The jog shuttle works pretty good. The speed slider along with keyboard control works very well too. With MDI and G1 codes, you get to cut with "power feed" as well.

If you need to re-do just one cut, you can scroll to it in the G-code window, right-click the line, and select "start from here."
When it's through, press feedhold and then stop the program again.

And, yes, I use the MDI, typing in manual coordinates, when I want a "manual" mill. As long as I don't confuse X or Y, or confuse positive with negative, when entering numbers, it works fine.

It _is_ possible to add realtime X,Y,Z MPGs to LinuxCNC/PathPilot
If you are not averse to hal file editing and dealing with merging
hal file bits when you upgrade PathPilot

The main problem with "hand wheels" on a CNC is that there's always some lag, so if you "run by look," you may end up overshooting. If you strictly count the turns (like a real machinist) then you can still be OK, it will just look/sound weird...

The jog shuttle works as well as hand wheels for me on my 1100.

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jwatte

The main problem with "hand wheels" on a CNC is that there's always some lag, so if you "run by look," you may end up overshooting. If you strictly count the turns (like a real machinist) then you can still be OK, it will just look/sound weird...

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Actually with LinuxCNC/Pathpilot if the MPG is implemented in hal, it is real time
(there is no significant lag = < 1 ms) Basically the axis motion is geared to the MPG.

You can still have delays if you exceed the machines joint velocity or acceleration
constraints with large jog increments, but there is no inherent uncertain delays
as you would have with non-realtime MPGs (USB etc)

I’ve found MDI to be better than wheels. I end up typing in G1 moves, say on X or Y, then if the cut isn’t quite enough, I can dial Z down a bit and hit the up arrow to rerun a previous move. It’s faster than hand wheels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lens42

I’ve found MDI to be better than wheels. I end up typing in G1 moves, say on X or Y, then if the cut isn’t quite enough, I can dial Z down a bit and hit the up arrow to rerun a previous move. It’s faster than hand wheels.

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I use a combination of MDI and the jog shuttle controller.

Don

Tormach pncnc 1100-3
I have used 3 mpg's and a spindle encoder using a mesa 7i85 coupled to the original 5i25 spare port. with this bit file 5i25_t2_7i85s.bit that peter (PCW) kindly made for me.

Attached excel sheet for connections (change file extension)

Photo's Attachment 417924Attachment 417926
Base ini file
[HOSTMOT2]
DRIVER=hm2_pci
BOARD=5i25
DRIVER_PARAMS="config= num_encoders=4 num_pwmgens=1 num_3pwmgens=0 num_stepgens=5 "
BITFILE0=mesa/5i25_t2_7i85s.bit
DPLL_TIMER_NUMBER = 1
DPLL_TIMER_US= -100

[HAL]
HALUI = halui
HALFILE = tormach_mill_mesa.hal
#HALFILE = custom_encoder.hal
HALFILE = custom_encoder_ilowpass.hal
POSTGUI_SHUTTLEXPRESS_HALFILE = millshuttlexpress.hal
POSTGUI_HALFILE = postgui_tormach_mill.hal
......
custom_encoder_ilowpass.hal:-

net spindle-position hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.position => motion.spindle-revs
net spindle-velocity hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.velocity => motion.spindle-speed-in
net spindle-index-enable hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.index-enable <=> motion.spindle-index-enable
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.scale -4000

## Clive Mpg's May 21- 18

loadrt ilowpass names=ilowpass.mpgX,ilowpass.mpgY,ilowpass.mpgZ

addf ilowpass.mpgX servo-thread
addf ilowpass.mpgY servo-thread
addf ilowpass.mpgZ servo-thread

loadrt or2 names=xen,yen,zen
addf xen servo-thread
addf yen servo-thread
addf zen servo-thread

net sxp.xen-button => xen.in0
net sxp.yen-button => yen.in0
net sxp.zen-button => zen.in0

net jog-mode <= halui.mode.is-manual
net jog-mode => xen.in1
net jog-mode => yen.in1
net jog-mode => zen.in1

net xen-out xen.out => axis.0.jog-enable
net yen-out yen.out => axis.1.jog-enable
net zen-out zen.out => axis.2.jog-enable

# X MPG ilowpass
setp ilowpass.mpgX.scale 10
setp ilowpass.mpgX.gain 0.01

setp axis.0.jog-vel-mode 0
net x-jog-counter <= hm2_5i25.0.encoder.01.count
net x-jog-counter => ilowpass.mpgX.in

net ilowpass-0-out ilowpass.mpgX.out
net ilowpass-0-out => axis.0.jog-counts

setp axis.0.jog-vel-mode true
setp axis.0.jog-scale 0.0000492

# Y MPG ilowpass
setp ilowpass.mpgY.scale 1
setp ilowpass.mpgY.gain 0.01

setp axis.1.jog-vel-mode 0
net y-jog-counter <= hm2_5i25.0.encoder.02.count
net y-jog-counter => ilowpass.mpgY.in

net ilowpass-1-out ilowpass.mpgY.out
net ilowpass-1-out => axis.1.jog-counts

setp axis.1.jog-vel-mode true
setp axis.1.jog-scale 0.000492


# Z MPG ilowpass
setp ilowpass.mpgZ.scale 1
setp ilowpass.mpgZ.gain 0.01

setp axis.2.jog-vel-mode 0
net Z-jog-counter <= hm2_5i25.0.encoder.03.count
net Z-jog-counter => ilowpass.mpgZ.in

net ilowpass-2-out ilowpass.mpgZ.out
net ilowpass-2-out => axis.2.jog-counts

setp axis.2.jog-vel-mode true
setp axis.2.jog-scale 0.000492

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clive S

Tormach pncnc 1100-3
I have used 3 mpg's and a spindle encoder using a mesa 7i85 coupled to the original 5i25 spare port. with this bit file 5i25_t2_7i85s.bit that peter (PCW) kindly made for me.

Attached excel sheet for connections (change file extension)

Photo's

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Would you go into detail about how this is done?

I have gotten used to the jog shuttle, but I would still prefer a real MPG like a VistaCNC.

I do surfacing and similar long cuts with the jog shuttle from time to time, but I prefer to use the MDI line for "manual" machining as I can preload the next command I want to execut (as long as I don't use the space bar - LOL) so I can do the next thing quicker at the end of the current cut.

I have MPGs on all of my other machines that are currently in use. Even my little Chinese noodle router.

How is it that Vista pendants work on LinuxCNC but not PP?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CL_MotoTech

How is it that Vista pendants work on LinuxCNC but not PP?

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I don't know. I spent some time on it and never got it to work.

I see in pictures now and then a jog wheel on new mx models. Maybe something they are working on. The pendant works well, I do have years of practice. As others mentioned conversation and midi will go long way, again with practice. Some things like gears on 4th axis are way quicker to setup, touch off and do the math with midi moves then to ever try and cam real gear models in the cam software I use any way. You can still do it with 2d ops and rotary translations in cam, but cutter profiles and other data is not there for complete simulation and Brute force is the way to make a few fast.


I take this back on cutting gears. I found the one setting in 2d ops that was always causing a problem when generating the g-code. Code posts out correct and compact like it should now.
Attachment 418152