Re: CNC Controllers

Hi Jenni,

Nice to hear from you!

I don't know about Signlab, URL? I assume it outputs HPGL, which would
explain why you are reading .PLT files. I think SuperCam has already
done that.

You might want to find a converter for HPGL to Gcode also. My first
efforts some years ago were to read .PLT files, as that's what my *OLD*
CAD program (PCAD/Cadvance) put out!

I'd also check out Vector CAD/CAM, and Vfontz. Talk to Fred!

http://www.imsrv.com/

Outputs Gcode, then you can run a popular controller program like CNCpro
from Yeager.

Nope, no connection to Vector, I just LIKE their products, and Fred's
support is the best!

Linear interpolation and ramping is part of it, wait 'till you get to
the circular interpolation! You might look at the EMC code, which is
available.

http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/projects/emc/emcsoft.html

Hope this gets you going!

Alan KM6VV


Jenni Harrowell wrote:

>
> Hi everyone,
>
> My partner has desided to build a CNC router and the hardware site seems
> fine, but we'd like to drive it from some of the industry standard S/W like
> signlab, etc. without the large expense of an industry controller.
>
> That's where I come in.
>
> I'm a programmer by trade so I'm trying to put together a program that can
> read HPGL and output step/directoion for the stepper boards. I'm
> prototyping in good old basic so I only have to worry about the logic, not
> the code, but I'm getting a few teething troubles.
>
> So has anybody out there got any routines for handling linear interpolation
> and ramping. I think I've got the linear interpolation nearly sorted but
> the code is a little cludgy and at the moment it adds 1 extra step onto the
> primary axis (whichever one is doing the most steps in this move), but I'm
> not sure how to handle the ramping.
>
> Any help at at all would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Jen.