[andypugh]

Well durn it, that means the encoder wheel I designed wont work..

Very late with this info, but it would have been fine.
You can add a B-phase with a second sensor N +/- 0.25 teeth offset round the wheel, and use a deeper slot for index.

You can see the one I made for my (nasty, Chinese) mill at 25 seconds into this video

[andypugh]

Sorry, that was meant to be a link to 25 seconds in, and not a whole embedded video. (because the video, other than the encoder, has no relevance at all to this thread).
I don't see any way to delete or edit my post, though.

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

Very late with this info, but it would have been fine

Never too late Andy.
Ya, I realized I could have merely added another sensor or two and basically made the quad and index pulse - but too late into adapting the encoder I have. Been having some frustration with it though and am a little concerned about the 1000 cpr so, I might fall back to my first idea.

can you tell me about your electronics? are you using pathpilot?

[andypugh]

can you tell me about your electronics? are you using pathpilot?

I was using normal LinuxCNC (and I still am) and the interface is a Mesa 7i43 card in the video. 1000cpr should be no problem at all with the Mesa card encoder counters, if you can find an extra one.
Does the HAL file specifically disable encoders? Look at the "loadrt hm2_pci" line to see.

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

I ...Look at the "loadrt hm2_pci" line to see.

It says: loadrt hm2_pci config=" num_encoders=0 num_pwmgens=1 num_3pwmgens=0 num_stepgens=5 "

I have a 5i25 with the first port connected to a 7i76 and the second port connected to a C10 BOB. havnt done anything with them yet since 1. I'm still wrapping up the encoder install and 2. I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to linux/hal/...etc.. yet.

[andypugh]

It says: loadrt hm2_pci config=" num_encoders=0 num_pwmgens=1 num_3pwmgens=0 num_stepgens=5 "

Just delete the "num_encoders=0" part and see if any appear :-)

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

Just delete the "num_encoders=0" part and see if any appear :-)

Well that was interesting...

deleting the num_encoders=0 yielded an error during pathpilot startup: "Machine control software expierienced an error. Install a software update"
changing the num_encoders to equal 1 threw the same error. Changing it back to zero, pathpilot started up fine.

Finished encoder install.. moving on to wiring....
https://youtu.be/p44Roc9Zebc

[andypugh]

deleting the num_encoders=0 yielded an error during pathpilot startup: "Machine control software expierienced an error. Install a software update"
changing the num_encoders to equal 1 threw the same error. Changing it back to zero, pathpilot started up fine.

Interesting indeed. It sort-of suggests that the encoder modules are in there, but are grabbing a pin that another part of the HAL file wants to use.

Does the mesaflash --readhdmid command that was suggested earlier by PCW work?

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

I've been unable to make it work so far but I believe this is where my lack of linux expereince comes in. I can find the mesaflash executable file using a search window but the files appears to be unavailable to me.

I try navigating to the file...
I try putting it on a usb stick, then navigating to that file..
all I ever get is mesaflash:command not found

i'm sure there's some secret decoder ring method for getting it to run but so far, Linux hasnt shown me any love whatsoever.

[brianbonedoc]

There are a couple problems. The mesa flash for the 1100 doesn't have any Quad encoder flashed to the firmware.

I would see if PCW can add the Quad-IDX Quad-A and Quad-B to the P2 connector in the flash. Or if you are a super hacker you can download the xilinx software and try it yourself (I never could figure that out)

Then in your HAL file, if you change the num-encoders to 1 it shouldn't error out.


Then you will have to modify this bit of code to match the 1100:

You will have to change the encoder scale to match how many PPRs you have but multiply x4 because of the Quadrature nature.

Based on whatever pins the Index, A, and B signals you use- you will change the gpio pins to match.

That will get you close. This snippet is from the tormach lathe hal file - that I had modified to run my Grizzly PathPilot lathe.

Once you get the mesa flash modified then it shouldn't be too hard for us to help.

