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Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2013, 03:53:00 PM »
Steve,

Thanks for answering our questions, and the extra information of your integration which is really nice!

In your reply to Allen, you mention option 2 below:
"You basically have two ways of accomplishing what you want to do:
1.  Use Galil inputs to drive Galil code to jog your axes.
2.  Use any input device to drive brains that push virtual Mach buttons and let Mach drive the axes just like if you were pressing the jog buttons on the tab screen.

Option 1 is probably more complex as you will have to figure a way to honor Mach's jog rules.  And using Galil code will require using Galil inputs.
Option 2 works like a charm and you don't have to use Galil inputs if you don't want to." <end of quote>

OPTION 2 is EXACTLY what I would like to do with the $115 pendant on ebay.  The seller says he has the plug-in for MACH3 on a CD included with the purchase, so perhaps no brain file is needed.  Like you said, when you hit the TAB KEY, MACH3 is telling GALIL what to do in as much as axis selection, increment, etc.  I want to just duplicate this functionality to the pendant.

If the seller's supplied PLUGIN is no good, can I write a brain file to utilize the serial data sent? 

Thanks!

Shafi

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Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2013, 05:25:31 PM »
Well...  Allen is only looking for jog control.  Not MPG control.  So his case is a little different.  For MPG, you about HAVE to wire it directly in to the Galil or the MPG movements will be so jerky that you will not even use it.  

But there is the possibility that you can get half way there with the USB pendant.  (as described previously)

Unless you talk to the seller of the pendant and get his protocol, you will not be able to do much with that data.  You would most likely have to write your own plugin even if you had the protocol information.  You are talking months of work to use a ~$115.00 pendant.  Or you could possibly work with the seller and see if he is willing to help out.  Any way you slice it though, you are not going to dump that pendant data directly into a brain and get anything useful.  The brains are limited by what inputs can drive it.  You will need some other layer to parse the data into a form (LEDs, DROs, etc..) that the brains can use.

Steve
Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2013, 08:58:34 PM »
Steve,

I am confused.  All I want to do is jog the axes.  One at a time is fine.  So I must be misunderstanding the MPG versus JOG control.  For JOG control, will the pendant work, or am I still looking at months of programming work for a plugin?  I just want to have the basic function of what the TAB key gives you but in a pendant or operator panel. 

Please tell me what I should be looking at.  Thank you,

Shafi

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Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2013, 12:25:06 AM »
I think that pendant only provides MPG control.  MPG is Manual Pulse Generator.  The hand wheel is just a 100 detent encoder.  Each detent is usually one pulse (or 4 in quadrature).  In combination with the increment selection, you can move the axis one detent on the hand wheel encoder to get a ratio of movement on the axis.  For example, setting your increment to .001" would mean that your axis would move .001" for every detent.  One full rotation (100 detents) would yield .100"  Setting the jog increment to .010" would move the axis .010" for every detent on the hand wheel encoder.  Or a full 1.000" per full revolution of the hand wheel.  It needs to be tightly coupled with the motion controller otherwise you will get erratic axis movement.  MPG is very different that what is provided on the tab screen.  The tab screen functionality is really just button jogging.

I took a look at the page again and I didn't see jog buttons.  It has a toggle for the jog mode (Right arrow) and a toggle for the jog increment (Left arrow).  But MPGs use those as well so it is not unusual for them to be there.  But I don't see jog buttons proper.  Maybe I'm misunderstanding the broken English on the page (which is an alarm bell for me).  But I really think that is just a fancy MPG.

Here is a video of the wireless version of that pendant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRd1zSRFp50  I saw no push button jogging.  The whole pendant seems to use the hand wheel.  Even for feed rate and spindle speed.  A neat little device!  However, it is not really going to be friendly with an external motion controller such as the Galil.  :(

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CNC-Mach3-USB-JOG-Pendant-Controller-/180687929148

Now that looks like a jog pendant to me.  No hand wheel.  Sans the coordinate display though.  But that one looks like it would be plug and play.  Press a button and jog away.  If you didn't want to go to the trouble of wiring up an MPG, then that is what I would suggest using.  But do your research.  Look around and find something you will be happy with.  There are lots to choose from.  Google "Mach 3 Jog Pendant"

Steve
Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #14 on: January 24, 2013, 08:58:26 AM »

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Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #15 on: January 24, 2013, 03:18:20 PM »
I think it will work.  After all, it is just going to duplicate what you can do on the tab screen.  I had no idea these type of pendants existed before this thread.  Some are quite cool!  I would wonder how durable these things are.  But at that price, you can have 3 in stock! 
Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #16 on: January 24, 2013, 03:19:08 PM »
OK, now I am understanding.  IF the product in question has a MPG wheel, then it needs to go to the GALIL INPUT board directly.  Otherwise, the non-MPG wheel product can plug right to the PC, and MACH3 and GALIL will work together.

From this seller, here is his reply to me last night:
"Hi,
i understand your worrys.
we sold hundreds of the above item.
all are working well with Mach3.
it was made by China Manuafacturer.

mach3 MPG pendant datasheet download link:
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=CB363E5D4717263F!130&authkey=!ANB54coqLU3RLeg

Mach3 software download link:
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=CB363E5D4717263F!131&authkey=!AE0gPlrBxJrtR2g

thanks

kevin- onlyforever702"

Perhaps we can find something that works soon.
Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #17 on: January 25, 2013, 07:31:05 AM »
I bought one of the pendants from my link below. I guess we will see how it works.
You're right Steve, ifin it breaks they are cheap enough to have a spare or two on hand.

I'll let you know how it works.

Thanks for the help
Allen
Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #18 on: January 25, 2013, 06:02:52 PM »
If you want a jog pendant I use a game pad from logitec and map the buttong using Keygrabber. Works like a charm. The hardest part is finding out the keyboard shorcuts. The easiest way I found was to open the standard screen set in Machscreen and look at what Mah3 is using to make things happen.

It is similar to this one

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/gamepad-f310?crid=713

It has 16 buttons and you can have up to 4 pages of buttons via keygrabber.

Mike
We never have the time or money to do it right the first time, but we somehow manage to do it twice and then spend the money to get it right.
Re: Remote jog pendant again
« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2013, 07:33:31 AM »
Well I got the pendant from China and it works great. I did not have to do anything to set it up. Plugged it in and it works. Sure makes it handy to jog the table. Jog speed adjustment works great too. Well worth the $25. I think I will make an aluminum back cover just for protection.

I also figured out how to sharpen my end mills over the weekend. I created a VB front end and a Galil program to sync the table travel and rotation of the end mill. Works great. I may start sharpening some for other people in the near future.

Allen