[Jleworth]

Hey guys,

I'm not sure if this is the correct category for this question so please let me know if I am better off asking in a different forum. I am getting really close to finishing up the mechanical part of my X2 CNC conversion. I have already built an enclosure for the electronics but I recently acquired and older eMachines W2828 desktop computer and have been considering just installing the breakout board, stepper drivers, and power supply, directly into the PC case since there is plenty of room. If there is any downside to doing this please let me know. I was also thinking about getting a touchscreen monitor and building it into a podium along with the PC to keep next to my mill. I would still include a keyboard and mouse but I just think a touchscreen monitor would be cool and handy to have. Has anyone done anything like this? What type of touchscreen would be best, capacitive or resistive? Regardless of whether I build a podium I still want to have manual controls for edge finding and simple machining like drilling holes, and other tasks that would be easier to do manually then to go through the whole programming process. Is there any software out there that allows you to control Mach 3 with virtual touchscreen control panel and virtual buttons and dials for the x,y,and z axes? If there is that may be the route to take but otherwise what I want is to build a stationary pendant to control Mach 3 like the one on the Hossmachine website. I have no problem soldering or wiring switches, buttons, and encoders, but when it comes to interfacing it with the computer I know very little at this point. I cannot seem to find instructions on how Hoss wired up his controller and I was wondering if there was a good source to find information on how to build something like this. One of the biggest questions I have is what do you hook up the controls to, the breakout board or the computer? The other major question I have is if I am controlling the stepper motors manually, will I be able to view the x,y,z, position and control the machine like you would with a DRO? Or can you only view the g-code that translates into the movement of the motors? It may sound ridiculous to do the CNC conversion and still want to control the mill to machine something manually but I use it for a lot of simple tasks that I wouldn't want to have to take the time to program. Please let me know what you think, any information would be helpful to me at this point.

Thanks,

Jim

[ger21]

Lots of people use Mach3 with touchscreens. No "virtual dials", though.

One of the biggest questions I have is what do you hook up the controls to, the breakout board or the computer?

It depends on how you go about it. You can connect buttons and switches to your breakout board and have them control Mach3 directly, or, you can use a keyboard emulator that sends keystrokes to Mach3.
Mach3 is extremely flexible, and there are a LOT of different ways to do things.

The other major question I have is if I am controlling the stepper motors manually, will I be able to view the x,y,z, position and control the machine like you would with a DRO

If you mean turning the steppers by hand, then no.
But you can use an MPG to have Mach3 move the motors, then it will display the position on the DRO's.

There are probably a million websites and forum posts about customizing Mach3.
Start searching and reading.

[pk7639]

I used the guts of a usb joystick and read the buttons and pots using a script. That gave me two potentiometers which I used for feed and speed over-rides..

[Stigoe]

I believe Hoss used a poKeys for his buttons and switches.

[Jleworth]

Thanks for the responses guys, since I posted my questions I have been reading on it and have found some useful information. Before, when I was searching for answers to my questions I was searching for things like "CNC manual controls" instead of focusing my searches on controlling Mach3.

When I asked if I was able to view the position of the axes when operating the motors manually I did actually mean with the use of a MPG, sorry for not being clear on that one.

I used the guts of a usb joystick and read the buttons and pots using a script. That gave me two potentiometers which I used for feed and speed over-rides..

Is there any good write-up on how to read the buttons using script?

[pk7639]

Is there any good write-up on how to read the buttons using script?

Here's mine
My CNC Adventures

[Jleworth]

I have looked at the specs for my breakout board, which is a Probotixs PBX-RF http://www.probotix.com/manuals/PBX-RF_manual.pdf and I'm pretty sure it does not allow me to connect any kind of manual controls like pots or an MPG. If I have missed something please let me know but if I am understanding this correctly I must use an HID (human interface Device) emulator board if I want to have manual control of my machine. The purpose of this board being to convert signals from physical inputs such as buttons, MGPs, potentiometers, etc. into commands to control Mach3. Right?

So after searching for a board that will do this I have found many different types. Is there a particular board that is popular for a CNC application? I would like to have at least one MPG, a selector switch or two for selecting the axis I want to control, a few pots for spindle speed, maybe coolant flow, etc., and of course buttons. Like I said before I am fairly good on the electrical end of things and especially at re-purposing things. With the physical controls I have listed, is it possible to use the electronics out of an old keyboard instead of one of these boards?

It's surprising to me that there are apps that allow you to control Mach3 from your phone with virtual touchscreen dials and buttons but there is no program like that for your computer that would work with a touchscreen monitor? I just upgraded my hard drive on my computer and I have not re-installed Mach3 yet otherwise I would open it up and look for myself but I have seen screenshots the Mach3 interface that show a virtual dial and buttons on the right side of the screen. Are you able to turn the virtual dial with your mouse pointer? If so then there would be no need for any other software for a virtual control interface that works with a touchscreen monitor because you could do it right in Mach3 right?

[ger21]

but if I am understanding this correctly I must use an HID (human interface Device) emulator board if I want to have manual control of my machine.

It depends on what devices you are using. You can use a simple encoder for an MPG, and wire it to the inputs on your breakout board.

Pots generally require analog inputs, and a Mach3 compatible device that supports them.

Buttons and switches can be wired to input pins on your breakout board, or can be used with keyboard emulators that send keystrokes to Mach3.

Are you able to turn the virtual dial with your mouse pointer?

I already said, no, you can't create "virtual dials" in Mach3.
It may be possible with a Flash Screen, but there are only a handful of people that know how to create them, and there's no documentation on Flash Screens.

[pk7639]

You could use the inputs on your breakout boad for start/stop/jog controls. But you don't have many so you would loose things like limit switches (you only need one input for limits though). It's unlikely that the input isolators on that board will be fast enough for an MPG.
Get one of Pete's ModIO boards. They are a very mature product and have been used by many,, MC-01 ModIO Controller [MC-01] - US$98.00 : Homann Designs!, The preferred CNC Component Supplier Hmm, I see that he's sold out... Get in touch with him, I'm sure he'll runn another batch soon.