################################################## ######################
# Spindle Encoder
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.counter-mode 0

# setting scale negative makes spindle position increase in CW
# and decrease in CCW - if this not done threading and rigid tapping stall
# perhaps swapping the A-B encoder inputs would have the same effect
# for quad encoder change counter mode to 0 above and scale below to 1024x4=-4096
#should be 4096 but trying this
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.scale -4114.05
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.filter 1

# see 'man hostmot2' for descriptions - I added entire index mask invert line
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.index-mask 0
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.index-mask-invert 0
setp hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.index-invert 0

net spindle-position hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.position => motion.spindle-revs
net spindle-raw-velocity hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.velocity => motion.spindle-speed-in lowpass.0.in
net spindle-velocity lowpass.0.out
net spindle-index-enable hm2_5i25.0.encoder.00.index-enable <=> motion.spindle-index-enable

# note: gpio pins only read at servo thread frequency
# these nodes are only for driving diagnostic "LEDs" in the UI
# this is only going to be useful when the spindle is rotated by hand slowly
net spindle-phase-A hm2_5i25.0.gpio.014.in
net spindle-phase-B hm2_5i25.0.gpio.015.in
net spindle-phase-Z hm2_5i25.0.gpio.013.in_not

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

The mesa flash for the 1100 doesn't have any Quad encoder flashed to the firmware.

Andy, what firmware are you using?

perhaps I should just follow what the OP did and use a parallel port...

[brianbonedoc]

Using parallel port may be easier but I am not sure it's fast enough - how many PPRs for your encoder?

If you do the math spindle speed of 5100x 4096 (for a 1024 PPR encoder) = 20,889,600 pulses/min

divide by 60 for pulses/sec = 348,160 or 348khz which may be pushing it for a parallel port.

[samco]

50khz is pushing the printer port

sam

[Contract_Pilot]

SoCalPlaneDoc, Nice Encoder Setup.

[andypugh]

i'm sure there's some secret decoder ring method for getting it to run but so far, Linux hasnt shown me any love whatsoever.

You might need to make the file executable.

ls -l

will give you a long-form file listing, with x in the attributes meaning "executable". You can either use
chmod +x mesaflash
or right-click in the file browser GUI and turn on execute permissions.
Also, you often need to type a ./ in front of a file name to make it run.

./mesaflash ....

If it says that the file is not found then it might be lying, and it is a permissions problem.

sudo ./mesaflash

Would be the nuclear option.

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

SoCalPlaneDoc, Nice Encoder Setup.

Thanks! but I've abandoned it in favor of m original concept, which is very much like Andy's The specter of having to get special firmware was the line I didn't want to cross.
I'm doing annuals on a '47 Bellanca and a '76 Skylane, and I just got some more paid work for the mill so the encoder has to wait, but I'll get back on it ASAP.

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

You might need to make the file executable.

ls -l

will give you a long-form file listing, with x in the attributes meaning "executable". You can either use
chmod +x mesaflash
or right-click in the file browser GUI and turn on execute permissions.
Also, you often need to type a ./ in front of a file name to make it run.

./mesaflash ....

If it says that the file is not found then it might be lying, and it is a permissions problem.

sudo ./mesaflash

Would be the nuclear option.

Awesome, I'll try these when I get home..

[SoCalPlaneDoc]

You might need to make the file executable.

ls -l

will give you a long-form file listing, with x in the attributes meaning "executable". You can either use
chmod +x mesaflash
or right-click in the file browser GUI and turn on execute permissions.
Also, you often need to type a ./ in front of a file name to make it run.

./mesaflash ....

If it says that the file is not found then it might be lying, and it is a permissions problem.

sudo ./mesaflash

Would be the nuclear option.

ls -l
-rwxrwxrwx 1 operator operator 194899 2017-04-30 09:40 mesaflash (mesaflash in green text)

/mesaflash - No such file or directory
sudo ./mesaflash - command not found


looks like the nuclear option was made in North Korea


******** WHOOPS ******

Didn't notice the period in there before. mesaflash now runs however it says that --readhdmid is an unrecognized option

[PCW_MESA]

ls -l
-rwxrwxrwx 1 operator operator 194899 2017-04-30 09:40 mesaflash (mesaflash in green text)

/mesaflash - No such file or directory
sudo ./mesaflash - command not found


looks like the nuclear option was made in North Korea

did you try ./mesaflash (/mesaflash would not work unless mesaflash was in the root directory)
(./mesaflash assumes mesaflash is in the current directory)

if
sudo ls
fails, that suggests that sudo has been disabled (its probably there but not in the shells path)

(and you need sudo for access to PCI cards)

[andypugh]

l
Didn't notice the period in there before. mesaflash now runs however it says that --readhdmid is an unrecognized option

I can't find an actual manual for mesaflash, but the --help output can be seen in the source code:
https://github.com/micges/mesaflash/...saflash.c#L100

It is --readhmid