re:Re: Beginners software

dave,

Okay, here goes:

Gcode interpreter/ stepmotor controller- Stepster, originally by Kevin Carroll, now maintained (somewhat) by Charles Gallo. Written in "spaghetti-code" BASIC originally, Charlie has tried to fix this.
Be sure to read Kevins paper "exactly how a cnc works". It's not how everyone will do it, but it will help you understand HIS code, and give you a "sense" of the things to have in mind.
Available at:

http://www.metalworking.com . Go to the shareware page.

Full "commercial" style CNC control- EMC, written by the us govt. agency NIST, written professionally in C and C++, for use in a realtime linux system. You can learn a LOT from the source code commenting! Parts of the code can (and have) been 'taken out' for use with windows/dos systems. Available at(starting point):

http://www.linuxcnc.org

A company called Silicon Valley Surplus used to sell a disk of motion control routines written in BASIC. You may be able to find one "out there". They also sold a cpm motion control system in the late eighties/early nineties. Located in Hayward, CA. Advertised in electronic hobbyist mags. May still be there.

One of the Microchip app catalogs (circa 1994) had code for a servo system (single axis) using their PIC processor.

Chuck Raskin wrote a book on motion control which includes code. About 50 bucks. Good book, IMO.

Luberth Dijkman(sp??) has an active forum/ website. Many code examples, ranging from BASIC, through pascal, to C. Mostly hpgl, but there is some recent development in g code. Do a search on luberth home plotter.

Majosoft (don't remember the principals' name) offered source code for his product(s) awhile back. Don't know if he still does.

Beyond this, its just digging through the ever-changing world of homebuilt cnc! You can spend a LOT of time looking for what others have already done... May be faster to learn and write your own, BUT...

IF YOU DO, PLEASE take the time to LEARN what has become standard usage of the g codes! (I'll be glad to help, but look through the past answers i've given first)

Hope this helps.

Ballendo

P.S. List,

What did I leave out?? Seems we need to add to this list and get it in the FAQs...

P.S. I find yahoo no different than egroups. A little faster off times; a little slower heavy-usage times. BUT, they did! "save" one of my posts (the kind I lost on egroups) on another group :-)

'******************************************************************
I needed to learn microcontrollers a little to do some data logging
in the field. Now my attention is turned towards setting up this
drilling machine. From what I have found so far, the PC is far and
away more easy to program than a micro.
I did search the list, and I'm sure some references are made to
simple software, but there is a lot to sort through and very often
things change. I mean, I found a reference to BOBCAD being free for
DOS. These days, they charge.
Thanks for the help.
Dave