Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: DeanoM on December 30, 2012, 11:48:02 PM
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i need to buy myself a pendant but due the the many available i am a little confused as to what on the get.
i don't have an issue with spending good money on good product.
i think i want something with a MPG.
i am building a custom controller so need to know whatg buttons i can leave off the controller as they may be present on the pendant so there is no point doubling up on things like a mpg etc.
what as you guys recommending ?
have looked at the vista cnc gear. looks the goods but is it good?
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I started off with one of the Shuttle Express pendants originally designed for video editing, which does have a (sort of) MPG. However I never found it very satisfactory, so now have an Xbox wireless controller. This has only joysticks but I find it much better. It would be nice to have an MPG tuned so that the wheel mimics the "feel" of manual drives but that seems not so easy to do. The Xbox controller is cheap and I found installation very easy using the downloadable plugin. The wireless is a delight, I was always getting the cable of the Shuttle would around me.
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I started off with one of the Shuttle Express pendants originally designed for video editing, which does have a (sort of) MPG. However I never found it very satisfactory, so now have an Xbox wireless controller. This has only joysticks but I find it much better. It would be nice to have an MPG tuned so that the wheel mimics the "feel" of manual drives but that seems not so easy to do. The Xbox controller is cheap and I found installation very easy using the downloadable plugin. The wireless is a delight, I was always getting the cable of the Shuttle would around me.
That is an interesting reply in comparison to my experiences. I am just the opposite. I really enjoy the versatility of the jog wheel of the shuttle pro. I would think the joysticks would be very odd and hard to control but I have no experience with the PS2 or any other game controller.
I do have an MPG and a second parallel port or have run it previously. Personally I wasnt impressed with the operation of the wheel. You did have adjustability of step size (x1,x10,x100) but it was tedious to constantly have to change the setting. I have seen a Hood video lately of an MPG thru his CS Labs system that has very good control. All movement is real time, no buffer. Whereas the shuttle pro changes by pressure on the wheel. Both have their merits most likely. I was faster on the SP. I do like the look and durability of the VistaCnc pendant.
My SP is subject to damage quite easily if dropped, though I have been lucky so far. Well til I mentioned this ;-)
Also I am not sure if the second PP doesn't slow the system down.
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Look at the VistaCNC pendants - nice functionality, reliable operation, reasonably priced, excellent support.
I *strongly* recommend something with a high-quality MPG. Things like the ShuttlePro and XBox controllers are fine if you've never used anything else, but once you've used a REAL MPG, there is nothing better.
Regards,
Ray L.
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While I agree with Ray on the quality of a good MPG, I also love the Shuttle Pro 2 (not a fan of the express because of the size and button limitations).
It's nice because of the amount of buttons and dual wheels that make it attractive.
Just my 2 cents-
Dave
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While I agree with Ray on the quality of a good MPG, I also love the Shuttle Pro 2 (not a fan of the express because of the size and button limitations).
It's nice because of the amount of buttons and dual wheels that make it attractive.
Just my 2 cents-
Dave
Dave,
My primary complaint with the Shuttle is the form-factor, which I found really inconvenient. It is intended to sit on a desktop, so is difficult to hold securely in your hand - pretty much takes two hands to operate even most of the buttons. As a result, I was constantly fumbling and dropping the thing. And it's really not at all drop-friendly. I lost count of how many times I had to crawl around under the machine to find those little clear key-caps after they popped off. Nor is it at all coolant- or chip-friendly. The MPG is also very low resolution, which seriously impacts functionality. The difference when using a real 100CPR MPG is wonderful - far more of a difference than I would've expected. I can do a rapid move of, say, exactly 137 steps in a split-second, without even looking at the DROs.
Believe it or not, I managed to put even more functionality into a VistaCNC pendant, using a simple macropump driver, than I had on the ShuttlePro I used initially. Any my newer Vista Pendant does even more. Neither has all the dedicated buttons of the ShuttlePro, though I found those to be sometimes problematic, as I would sometimes accidentally hit a button and do something unintentional. Nothing worse than bumping your pendant, and having the machine take off unexpectedly! I set mine up so every action requires either a double-click on a button, or holding the button while turning the MPG, so there's no chance of anything happening on the machine when you drop the pendant. And it can all be done one-handed.
Regards,
Ray L.
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Understood Ray, and agree with the durability aspect as well.
I don't use coolant so it's a no issue for me at this point (yet!). Also, with the SP2 and the new-er plugin that poppabear made up, you can actually assign a lockout for all functions of the SP2 as well so you don't bump anything. He also made it so all buttons are configurable for all functions including all macros r OEM's. I do agree the design is not well suited for the hand, that is why I actually made a newer setup for myself including a DRO panel as well to make it even more useful. You can see my version here:
http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13053
Also, I actually like the progressive axis movement of the outer ring on the SP2.
Dave
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You can see my version here:
http://www.vectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13053
Nice!
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Thanks Ray-
Dave
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very intresting comments.
what vista pendant would be best. i am thinking something like a p4 or p3a-e
anyone using these?
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Which model you need is up to you. I got the P1A-S and I am very happy with it. I had a Xbox controller before and for simple jogs it was great but for anything needing precision (ie setting offsets) it was out of it's element.
Good luck,
Chris
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I should have been more clear. Mine is a Shuttle Pro 2 also. It is the outer rings functionality that I like most. The rest about durability, comfort of use and resistance to swarf or coolant are all valid points and would be more so if I was in a position to actually manufacture something.