[xxgoodnite]

I am doing a project that builds a laser cutting machine system, the cutting movement is controlled by 3 servo motors (3 axis), and the 3 motors are paralleled with a motion control card, that card has its VB library. I need to read G-code into that card to make the motor rotate....Currently I don't have any clue on how to realize this...can anyone give me an example or any resources for me to read? Thx!

[bigalexe]

At one time I was trying to translate G-Code into Robot Code and I assume that is similar. I did not complete the project but had a workflow setup.

G-Code movement commands generally can be boiled down to a direction, and a speed. So what I wanted to do was setup a program to do this:

-Read the G-Code file
-Identify each movement, ignoring tool changes and such
-Drop each movement into a database file (MS Access or MYSQL)
-Create a Post-Processor for whatever output you need.
--Post Processor reads the Database
--Transcribes the movements in the database to robot code, using proper syntax

As a bonus, if you do manage to set this up there is another possibility. You can build a secondary program interface to manually add movements to the database directly, and you are on your way to writing your own CAM program.

Hope this helps some.

[xxgoodnite]

it is that I need to write a VB/VC program, let's say we have an interface, there is a button "browse", then a gcode file (.txt or .nc i think) is loaded into the controller, then I click "run", the controller will read the g-code file and move the motor according to what the g-code said.
eg. G00 G01 X0 Y0 Z10, my program should understand how to read G01 X0 Y0 Z10 and then to move the cutting plate (sorry it is a laser cutting system) from coordinate (0,0,0) to coordinate (0,0,10)
currently i know that i don have to deal with post processor, all i have to do is to tranlate the g-code...that is your point one: Read the G-Code file, i'd really like to know how my controller can read the G-CODE...
i am an absolute newbie in the mechanical world...THX!

[mangella]

Hi,
basically i think that you have to create (in VB/VC) something that in literature is called: PARSER.

You must create your own G-code parser.

Try to have a look at www.codeproject.com, there is some general parsers source code.

Hope it helps.

Milena.

[MJ_cnc]

Sounds like you already have your motion card, but Galil Motion control (I don't work for them) has a software product, G-code to DMC. Not sure how it works. The other option is Mach 3 (arcsoft). Mach 3 has a galil plug-in or other controllers. Just a suggestion.

Otherwise, you'll have to write a 'driver' or translate from G-code to your control card's language.

Mark