Re: CNCPro and pendants

> Subject: help on pendant
>
> I have a customer who wants a pendant for machine running cncpro.
> he wants a single button to "run" or start a program that they will
> repeat .
> Any one do this using Cnc Pro? Seems like a challenge cause you have
> to emulate the E and enter strokes usually required by Pro.
> Here is the kicker,: I tried to talk him out of it,[no luck]Now I
> have four days to get it accomplished.

I use CNCPro with a pendant.

Currently, I use the guts of a standard PC keyboard with a custom key layout
and my own favourite choice of switches. ( BIG one for ESC, etc. )

Previous to that, though, I used a microcontroller that output standard
serial bytes in response to keypresses, just like an old terminal. This
microcontroller/terminal was connected to one of the PCs serial ports.

A SIMPLE TSR was loaded to grab characters from the serial port and stuff
them into the keyboard buffer. This worked absolutely fine and I was quite
happy with the whole setup.

Fine, that is, except for the jog keys. Once a jog key was "pressed", it
stayed pressed until ESC was pressed. Not terrible, but I wanted better,
hence rev2.

This limitation should not be a problem in your application, though, and
if none of the other suggestions made here appeal to you, you may wish to
consider this idea.

I seem to remember posting the details and the source of the TSR a while ago,
so if you're interested, check the archives.

Alan

--

Alan Rothenbush | The Spartans do not ask the number of the
Academic Computing Services | enemy, only where they are.
Simon Fraser University |
Burnaby, B.C., Canada | Agix of Sparta