[Holzwurm56]

Hello,
does someone knows a way to control a cnc-machine with a laptop using usb or network? In the Github i found a project RT-8p8c. Does someone knows this project or works with it? The last change in the Git is four years old.
I have a very small pcb milling machine and when i use a PC, the PC with Display, Keybord and Mouse is greater the the milling machine. Maybe its possible to control a cnc with a raspberry pi and make the communication to the raspberry pi with a laptop?

Thanks

Hans

[tommylight]

Hello,
does someone knows a way to control a cnc-machine with a laptop using usb or network? In the Github i found a project RT-8p8c. Does someone knows this project or works with it? The last change in the Git is four years old.
I have a very small pcb milling machine and when i use a PC, the PC with Display, Keybord and Mouse is greater the the milling machine. Maybe its possible to control a cnc with a raspberry pi and make the communication to the raspberry pi with a laptop?

Thanks

Hans

Try machinekit, that might be what you are looking for.

[Holzwurm56]

Hello Tommylight,
can you tell me what is machinekit?

Thanks

Hans

[hoecken]

Have you tried Googling Machinekit, I don't think so.

If you do you will find a lot of information on the subject.

[Holzwurm56]

Hi hoecken,
i see machinekit, maybe i am to silly but i do not understand what machinekit is. For me its nearly the same as linuxcnc.

Thanks
Hans

[109jb]

Hi hoecken,
i see machinekit, maybe i am to silly but i do not understand what machinekit is. For me its nearly the same as linuxcnc.

Thanks
Hans

Machinekit is basically LinuxCNC on a BeagleBone black mini computer

Your only option for using laptop is via ethernet. Mesa makes ethernet FPGA cards that could possibly work.

[helpmeout]

I use a dell D610 laptop with my cnc, It has a parallel port,Im using the c1g breakout board with usb hooked up to it for 5volts.Ran that 5 volts to each gecko 202s 3-axis with stepper motors connected to them have no. 2,4,6,pins for steps and 3,5,7 for direction. been going that way for a number of years with our any problems, did have the geckos amps set at 4 amps with 65 volts on nema 23s ,but now running nema 17 with current and voltage cut back some

[A_Camera]

does someone knows a way to control a cnc-machine with a laptop using usb or network?

...have you considered other alternatives to LinuxCNC? UCCNC + UC100 (USB) or UC400ETH (Ethernet) together with a tablet would work just fine. You can even use WIFI, if you connect the UC400ETH to a switch and a wireless LAN.

[rodw]

The Mesa ethernet cards work very well and you don't need much of a PC to run it. Here's mine which I've just finished mounting to the touchscreen monitor I use.


I just used the last of the 32 inputs on my Mesa 7i76e today.

The problem with laptops is that LinuxCNC requires a low latency PC and with all of the power saving features of a laptop, they are very rarely suitable for LinuxCNC. The Gigabyte Brix shown has a Celeron J1900 processor and only cost me about $100.

Machinekit is a fork of LinuxCNC. Other than that I know nothing about it.

I don't know why on earth you would consider purchasing a commercial Windows based CNC system like UCCNC or a USB/Ethernet motion board when for a few $ more you can have a free open source system and a Mesa ethernet card with 5 stepgens, 32 inputs, 16 outputs, spindle control, encoder interface, 2 MPG inputs, 3-4 Analog inputs, and basically infinite expansion. For example, I could add 2 more daughter cards to treble the inputs for 15 stepgens etc and more cards via and amazing support from the vendor on the Linuxcnc forum. There is a reason why a number of commercial vendors who have adopted LinuxCNC.

[samco]

I agree with rod...

$199 gets you everything rob explained + almost unlimited expandability..

The uccnc + UC100 is $165 and you still need some sort of breakout board. (and a windows licence?)

The uccnc + UC400ETH is $208 and again you still need a breakout board(s). (and a windows license?)

There are laptops that play well with linuxcnc and rt_preempt.. I use mine for testing and it works great. Robs solution is cool too - there is a lot of options out there now.



sam