Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] G-code interpreters in DOS?

Ballendo, thank you for your very thorough answer! :-) This group is an
incredible resource! I hope I can be able to contribute something
meaningful in return.

At 05:38 AM 11/8/00 -0000, Ballendo wrote:

>Good questions. Some have been previously covered. Do a search on the
>list archives. I'll cover some here.

I guess I didn't look hard enough (but then, I was pretty "shell shocked"
after 3 hours of browsing the archives Sunday night. :-) I guess it's time
to utilize the T1 at work and download the text archives...

>Price of admission is: Linux know-how [snip] or C++ programming

I fail on both counts. ["Bones" McCoy impression mode on] I'm a mechanical
engineer, dammitJim, not a programmer! :-) ["Bones" McCoy impression mode
off]

>Just happens there IS a dos version of EMC! It's called DeskNCrt, was

[snip]

>Dos IS a fine "base" for a machine controller! Limitations have been

[snip]

>(added on proof-read) With emc you get servos OR steppers, and closed
>loop steppers(if wanted). Also Hexapod capability.

Oooh, that's encouraging news! I will definitely look up DeskNCrt and/or
contact Carl. I'm not really eager to learn a new operating system just to
control my mill (well, more precisely I hadn't anticipated needing to
learn...) Rather selfishly, I'm not looking beyond 3 stepper axes (though
I have been following hexapod development for a couple of years now, just
out of curiosity as a mechanical engineer)

>P.S. Once you have used "constant vector velocity" control(s), you
>will find it hard to accept less, even on a sherline. They WILL work,

OK, I'll take that at your word. I do notice that the "Pro" version of
CNCPro does have constant velocity too, so if I go that way I'll get the
"pro" version. In my adhesive dispensing experimenting (see below)
constant velocity was very welcome, and I can see intellectually that it
would give the most consistent surface finish (but having someone with
real-world experience confirming it is nice too.)

>Best current CVV DOS control(s) are IndexerLPT based, and CncPRO,IMO.

Ironically, I do have an ancient (pre-HPGL-converter) version of
IndexerLPT, and have used it to run an Isel gantry table for patterned
adhesive dispensing. I didn't realize that it now has G-code interpreter
capabilities.

Best regards,

Randy

Randy Gordon-Gilmore ,----.___________ ______________ _________________
ProtoTrains // = = === == || == == == = || == == == = == =|
Rio Vista, CA, USA /-O==O------------o==o------------o==o-----------o==o-'
zephyrus@... http://www.rickadee.net/~zephyrus