[vmax549]

IF you were building a new control panel what button functions would you want on it ?? Cycle_start, M3,stop,etc,etc. I have been working with a Pi Pico to do simple hotkeys for PP. ANYTHING that has a hotkey inPP can be brought out to a buttons press.

The Pi Pico can do 26 single ended switches or a key matrix of 100s with a single Pi Pico.

Progam it then plu it into a usb port and away it goes. It is self booting so you never have to fool with it on power up.

(;-) TP

[Al_The_Man]

Cycle_start, M3,stop,etc,etc..

(;-) TP

As well as the general stop, there also should be an E-Stop,
This is required to be hardwired, however, IOW not just into the controller to advise software. But result in disconnecting all motive power.

[phomann]

IF you were building a new control panel what button functions would you want on it ?? Cycle_start, M3,stop,etc,etc. I have been working with a Pi Pico to do simple hotkeys for PP. ANYTHING that has a hotkey inPP can be brought out to a buttons press.

The Pi Pico can do 26 single ended switches or a key matrix of 100s with a single Pi Pico.

Progam it then plu it into a usb port and away it goes. It is self booting so you never have to fool with it on power up.

(;-) TP

Hi Terry
That sounds great. I must admit I’m really enjoying PathPilot.
Cheers
Peter

[Jim Dawson]

A physical E stop and servo enable button, physical controls for VFD control if needed. Everything else on the computer screen that can be operated by a mouse click.

[vmax549]

Yes the idea is to be as mouseless as possible. Touchscreens do not work that well, touchpads do not work that well, tractball nope, jogstick mouse nope, keyboard mouse nope. Nothing beats a good old button pad.
coolant on ? press the button
m3 ? press the button.
probe center of a pocket ?? press s button
probe xy corner set origin ?? press a button
edit gcode ? press a button
Cycle each stage of the ATC ?? press a button
set tool length offset? press a button
change Work offset ?press a button
etc
etc

The Pi Pico I am using cost a wopping $4.00 or $2.00 when on sale (;-) plus a usb micro cable and a breakout board for the pico

(;-) TP

[vmax549]

I have figured out a way to bring almost every function out to an external switch/ keypad. AND then there are special things that YOU can create sub as macros and subs that can be trigger via switch/keypad.

Things are looking up (;-) TP

[vmax549]

IF you wanted to save some time and $$ and want lots of functions you can go with something like this HID programable keypad. This one has 48 keys and comes with software to program the keypad. On amazon it is about $150.

PathPiot does have SOME built in hotkeys AND you can crack PathPilot to add more. What I did was add 48 hotkeys that pointed to 48 SUBROUTINES. That way IF I wanted something new I would only have to modify a suroutine. And subs can run Gcode OR Python scripts.

Tormach COULD make it easy to add this feature but will they ???

This keypad uses standard key caps so yo can add colored caps and insert desriptions in the key caps.

The neat thing is you can build a mouseless system. IF you want to go to the main page press the main button, same with the file page or the tool table page. Yo can alos have action keys such as Cycle_start, Feed_hold, M3/M4 coolant etc,etc

(;-) TP

[mountaindew]

What about the right mouse button click in the code window ro set start line and the pop up menu with the run from here commands! I have found no way to do this without a mouse. Have you?
imho this is one of the most important features in path pilot. All my programs often require access to this depending on how you run them!

[vmax549]

IF you can click on it and make it work then you can press a button and make it work. One uses a mouse click and the other a button press to activate the same function code. In this case you would press a button to activate the Gcode window then use the jog keys to move up or down throught the code then press a button to run the RFH function. I already have a key to do just that. It is part of a RSJC (run stop jog continue) function. RSJC is a very important function when working with machining castings.

(;-) TP

[vmax549]

Here are some of the buttons I am working on . Most are completed some need more work. Some of those are machine specific dealing with the ATC.

CTRL---- A Main Page
B File Page focus on file window
C EDIT Gcode
D Offsets page tool table focus
E Offsets page work offset table focus
F Status Page
G Probe Page X/Y outside corner origin SW
H Probe Page Circ Center Origin
I Probe Page ETS setup

J Cycle Start
K Single Block
L Block Delete
M Feed Hold
N Coolant
O STOP program
P M01/Break

Q Zero X
R Zero Y
S Zero Z
T Zero A

U M3
V M4
W M5

X GOTO G30
Y FRO +10%
Z FRO - 10%


ALT------ A SSO +10%

B SSO - 10%
C MaxVel + 10%
D MaxVel - 10%

E T# __ focus
F S#__ focus

G Index B
H Home B
I Home C

J Move to G37
K Move set tool height

L Door open/close
M H Slide in/out
N Joint up/down
O Gripper open/close
P Arm in/out
Q Vslide up/down
R Drawbar up/down
S Baxis Slide up/down
T Tslot +1
U Tslot -1
V RSJC

[phomann]

Hi Terry,
That’s great. Is there a tutorial on how to tie the key stroke to the function?
I can see the use in using a set of hard coded buttons for page selection and the common functions such as start, pause, stop, reset, etc.

