[Elmi99]

Hi,

there are a lot of CNC controllers out there which makes it a bit difficult to find a suitable one. So I try to ask this question here:

I'm looking for a CNC controller which is Open Source/Hardware, means where all data of this controller are available and free and open to the public.

This controller should have at least three axes X, Y and Z and a programming interface where one can send the coordinates to where the axes should be driven to (all with each other keeping the motion path, so a plain three-axis motor controller does not work). additional interfaces for reference switches and turning a tool on and off should exist too.

So: any idea or suggestion regarding such a hardware? Does something like this exist?

Cheers

Elmi

[my-cnc]

LinuxCNC is open source - LinuxCNC

[Jim Dawson]

Galil Motion Control products pretty much meet your requirements. http://www.galilmc.com/ Full coordinated moves of up to 8 axes, up to 80 I/O points for operating/reading external devices. Programming by any text editor. Extensive, free documentation. About as close to open source as you can get.

[109jb]

As I understand your requirements:

1. 3 axis coordinated motion
2. Reference switch (Limits) integration
3. Spindle on-off

GRBL has all of this and runs on an inexpensive Arduino. The firmware is open source, and the Arduino Hardware is also open source. However, since a clone Arduino can be bought for about $4 there really is no point in going that route.

https://github.com/gnea/grbl/wiki

Control of the arduino is via a simple serial stream over USB. There are several free and open source host programs for sending g-code commands. The host computer can be just about anything since the realtime functions are handled on the arduino. I use an old intel Atom powered netbook and it works great.

[Elmi99]

But LinuxCNC is only a software, not a controller hardware?

[Rieks]

Hello Elmi,

Look on de site of: "einfach-cnc.de" this is a site in german about transforming conventional hobby machines into
fully CNC controllable machines.
An existing machine as there is, a BF20 from Optimum, Quantum or other machines like these (Chinees clones) are all good machines for the mony,
will cost you ca, 200,00 - 250,00 Euro's per axis, to do it the right way.
For the software I am using MACH3 from Artsoft (Newfangled Solutions), this is not a free program, bud you can download it
for free as a Demo version. The licence is ca. 150,00 Euro's.
An other possibility is LINUXCNC as mentiond by MY-CNC #2.
I recently downloaded this Linux CNC program, but de manual contains more than 700 pages, so it wil take me a while to find my way.
To build a good and useble machine You can't do it for less mony I think, but my opinion for a better one.

Rieks

[Al_The_Man]

But LinuxCNC is only a software, not a controller hardware?

So by your definition of open source hardware you require the design detail, firmware, PCB boards and layout etc and build your own??
Al.

[Rieks]

Hi Elmi
On the sites: cnc4pc.com and warp9td.com you find all the hardware you need.
For the drive of the axes you need Steppermotors or Servomotors with there own Drivers.
A servomoror plus driver in a lot more mony then Steppers, but for the most hobby machines
the Steppers will do the job.
My BF20 Mill uses for X-axis and Y-axis Steppers with a hold torck of 4 nM.
My Z-axis uses a 12 nM Stepper. and only X- and Y- axes have ball-spindles.
There is a lot of information of how to connect everything together.
I hope that You make your mind up on what you want before bying stuf.
There are so many visions and opinions on the www, how you must do it, so is is not
difficult to become confused, so, read and study the informaten You get and
draw your plan.

Rieks

[109jb]

LinuxCNC runs on a PC, so the PC is not open source, but the PC may be all you need. I have one 3 axis machine running LinuxCNC and another 3 axis machine running on Grbl. The LinuxCNC machine used an old PC and the output to the motor controllers is via the PC parallel port. Nothing else is required but a breakout board is recommended. You are going to need something to send the commands anyway, so the fact that the controller is on the PC isn't really a hindrance. The PC I use on my machine I got for free from a company that was going to throw them away when they upgraded. The parallel port limits the step rates you can achieve, but I get about 45khz out of the old PC I use and it is an old Pentium 4 machine.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[109jb]

Forgot to tell about the grbl machine I have. It is a 3 axis mill and the stepper drivers connect direct to the Arduino so no breakout board is required. The Arduino connects to the house PC via USB and there are many open source programs for sending the coffee from the PC to the Arduino. I wrote my own. Since the host PC is only sending the code and the Arduino is actually responsible for the machine movement, the PC can be just about anything. I use an ultra slow netbook on mine. This setup works great. Grbl is limited to about 30khz, but that is fast enough for a lot of machines.

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