[florins]

Hi,

I committed myself sometime ago to design another handheld pendant. There are some nice and powerful designs around, but there is enough space for improvement (price-wise, usability, etc.).

This is the brief description of scope of the design:

• Handheld pendant to be used with Mach3 (at least in the initial version);
• USB and / or RS232 connectivity, RS422 optional (for long cables);
• LCD with DRO for 4 axes, selectable; some other functions will be displayed on the LCD as well;
• Jogging on 6 axes (selectable) with: MPG (for the standard version) / keyboard jog (for the light version); Continuous / Step selectable; x1 / x10 / x100 selectable;
• Feed rate override control;
• Spindle and spindle direction control;
• Some buttons are programmable, the function can be changed from the Mach3 plugin;
• Cheap and simple electronic control board, microcontroller based;
• All the selections are push-button style, with memory for the last position and retrieval of the position from Mach3.

There are some other features not detailed here, but these will be revealed during the build log.

I designed two preliminary versions, made some mistakes, learned, and played with the prototype file sets from Mach Support forum (thanks art, jemmyell, poppabear, and all the others that contributed). I have the skeleton of both the firmware and the plugin software, much more to be done .

I am waiting for the new pcb's and the components to come, I will keep posting once I have new facts.
Below you can see two images of the (wrecks) of v0 and v0.1 pendants, and the simulated images of the light and standard version of the actual version.

Please keep posting any opinions and ideas, thanks!

Florin

[GaryCorlew]

Looks great to me! Personally I would rather loose the lcd screen than jog, of the mills I run at work 1 has an lcd screen and I rarely look at it, About the only time I look at it is when my boss wants me to try something stupid, then I can be away from it, if it hits the fan and still see whats going on

[Tartan5]

Hi Florin,

Is the jog shuttle an actual off-the-shelf item, and if so, would you be able to tell me the make/model?

Thanks!
Howard

[florins]

...I would rather loose the lcd screen than jog, of the mills I run at work 1 has an lcd screen and I rarely look at it...

Thanks a lot Garry for the suggestion, I might then add two new versions - one w/ MPG / no LCD, and another one with no MPG / no LCD.

All the best,
Florin

[florins]

Hi Florin,

Is the jog shuttle an actual off-the-shelf item, and if so, would you be able to tell me the make/model?

Thanks!
Howard

Hi Howard,

It is a Hedss, ISM6045-003-1008-5L MPG. You can buy it from Garry @ Zapp Automation http://www.slidesandballscrews.com/i....html?cPath=65, but there are other sources as well.

However, later in the thread, I will show how you can make your own high quality MPG, costing less than 15 dollars.

Cheers,
Florin

[Eurisko]

The simulated pendant with the handwheel is a very nice design. My only suggestion is that you keep the rotary switches for the axis selector and the x1 x10 x100 multiplier.

Rotary switches can't be inadvertently rotated. They stay where they're set.

Just my personal preference

[Khalid]

Florin.. Now i will be happy to get in between 15 and 30 US dollars.. Book 02 for me... Do you make the MPG from Mouse parts?

[florins]

...Book 02 for me... Do you make the MPG from Mouse parts?

Dear Khalid,

This is just a build log, I am still far away from being able to sell this pendant.

The MPG I will present is not made from mouse parts, please follow the thread.

Thanks,
Florin

[florins]

...My only suggestion is that you keep the rotary switches for the axis selector and the x1 x10 x100 multiplier.

Rotary switches can't be inadvertently rotated. They stay where they're set..

Dear Eurisko,

Thanks for the advice, I was balancing the pros and cons myself, but for now I believe that I will keep the push-buttons. It's quite easy to change to rotary switches, but I am expecting the prototype pcb's today - with push-buttons .

As in the previous versions I made, it's not easy to change the axis inadvertently, and it is very reliable. More, the design has memory for the position and it works exactly like the rotary switch - you'll see.

Many thanks,
Florin

[Khalid]

Dear Khalid,

This is just a build log, I am still far away from being able to sell this pendant.

The MPG I will present is not made from mouse parts, please follow the thread.

Thanks,
Florin

After 7-years playing with my CNC, the time has come to follow your thread and make one Pendant... I am very interested in your design..

Recently i purchased X-box360 and making a control panel for my CNC with it..