Cheers,
Peter


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[vmax549]

HI Peter, Sorry but no info from Tormach BUT (;-) IF you can email me I can help you out.

[email protected]

(;-) TP

[mountaindew]

IF you can click on it and make it work then you can press a button and make it work. One uses a mouse click and the other a button press to activate the same function code. In this case you would press a button to activate the Gcode window then use the jog keys to move up or down throught the code then press a button to run the RFH function. I already have a key to do just that. It is part of a RSJC (run stop jog continue) function. RSJC is a very important function when working with machining castings.

(;-) TP

Not clear what version your using and if you are able to see what im talking about.
What I mentioned above requires a right mouse button click on a selected line of code.
A run from here pop up menu will appear showing a LIST of different options for restarting code.
Each option works differently and allows users a very precise way to restart code at any point in a program.
I have found no way to do this without aright click of mouse in code window.
Anyway I keep current with pp updates and anything not done by tormach would require a patch to make Un supported devices work.
By choice I am limited pretty much to what they support. Because I use it on a mill, router and lathe.

[vmax549]

HIYA Mountain dew. Yes I understood what you meant about the right click . The RSJC function makes that selection of the RFH function by script not by a mouse click. The script check to see what line you stopped on the does the RFH from the script as well.

I am hoping that Tormach will help us out by makng available a series of hotkeys ALT-a-z and Ctrl-a-z that point to a subroutine such as sub1 - sub52. Then all we have to do is edit the subroutine to do whatever we want as a function. SubRoutines can be either NGC(gcode) or Python scripts. That way all a user has to do to get a special function is edit the subroutine and during an update subroutines are NOT deleted.

Then seeing as you have a hotkey to run the sub you can use a programable keypad to access the hotkey with a single button press. ALSO there are several different manfactors of programable keypads and all of them would work. As well as someone could create a membrane keypad that is waterproof that can be used with a PI Pico to create a unique addition to Path Pilot.

IF you look on CNC4PC's website they DO have a nice 48 key membrane keypad that is used with a POKEY controller that COULD be adapted to a Pi Pico and run with PathPilot.. A little pricey BUT a really nice unit.

I do know that running PathPilot by push button is more efficent than having to wrangle the mouse all day.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

[vmax549]

BUT that was not your question was it (;-) HOW to do a right mouse click by button ??? Have you tried MOUSE KEYS ?? I know it can be done from there. With mouse keys you move the cursor with ley presses and left click with a keypress and right click with a keypress.

You will have to TUNE the MOUSE KEY to make it usefull and smooth.

Do a serach on Linux mousekeys.

(;-) TP

[scott216]

Can you share your Pi Pico program?

[vmax549]

Sure thing Here you go. It is in a ZIP folder called PiPico.zip. I also included the libary you will need. You WILL have to assign your own hotkey codes that you want to use. The sample just has a generic hotkey code set for all pins.

PathPilot DOES have some hotkeys already working. I did ask Tormach to help us out by creating a few more hotkeys for switching pages and setting focus on the windows. Pages such as Main , File, offsets_tooltable offsets worktable. That way everyones has access to the hotkeys AND it does not go away on an update.

BUT !!!!! I have not had much luck lately getting help from Tormach . I guess I made the Black List (;-)



(;-)TP

[scott216]

Sure thing Here you go. It is in a ZIP folder called PiPico.zip. I also included the libary you will need. You WILL have to assign your own hotkey codes that you want to use. The sample just has a generic hotkey code set for all pins.

Thanks. I'll check it out

[vmax549]

OK late back to the game but YES you can with the pipico emulate a left or right mouse click. It can emulate most HID devices. We are also testing the Ipac2/or ipac4 devices.

(;-) TP

[JohnSmith99]

[QUOTE=vmax549;2552624]OK late back to the game but YES you can with the pipico emulate a left or right mouse click. It can emulate most HID devices. We are also testing the Ipac2/or ipac4 devices.

Hello, I'm looking at doing the same thing .. to make a custom controller using a arduino pro micro to make a usb keyboard. The only issue I have is tormach has not put some short cuts into pathpilot that I want to add into my keyboard.. like spindle speed + - and feed + - and max vol + - .. i want to use knobs for those three. has anyone had luck editing pathpilot so they can add in extra short cuts for those features or others?