Strange question but has anyone put Mach4 on 2 different computers and had an output from one trigger an input on the second so it will do an operation?
I am needing to make a machine that has 8 motors and a bunch of inputs and outputs and was thinking this might be the easiest way.
i know i could use a PLC but think this might be easier and more flexible.

Bill

If the second system only needs one trigger input and runs only one sequence of operations, it should be easy to have a program on the second system just pause and wait for a trigger to continue, then loop and wait for the trigger again. Perhaps you could even have the second system look at extra inputs and conditionally run sections of code that are associated with the data read from the extra inputs.

The original big old Hardinge Superslant lathe used basically this trick to run two turrets, one for side cutting and one for end working the stock. It had two Fanuc controls on board.

Can you not just get a controller that has 8 motors?  The HiCON Integra has the ability to use 8 motors and their EC01 ethercat has the ability to use 12 motors.
Then use a PLC to communicate over TCP modbus to handle all of your IO.  That would be a very robust system.

Chad,

I could use a Hicon. I did look at them before but went with the ESS.
I also hate ladder logic so would prefer to use 2 pcs and program in LUA.
I may change my mind after a while though.

Bill

Steve,

It will all be a very repetitive operation.
Having the motors split will also help in some time issues.
I can have motors 1-4 doing an operation and have motors 4-8 doing an operation without needing to be in sync with motors 1-4

Bill

Hi,
a Hicon is not going to help that much.

Mach4Hobby has a maximum of SIX coordinated axes, as does Mach3 which preceded it and Mach4Industrial.  Mach4Hobby and Mach4Industrial can also have six out-of-band axes.
The ESS is limited to six motors. Thus a Hicon, may help there, as you can have eight motors, but Mach4 still can only control six coordinated motors.

Mach4 can have ONE any only one active motion control, it can however have auxiliary input boards. For example if you have an ESS as motion control, but require more inputs
then its not uncommon to use a PoKeys 57E as an auxiliary IO board. Note however Mach cannot drive motors attached to the 57E, and the data going to and from the 57E is refreshed
approx every 25ms, and thus none of the IO of the 57E could be considered realtime.

I suspect what you really want, and I believe Mach4 is in fact capable of, even if not released publicly is a version of Mach4 that can have multiple instances. Lets say you have Mach4 running two instances,
then each would have its own active motion controller, say an ESS on each. Mach4 was always intended to be multi-threaded, but its synchronisation between two threads which is the sticking point.
Smurph will know more about it.

Craig

Craig,

I don't need the 8 axis to be coordinated.
At the most it will be 4 axis.
I am not worried about IO
I use a Pokeys 57U for my pendant now and can easily use it if i need the extra IO
I did mention to my boss about Mach is supposed to at some point be able to have multiple instances.
Because it is not available now i think i can just use multiple laptops and IO between them to run the machine.
I appreciate the assistance.

Bill