Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] DeskNC Windows version

I must check this out further. 30000 steps/second from linux? Anyone know
how the linux knows to interrupt itseld 30000 times a second. I don't see
how its possible. I can't think of any way to instruct a motherboard to tell
linux to interrupt at that rate, no matter how fast the processor.
Interesting though. But I think that 10 motor turns per inch at 200 pulses
per turn is 2000 pulses per inch. This would make it 180 * 2000 / 60 = 6000
pulses per second in the example given. Encoders do not up the steps per
second. They simply give a higher resolution to the step decision.


My VXD can interrupt at 8192 and then time to the closest 2 nanosecond
granularity to ensure smoothness. Windows can still cause instability, but I
haven't seen this cause any lost steps or problems yet. I have users who
tell me that their speed is up to 3 times what they could get from DeskNC or
KellyCam. But there's no question that windoze will never be ideal.
Certainly ideal enough for a good 50% of home CNC users though. P6 onboard
ASIC's are only on the latest generation of processors, typically at 700MHz
and up.(the ones I've tested anyway).
I have no problem releasing the Controller section of Master5 for people
to write programs for themselves, I just have to get time to document the
OLE call to control the buffers.

Timing is hard to check for smoothness. Actual running is the easiest.
I have had several users report scoping my pulses, and seeing drop-outs ,
yet commenting that the motors were running surprisingly smooth. This is due
to an enertial averaging at the motor. Any stepper seems to have a certain
window of tolerance to irregularities in its pulse stream. Stay within this
window, and no problems seem to occur. I have my pulse engine try to correct
for these irregularities by subtimeing from interrupt to the closest
nanosecond possible with the hardware. Seems to work well, but like I said,
Windoze will never be EMC.

I'd like to hear from anyone actually getting more than 8000 pulses from
linux though.

(My head hurts)

Art