Messages

711

General Mach Discussion / Re: Alternatives to Mach3

« on: May 03, 2022, 02:39:22 PM »

Hi,
well yes, over the years various distros have been used, including at one time Ubuntu with RTE, several years ago it was Mint
with Preempt-RT kernel, and now its Debian also with Preempt-RT kernel, either way you need realtime Linux to run LinuxCNC.

Craig

712

General Mach Discussion / Re: Alternatives to Mach3

« on: May 03, 2022, 10:40:00 AM »

Hi,

so no need to have a real time Linux distribution.

Wrong, it MUST have  a realtime kernel otherwise LinuxCNC does not work. There was in earlier time an Ubuntu distro that had RTE (Realtime Extensions)
and that was used. In more recent times there are better distros.

Craig

713

General Mach Discussion / Re: Alternatives to Mach3

« on: May 02, 2022, 07:46:56 PM »

Hi,
you have to use a realtime Linux distro, last time I checked most LinuxCNC users were installing a realtime version of MINT. What the current favourite realtime distro is I don't know.
If you don't like Mach3 then are you any better off with LinuxCNC?

Craig

714

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help needed urgent will pay require travel to Cardiff

« on: April 30, 2022, 11:31:49 PM »

Hi,
if you are running a machine for a business then is Mach3 the right choice? All development ceased on Mach3 seven years ago, it still works and many people still
use it, but whatever bugs and quirks it has it will now always have.

Mach4Hobby is $200USD and is a better proposition, its more stable, has better features and a better programming language and tool suite and is still actively developed.
Mach4Industrial is $1400USD and is better again. It has parametric programming (Macro B) but more importantly you get the red carpet treatment from
New Fangled Solutions....and that's worth its weight in gold.

I'll travel to Cardiff, but I'm in New Zealand, so I'll need a packed lunch and a life jacket.

Craig

715

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 manual input

« on: April 30, 2022, 11:17:58 PM »

Hi,
you could probably program that feature if you wished but Mach4 natively treats an <Enter> as a new line in a multiline MDI file.

If you had a physical button that had the function <MDI Cycle Start>, that would allow you to type your MDI code and run it just by hitting the button, as opposed to <Enter>.

You could alternately use the Keyboard plugin and assign the <Enter> button on you keyboard to mean <MDI Cycle Start>, although then you'll almost certainly hit <Enter> ay some stage
and will accidentally trigger movement from your machine when you are not expecting it. I could not recommend that even if it does work.

Craig

716

General Mach Discussion / Re: Apollo Lake J3455 /intel atom

« on: April 28, 2022, 07:46:39 PM »

Hi,
did a search and got over one hundred in the last two years.

Craig

717

General Mach Discussion / Re: Apollo Lake J3455 /intel atom

« on: April 26, 2022, 05:30:37 AM »

Hi,
my opinion is based on the hundreds, perhaps even thousands of posts I have seen on this forum over seven years about such
motion controllers, RnR, Bitsensor particularly.

I wonder how many people have bought hardware including one of these cheap controllers and have not been able to get them to
work and departed the CNC scene forever as a result? If, as you contend, that we should encourage newcomers to CNC the I argue that a
'quality motion controller' is a worthy investment that would secure that outcome.

If you are of the opinion that Bitsensor is a quality product then good luck to you.

Craig

718

General Mach Discussion / Re: Apollo Lake J3455 /intel atom

« on: April 26, 2022, 04:48:38 AM »

Hi,

ZERO MANUFACTURER SUPPORT


I stand by my opinion, 'don't waste money on that junk', you don't like that, but that too damn bad.

Craig

719

General Mach Discussion / Re: Apollo Lake J3455 /intel atom

« on: April 26, 2022, 03:16:09 AM »

Hi,
Bitsensor does NOT work with Mach4, it doesn't matter whether its $20 or $200 or $2000, it still won't bloody work.

My machine requires 16 outputs minimum, and 22 inputs minimum, or a total of 38IOs. The ESS has a total of 51, so its well used,
with a small margin. Can Bitsensor do 38 IOs?

My servos require a max Step pulse rate of 416kHz, and my C axis at full speed requires 466.7 kHz, can Bitsensor keep up?

Clearly Bitsensor does as you require and that's good news. Perhaps you could take some time to explain, or better still help, those
whom have bought one and can't get it to work. There is very little in the way of published information about them and no manufacturers support.

If I have an issue or question with the ESS I can go to the manufacturers forum and ask Andy, the tech guy who programs the ESS, or at need, Greg, the guy
designed and built the ESS. These guys have been in the business of designing, manufacturing, selling and supporting the SmoothStepper
form it inception 12 plus years ago, you can't beat that support.

Craig

720

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: add instance to mach4

« on: April 22, 2022, 04:10:25 PM »

Hi,
there was a brief discussion on the Warp9TD forum just recently wherein Andy (Warp9 support engineer) described
Mach4 Expert.

I think its worth an enquiry to NFS to find out about Expert, I think it may do very much as you require.

Craig