The MPG and your pendant will further enhance the look of control panel..

Regards

[florins]

I received today all the parts. I don't know when I'll be able to find the time to solder everything, but I'll go ahead as fast as time permits and keep you posted. Hopefully during this weekend I'll have all the electronics done, in order to start the firmware / software design.

Below are pictures of the parts and the pcbs.

All the best,
Florin

[Tartan5]

Looking pretty sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Khalid]

wow.. I see the MPG encoder.. the whole things are impressive..seems pretty expensive after final form..
What is the expected price of your pendant?

[florins]

Dear Khalid,
There is no way to tell you a price that I can commit to, yet.

The MPG you can see in the picture is around 50 euro itself. The pendant that will include that MPG would be pretty expensive, but there will be several versions, with or without MPG (and, as per GaryCorlew's suggestion, with or without LCD).

However, as told before, I will post all the instructions on building a perfect quality open source MPG (not the full pendant) at less than 15 dollars - this design (mechanics, pcbs, BOM and schematics) will be open source, fully documented on my website - I am working on it as we speak. You can already see in the pcbs picture two small square pcbs and a disk - these are the pcbs for manufacturing the open source MPG. I already built two versions of that MPG and I believe that I came to a stable design (100 ppr, 2 phases, mechanical indentation - as any standard MPG). I do have problems with producing a good looking and good quality wheel (I don't have a lathe yet), but that can be sorted quite easy by some of our fellow machinists. I will make available the bare pcbs, the electronic kits, the full kits and soldered boards as alternatives, but you will be able to build it yourself from the instructions.

Hope this helps, sorry for not being able to give you a straight answer yet.
Florin

[Khalid]

Florin
As this thread prolonging, i am getting myself more interested in this pendant... I afraid how the MPG can be made within 15 dollars!!!... If i make the MPG alone, will i be able to control this MPG in Mach3? or i have to make a circuit etc??(that will offcourse cost me more)..

I am thankful to you on behalf of CNCZONE for sharing your work with us.
Regards

[mactec54]

florins

Great job, there is a need for cheaper pendant

Here is one I have that works very well, the lay out of the switches is great as well
The important part to is the the handle on the top, this gives you a place to mount it when not in use

[florins]

Khalid,

The MPG itself can be connected to the paralel port of the computer running Mach (there are some explanations on doing this on the Mach support forum - search there, an example is http://www.machsupport.com/forum/ind...c,14676.0.html).

A pendant would have more functions that a MPG alone, but the MPG alone can still be used. The MPG I will explain would interface like any other MPG in the industry (6 connections - power supply and two pulses in quadrature with negated outputs - GND, +5V, A, /A, B, /B). I believe that you can not get more than this for US$15 (and to be reliable, too), sorry. It will imply some work, but the BOM is pretty simple and you should be able to find the components anywhere. The price is based on 1 unit quantities.

I believe that I have to hurry-up with some details .

All the best,
Florin

[florins]

...The important part to is the the handle on the top, this gives you a place to mount it when not in use

Hi Mactec54,

Thanks a lot for your remarks. The case I am trying to use has a wall mout / tilt stand, but not a handle on the top. However, I believe that a handle can be easily added.

Many thanks,
Florin

[florins]

I succeeded to install all the elctronics components. After some preliminary tests, I will then try to install everything in the enclosure.

In the first attached picture are all the boards: RS232 interface board / USB interface board (these two are options, the device will work with either of them), the main board, and the (soon-to-be) open-source MPG boards (LEDs and main board).

The second picture is the main board, view from the front. The LCD, MPG, and FRO pot are not installed yet.

The third picture is the main board, view from the component's side.

I hope I will be able to post soon some data about the open-source encoder, I am striving to find a proper licence for that. Basically, I wish to give anybody the right to produce the MPG for himself, but I wish to retain the rights for commercializing it - hope this makes sense . I know there is no way to completelly protect this kind of design, as I don't believe there is anyting patentable in it. Any advice is welcome!

All the best,
Florin

[PoppaBear10]

Florin,

Check out this link reply #28 http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...t=57759&page=3 it is Peter Holmanns Pendant kit, that shows it capabilities, your is very simular in general, you should get with Peter, he can probably get you some good component prices as well, since your and his pendant almost use the same case, MPG and LCD.

scott