Re: Alan's g-code controller

Hi Doug,

Why? Mostly for my own edification. I was just gonna write a jog
program so I could control a rotary table on a Sherline mill, but
decided to dust off an earlier project, and write a small controller.
The jog program was/is to be ported to a hand held computer, or a PIC,
while the controller will live on an old PC. Nothing fancy. Currently,
the output is pretty much TTY style, until I get the core doing what I
want. Then I intend to put it into a pull down, menu driven interface,
under DOS. Nothing particularly noteworthy there, however I think the
Jog program' indexing and move commands are a little more useful,
especially for a rotary table.

After watching my oldest son take to gcode (simple single axis moves),
I'm tempted to us that as the "move" command for the Jog program,
instead of an interactive "fill in the box". The indexing is nice,
being able to setup a distance (or degree for rotary axis), and then
press a '<' or '>' key to step around is quite useful, IMO. I have
MaxNC, and I think the indexed move command is an improvement. I also
like being able to select "MOVE", and entering a new location for a
single axis. But when it comes to multiple axis, then a line (block)
gcode is quite easy!

Graphics? I have a graphics module from the previous project, so I
could use that to show the cuts. But not as easy in 3D. I was thinking
about doing something like FlashCut does.

That might give you some idea of what I'm up to, just a lotta fun!

Alan KM6VV

Doug Fortune wrote:

>
> Alan Marconett KM6VV <KM6VV@...> wrote:
>
> > New Year's Eve, just before our guests arrived, I got my first circle
> > cut using a controller I'm writing!
>
> Ok, I'll bite. Why are you writing your own controller?
> (and what features will it have, what OS, what graphics,
> stepper or servo, etc,etc,etc). We're all ears.....
>
> Doug Fortune