[bunalmis]

Hello,

I am happy because I found this discussion group.

I build my mini router and i wrote all software.

My machine has 3 axis but I can use 2.5 axis. (Z axis works on-off)

Does your programs use G-M codes ?

I must write own G code interpreter for my control electronics,
but this is need long time. How you solved this problem ?

Which program do you use for CAD. How do you use by your machine ?


Bulent UNALMIS

[chuckknigh]

TurboCNC.

It's a $20 shareware (free download, and not crippled) CNC control package. It's DOS based, and is HIGHLY configurable through a turbocnc.ini file. Not terribly unfriendly, either.

There are also a lot of other choices, some of which advertise on the top of the forum pages...FreeMill, I think, is another, and Mach1 is good, and EMC is one that runs under LINUX but will control anything at all.

Just look around...you'll find all sorts of options.

-- Chuck Knight

[balsaman]

If your machine uses stepper motors, and your electronics uses step and direction inputs, you can use TurboCNC www.dakeng.com

Yes, the machines use G and M codes.

You can use AceConverter to convert DXF files to G codes. www.yeagerautomation.com

Eric

[wjbzone]

Welcome to cnczone

Sounds like a lot of work to write your own controler software. Beyond what I would want to try.

I use turbocnc (from dakeng.com) and have looked at Mach1. They both use G-M codes.

I am using my machine for cutting wood - I like programming 3d shapes. I use autocad / tahlcam for generating the G-code.


Bill.

[HuFlungDung]

Welcome, Bunalmis

I've been reading your other postings, and it seems like you are quite an experienced technician. We look forward to your input. I hope reading and writing English is easy for you

[bunalmis]

Thanks for your answers.

My control electronics has not direction and clock input.

Control electronics receive commands from the PC (RS232) and has only two command. (Move from current position to new x,y,z coordinate, and set the spindle speed command).

Control processor is doing lineer interpolation and calculate the stepper motor coils currents calculations.

Therefore I must write the own G-M code interpreter or I must find ready source.

CNC system may be slow If I use the PC instead of the control processor (My idea). Am I true ?

Bulent UNALMIS

[balsaman]

I use the PC for control. My machine has a resolution of .00013888 inches per pulse from the parallel port and it moves 150" per minute (18,000 hz). Even at that rate the speed limit is mechanical, as the PC is capable of ~27,000 hz. (pentium 166).

Step and Direction inputs from the PC parallel port is the most common method of controlling steppers, (and servo's) and all the easily available software supports it, as do all the driver boards.

Eric

[Gnu]

how do you know were on the parallel port you connect to the driverboards??

//Gnu from sweden

[balsaman]

The parallel port is numbered pins 1-25. Some are inputs, some are outputs. If you buy a driverboard it's all done for you, and the software just needs to be setup for your driver. With gecko drives it's a little more trouble, but not much. You just need to figure out what you want to do what, and hook it up accordingly.

Eric

[Gnu]

noone of the programs I have tells me anything about that :S atleast I dont understand it..

and some programs say that you cant setup the driverboards if they are'nt installed.

But this is how my stuff works. At each board I have one input for the steps and one for the direction and one to reset some counter and then its some jumpers to decide what kind of driving you whant.

[balsaman]

Yes, look at the board paperwork. It will tell you what pins are for direction, what pins are for step, and what pins are for enable etc. Setup the saftware the same. (what software do you have and which board?)

Eric

[chuckknigh]

OK, on TurboCNC ( www.dakeng.com ) open up the turbocnc.ini file. Take a look around. Its format is pretty straight forward...labelled sections with clearly labelled enries. You'll find sections for each axis, and entries within them for step pin and direction pin. The numbers are even in decimal instead of binary, so it's particularly easy to read.

Alternately, you can do this setup from within the program, itself. Menu choice 6 on the main menu.

-- Chuck Knight

[Gnu]

for now I have KCam 4 and my boards are selfmade and can drive with halfstep and different kind of wavedriving. I also have soem other free progs like FreeMill but I cant configure any of them

thanks for all the answers

//Isak - sweden

[balsaman]

kcam generally makes your motors run rough and slowly. You will be able to go faster with a dos based software.

Eric

[bunalmis]

" I use the PC for control. My machine has a resolution of .00013888 inches per pulse from the parallel port and it moves 150" per minute (18,000 hz). Even at that rate the speed limit is mechanical, as the PC is capable of ~27,000 hz. (pentium 166)."


Hello Balsaman,

You said my machine axis speed 150" per minute.

PC must interprete the G codes and calculate the interpolation and produce "Clock" and "DIR" signals. 18Khz is 55 microsec and this is very short time for these jobs. (My idea)

What could to be your machine axis speed for following conditions?

G0 X0 Y0 Z0
G1 X300 Y200 Z100 ; X=300mm Y=200mm Z=100mm Feed rate ??

What is the maximum feed rate ? You can measure by watch this is not critic.

May your PC produce 18Khz step clk while for the command G1 X300 Y200 Z100?

Can you write, what is the screw pitch?

Thanks.

[balsaman]

bunalmis,

I will time it when I get it back together, as I am currently building a control (electrical) box for it. The 150" I stated was rapid moves (g0), but I see no reason why it won't be the same for a G1 move as long as the feed rate is specified at F150. I will test it this week.

Turbocnc calculates a max pulse rate based on the computers speed each time it starts. On my box it specifies ~27 khz. From what I understand, this is the max setting you should specify for your fastest axis.

I am using 3/4-6 acme rod.

Eric

Originally posted by bunalmis
" I use the PC for control. My machine has a resolution of .00013888 inches per pulse from the parallel port and it moves 150" per minute (18,000 hz). Even at that rate the speed limit is mechanical, as the PC is capable of ~27,000 hz. (pentium 166)."


Hello Balsaman,

You said my machine axis speed 150" per minute.

PC must interprete the G codes and calculate the interpolation and produce "Clock" and "DIR" signals. 18Khz is 55 microsec and this is very short time for these jobs. (My idea)

What could to be your machine axis speed for following conditions?

G0 X0 Y0 Z0
G1 X300 Y200 Z100 ; X=300mm Y=200mm Z=100mm Feed rate ??

What is the maximum feed rate ? You can measure by watch this is not critic.

May your PC produce 18Khz step clk while for the command G1 X300 Y200 Z100?

Can you write, what is the screw pitch?

Thanks.

[bunalmis]

Hello Balsaman,

G0 command may not use the interpolation. (I am not sure)
But G1 use interpolation routines, therefore working time
must be long.(I think)

Motors may be lost the syncronizm at the fast feed rate.
But this is not importand. Because I want learn the frequency of
produced step clock.

I am beginning to my new motion control card design.
Your feedback very importand for me.

I want to use one PC, one vector processor and 3 motion processor
but now mixed my head. I may use only one pc and 3 motion processor.
(I want to build high speed machine.)

Thanks.

[Gnu]

Originally posted by balsaman
kcam generally makes your motors run rough and slowly. You will be able to go faster with a dos based software.

Eric

there are programs who stop the computer from multitasking. I know a program, WinTask. I've heard that it work pretty good. Ofcourse its no proffessional things but for a cnc hobby newbie like me..


EDIT: any suggestions for free programs?

[boxwood]

Hi Gnu

If you try the wintask let us know how it works

[bunalmis]

Hello Balsaman,

We use metric system I am far from the inch system.

What mean 3/4-6 ?

I know only 1 inch 25.4 mm.