Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Smart box / Dumb box was: Re: Signal gen Interface

Hi,

What I really want is the cheap box. I think, in general, it's cheaper
to leave the smarts in the PC. I want to move just enough smarts from
the PC to an external box to avoid the performance limitations of the
"no box" configuration.

Jeff

On Sun, 10 Dec 2000 02:42:24 -0000, Mariss wrote:

>Hi,
>
>The dumb box, smart box thing.
>
>I come down on the dumb box side. You already have a smart box; it's
>the PC. It can calculate moves in 14 different dimensions a million
>times a second; why replicate it? You have paid for it, make it do
>the smart stuff.
>
>What it can't do is output in real time very well, especially while
>in WINanything.
>
>That's where the dumb box comes in.
>
>A cheap (<$100) dumb box can be very fast. It should put out multiple
>axis pulses at a rate no sane person would use. The pulses would be
>perfectly spaced and accurate.There would be
>unobservable "staircasing" while acel/decel.
>
>A smart box is a losing proposition. Doing smarts in hardware is very
>expensive and locks you in regarding future changes.
>
>Mariss
>