[ger21]

Maybe you shouldn't buy unfinished products?

[mastercnc]

Good point...
I fell for all the hype.

[captain_K]

It's March 5th 2010

Is there any new news on the Brain?

[Larken]

Ive heard it will be completely finished and tested on APRIL 1 .

[TOTALLYRC]

Ive heard it will be completely finished and tested on APRIL 1 .

OK, Larken, I'll bite. Which year???

Mike

[MyCattMaxx]

Ive heard it will be completely finished and tested on APRIL 1 .

Not fooling me with that date.... (nuts)

[turmite]

Ive heard it will be completely finished and tested on APRIL 1 .

Hmmmmm, I'ver I could be testing it right now, but chose not to until I get my new machine frame built!

Mike

[granado]

If it's undamaged you can always return it for a full refund of $400 which is what we sold it for.

Mariss

Since you published this I have tried several times to contact with geckodrive.com to refund my g100 but no one responses me.
It´s really true what are you telling?

Antonio

[jimbo7]

Bruce,

How are you progressing on the Brain? How about an Update.

Thanks,
Jimbo7

[jimbo7]

Anyone,

Has anybody heard from Bruce lately. Its been months since his last post. Is he still working on the Brain?

Thanks,
Jimbo 7

[kmcwhq]

I think it's obvious Jim........this is not important any more.

[dirtdiggler]

C'mon Bruce!

Have you given up on the forum updates?

Are you still busy working on the controller or Is it dropped?

[kmcwhq]

It smells to me like the last few "updates" that were posted were also just to buy time to let it fade.........
I am SO disappointed at this point.

[turmite]

The last I heard from him was when I posted the last message on this thread. He had contacted me wanting me to configure my current machine for use with the Brain, but I wanted to wait till I got my new one built. With my wife having cancer for the second time, I haven't been to active here or in the shop.

I normally can get in touch with Bruce within a few days. I will try to make contact and ask him to come here and post. He needs to.

Mike

[brccrb]

Hello from Bruce,

OK guys. First, I'm hardly ever on the Zone (no time). That isn't a slight to the Zone (I love the place). Its just I've been so heads down.

So how to fix this? Here is my personal cell: 865-603-5943. Call me.

Let's see, its taken over a year to get here. This is beyond frustrating, but time is time. What would have taken two months before, now has taken this long.

So how to fix this? Safeguard is being absorbed into another company. I'll have more on this in a few weeks. I'm still in it 100%, just getting the resources needed to support this right. Not to mention getting my time back on this 100% instead of mornings/nights/weekends/holidays.

**********
Here is where we stand:

1) New Core (that runs inside the chip): Done.
-Complete rewrite.
-Focus on stability (through out the !@# auto tuner along with the PIDs)
-Built a debugger that runs inside the chip to debug itself.
-Use true non-linear motion (S-Curve+). This lets you specify motion based on the real physics of the machine.
*Specify S curve for accel and decel
*Optionally specify curves for CW and CCW motion of the motor. Why? The SPINDLE. Anything that moves up/down behaves works with gravity in one direction, works against it the other.
-Dropped the spindle PWM support.
-Dropped the mist/flood signals (replaced with generic relay signals)
-Doubled the internal clock speed in some places, tripled in others.
-Synchronized data read/write up to 128Mb with motion. Useful for print heads/3D scanners/etc..

2) Software (four parts to this)
a) BrainServer: Done
- This service manages the USB ports. It also helps buffer data and organize the data streams. One service can manage a bunch of Brains. The idea here is a hub (see below).
b) HMI: Done (testing)
- This application provides the G-Code parser, Tool offsets. The Brain doesn't natively understand about G-Code or tools or fixtures. It only deals in absolute positions (a number cruncher). The HMI runs the parser, applies the offsets, and formats everything to how the Brain likes the information.
c) WebFront gateway: 95% (testing)
- The WebFront gateway is a mod that sits inside a local Apache install. The base communication piece sits on the SoftBus architecture (this is a whole topic, but basically, it lets anything talk to anything else at binary speeds with near zero overhead). WebFront converts https requests into SoftBus Messages that is used by the HMI. (see below)
d) Default GUI app: 95% (testing)
- The GUI is a collection of html files that use javascript and ajax. These are files you can customize yourself.

3) Industrial breakout board: V0.7.
- Awaiting approval for export.

**********
This combination lets you use the Brain in a variety of ways:
1) Single machine:
- You use the system like the previous application where everything runs on your machine (small memory footprint) and you have a GUI.
- Optionally you can at any time use the machine as a HUB.
2) HUB:
- You install the system on a machine (standard PC, laptop, minibox, etc.). You can plug one or more Brains into the hub. From anywhere you can run the machines (PC browser, smart phone, net book, etc.)
3) Hardcore users for custom machines:
- There are three levels
a) Modify the html source files for a different look or feel.
- Add/Change the G-Code parser.
- Add/Change the HMI Modules.
b) Build your own application to talk to the HMI via web or SoftBus.
c) Build your own application to talk to the Brain Server via SoftBus.

**********
Everything was designed to be used on multiple platforms. Specifically, we wanted to have the option for a minibox Hub running Linux. The idea is to treat the system as an appliance, plug it into an Ethernet cable, and run the machines from something in your hand.

**********
That's where we are.

s/Bruce

[PEU]

Bruce, to keep us interested (well Im not a forum representative, lets say, to keep me interested) besides the interesting technical read you just posted, why not post a ton of videos, photos and screens of the machines you are using for testing, no need for fancy html site, just upload them to youtube or any other video/photo sharing service.

[granado]

The great question is: How much time do we have to wait?... 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years...?

[Ch_Irawan]

Bruce, to keep us interested (well Im not a forum representative, lets say, to keep me interested) besides the interesting technical read you just posted, why not post a ton of videos, photos and screens of the machines you are using for testing, no need for fancy html site, just upload them to youtube or any other video/photo sharing service.

I asked it at 09-02-2008 in here: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...579#post502579

The promise is at 09-04-2008 in here: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...596#post502596

-ichan

[kmcwhq]

If this ever comes to anything that is available to the general machine shop populous at a reasonable price, and it works nearly as fantastic as it is described, I for one will be it's best spokes model.....

But I hope it is understandable that words on a forum, months of silence, and a web site that is mostly abandoned do not convey much confidence.

Wish Bruce luck? YOU BET!

Hold out hope.......?
Getting tougher to do that without some sort of real time line and further details. Quite a few eager folks were left high & dry after being hyped up to the max with this project, myself included.

I'm going to EASTECH in a couple weeks, be super to see some sort of demo there.

[jimbo7]

Bruce,

Thanks for the Update. Please take the time to post updates on about a monthly basis. Helps to keep our brain cells active.

keep up the good work,
Jimbo7