Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Building EMC software

Ray -
Thanks for the info!

I did some hacking on the EMC source tree last night and was able to get EMC
to build under RH7.0 with 2.2.18 and rtl-3.0. Only problem now is that when
I invoke tkbackplot from the simulator, all I get is a blank, gray display for
tkbackplot. I'm not using the same tclx lib version as the original emc source
(my version is more recent). Maybe that's part of the problem...

Keith

> Keith
>
> Welcome - comments are mixed in.
>
> From: OUTWATER ~ KEITH J /5G3110 <vac4050@...>
> Subject: Building EMC software
>
> <s>emc-1.17 dosen't want to build under this setup. I have a couple of
> >questions:
>
> Yep! You've been caught in the Red Hat confusion. Folks everywhere have
> been trashing Red Hat for shipping 7.0 with an experimental compiler. The
> simplist solution is to wait a bit and pay $10.00 for the BDI.
>
> >1. EMC seems to be heavily dependent on the specific versions of the
> >kernel and rtlinux. Is there any future plan to use the 'standard' GNU
> >autoconf/automake/configure tools to make the build process a little
> >easier? for example, I see a lot of copying and linking going on to a
> >platform specific directory and there appear to be separate spec/definition
> >files for each platorm, OS and rtlinx variant.
>
> Good eye. The biggest reason for the many different directories and the
> install files that purport to find the correct ones for the system being
> used is that the evolution of the New Mexico Tech rtlinux has been so rapid
> and the changes so great that there is no way to make on size fit all and
> still optimize motion control. In the first releases, Fred at NIST had to
> modify the rtlinux code in order to get it to work at all. In more recent
> releases, they have been able to make adjustments to the EMC code itself to
> match up with the rtlinux being used.
>
> Many of the code files have bunches of ifdef ... endif statements for each
> possible combination. It's a lot better than it was a year ago.
>
> Now that the real-time OS universe is settling out into about three or four
> approaches and Linus and the core developers are deciding what to do to put
> real time in the next major release we should see a more universal EMC
> release before to long.
>
> >2. If not (or in the meantime), is there an EMC package that will copile
> >with rtlinux-3.0 and kernel 2.2.18?
>
> Yes but not easily with the default compiler sent with RH 7.0 What I'd
> suggest is that you repost this to the emc@... list. I believe that I
> read something there where it had been done with RH 7.0. They added a more
> stable compiler and libraries and told install to use that instead.
>
> >3. Finally, for anyone out there who knows a lot about plasma cutters (I
> don't):
>
> I don't know much about flame tables but I service a couple of them. In
> machining, we call it tool offset. We move the tool over enough so that
> the final part is the size that it was drawn and programmed to. In cutting
> they tend to call it kerf. The effect is the same and yes the EMC can do
> tool radius compensation. For kerf you would just enter the diameter of
> the flame into the tool table and use g41 or g42 depending on which side of
> the line you want the flame to follow.
>
> Ray
>
>