Messages

91

dspMC/IP Motion Controller / Re: More than one MPG ?

« on: October 19, 2010, 06:57:23 PM »

Hi Lolkiwielkie,

have you tried my JoyPad game device plugin - it works with most game devices, have four axes and support SmoothStepper.
Maybe it works with DSPMC - I would like to know 

It is free and can be downloaded from http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16140.0.html

- area51

92

SmoothStepper USB / USB JoyPad and game devices plugin now supports SmoothStepper

« on: October 13, 2010, 08:31:20 PM »

The USB JoyPad and game devices plugin now supports SmoothStepper (SS) besides the parallel port (PP).

The plugin and user manual can be downloaded from Finished Plugins for Download:

   http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/board,30.0.html

and its free 

Thanks to Lee Davis (Xbox 360 plugin) and Greg Cary (Warp9TD) for great help during development.

- area51

93

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: USB JoyPad and game device plugin - new version!

« on: October 12, 2010, 03:39:05 PM »

Wvancura,

at the point where the JoyPad plugin gets data from DirectInput it can't see if input came from the POV (acting as joystick) or a real joystick - the data is presented as joystick input.
This is the reason why the safety buttons (5 and 6) are in effect.

USB game devices with two analog joysticks and POV are also very low budget units - I have seen prices below $10 on eBay.
This is one of the reasons why I started this plugin development

- area51

94

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: USB JoyPad and game device plugin - new version!

« on: October 12, 2010, 02:46:27 AM »

Wvancura,

that explains why the POV behaves as it does. Microsoft DirectInput (or game device driver) finds a POV, but decides to use it as joystick - in this case X- and Y-axe. The JoyPad plugin gets the information that a POV exist but get no POV signals (buttons) as the POV is already used as a joystick.
Disabling the X- and Y-axe in JoyPad configuration only ignores signals from the joystick but doesn't reassign its function.
On the Logitech Dual Action JoyPad is a button to reassign POV the function (switch with first joystick) - maybe there is a similar option on your game pad, on the device or in Control Panel.

When changes is made in JoyPad configuration it is saved when the dialog is closed, not before.
The changes is saved in Mach3 memory and is first permanently when Mach3 exits.

Hope thes helps.

- Joakim
 

95

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: USB JoyPad and game device plugin - new version!

« on: October 10, 2010, 07:31:18 PM »

Hi wvancura.

Great that axes and buttons work
Does the POV act as joystick and move axes?
This could be the problem.

On the Logitech Dual Action I can select if the POV and first joystick changes places via a mode button. The POV can only be used as joystick (moving axes) or as buttons (calling macros), not both at the same time.

How many buttons are there on the POV?
( Logitech Dual Action has 8 )

- Joakim

96

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: USB JoyPad and game device plugin - new version!

« on: October 08, 2010, 09:25:50 PM »

pedropin.

Thank you very much for the feedback - I need feedback like this to make the plugin better... don't hold back 

I can explain why M803 is not working.
The plugin only allows joysticks and button action, when the machine is idle and not in EStop.
This is done (by design) to prevent unintended interruption of a running program... and is the situation with M803 (Alt S).

This is a limitation on normal button usage and I intend to remove this restriction, but only for buttons.

DoButton 21 will not work because the machine is in EStop - It is possible to allow button actions when in EStop, but I'm not sure if this is a wise decision.

I plan to release an new version, when there has been more feedback.

Hope this helps.

- area51

97

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: Free USB JoyPad plugin

« on: October 07, 2010, 07:31:41 PM »

Hi JP,

sorry for not seeing your post before.

I am using standard Microsoft Multimedia calls to access the JoyPad, Joystick or game device - no fancy USB HID communication. Interface to the calls can be found in <mmsystem.h>, and c++ statements like:

Code: [Select]

    JoyPadState.dwFlags = JOY_RETURNALL;
    res = joyGetPosEx(JoyPadDevNum, &JoyPadState);

Opening the code will not help you with USB HID devices, but I can help with my use of Microsoft multimedia interface.

I just released a new version 1.0 of the plugin with support for SmoothStepper, User manual and new samples of VBScript code. The post can be found at:
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16140.0.html

- area51

98

Finished Plugins for Download / USB JoyPad and game device plugin - new version!

« on: October 06, 2010, 09:22:25 PM »

The USB JoyPad, joystick and game devices plugin has been updated to version 1.0.

News in this version:

• Now supports SmoothStepper version 1.2!
• Now with User manual!
• New example button VBScript macros!
• New rewritten internal state machine!

Download the plugin, user manual and example macros from this post (bottom).

The JoyPad plugin supports most DirectInput (Microsoft DirectX) game devices with joysticks and buttons. The game device can be connected via the game port, USB or wireless.
I have tested with the Dual Action JoyPad from Logitech but I know other game devices will work as well.

In short the JoyPad plugin supports:

• It is free!
• Control of up till 6 analog/digital axes.
• Control of up till 16 buttons.
• Control of one Point of View (POV or HAT).
• Button function is programmed as VBScript (Marc3 macros).
• Each axe can be scaled, inverted and mapped to any Mach3 axe.
• Precision jogging is obtained with third order scaling of the absolute stick position.
• Single or simultaneous multi axe jogging.
• Besides Mach3 and Windows there is no need for extra software.
• Works with Mach3 Parallel Port (PP).
• Works with SmoothStepper version 1.2 (SS).

Tested on Windows XP SP3 but I assume that all newer Windows versions will work as long as Mach3 supports them.

Special tanks to Lee and Greg Cary for the help making the SmoothStepper jog code work.

Downloads:
JoyPad_1.0.zip - The plugin - unzip and double click to install.
User_manual_1.0.pdf - The user manual.
Macros_1.0.zip - ZIP file with button macro files and VBScript examples.

Hope you find this plugin useful  

- Joakim

99

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: Free USB JoyPad plugin

« on: December 06, 2009, 10:08:33 PM »

The movements of the joypads is transformed by a third order function to give more accurate control near zero.
If you have a fast mill I can see the problem... 

I could make the left joypad button toggle between normal/slow speed.
But how slow should slow be (10% normal speed)?

As I wrote in an earlier post I would love to make SS support, but...

100

Finished Plugins for Download / Re: Free USB JoyPad plugin

« on: November 12, 2009, 12:22:08 PM »

Thanks for the response to my plugin!
Response is very important when you are a newbe, as I am ;-)

This plugin seems to work really well in PP mode.  Would it be possible to update it to work with the smoothstepper?  The buttons work but not the dual joysticks.

In the JoyPad plugin the jogging is implemented as described in March SDK documentation - controlling the engine in Marc. I communicates with the JoyPad through Windows MultiMedia api, this way all types of game controllers should work (Joystick, GamePad, JoyPad etc.).

If Parallel Port (PP) works, but not SS there must be a missing connection between March engine and SS plugin.
Looking at SS homepage www.warp9td.com I find no documentation on how to communicate jog speed and direction to SS plugin or how SS is communicating with March engine at all.
(Anyone have some documentation/sample on SS api? Please help)

It would be nice if I could support SmoothStepper and even nicer if I had a sample SS to test the plugin on.
(Even at $155 SS is a little over the edge of my budget right now...)

- Joakim