Re:DeskNC - was CNC Pro 3x as fast as EMC??? NEW: PIC for controller?

Hi Larry,

Guess I'll live with the ICD! That is, WHEN I get it! I liked HP's
64000 work stations with the emulator and trace boards. Great way to do
680X and 8251's, but that was a long time ago! I could probably pick up
a system for them for pennies! 4 or 5 workstations SHARED an 80 MB
drive! I've got a PCMCIA card that big!

I'd like to see you continue and release a serial port based step pulse
generator! USB would also be interesting. Seems like we're going to
add a USB port to our hand held. So, I'll get some experience on
them...

I now have to '877 PIC's, I haven't gone over what they have in addition
to the 16C73's I'd been using. One of them will be assigned encoder
duties. Another chip has just returned from duty in NATCAR service with
my son.

Thanks for the comments,

Alan KM6VV


Larry Edington wrote:

>
> The Microchip and the Advanced Transdata ( I have both ) are the most
> frustrating programming tools I've ever purchased. The single biggest gripe
> I have is one breakpoint. I got them just to check them out.
> Right now they are loaned out.
>
> But, I'm biased. I have 3 other emulators for PIC's. The Microchip ICE2000
> two of the Tech Tools Mathias.
>
> The only pods I have for the Microchip are the 16F8XX and the 18C4XX
> modules. For the Mathias I have everything from the 16C5X up to the 16F8XX.
>
> The Mathias is the best bang for the buck. The Microchip unit lets you
> emulate the latest chips before the Mathias or other non Microchip emulators
> can. ( Microchip doesn't release the bondout chips to them for a while ).
>
> If I were only a hobbiest, I'd probably live with the ICD. But since I get
> paid to do PIC designs, I use the real emulators. But I spent too many years
> working with real Intel ICE's and anything less than a real ICE for me just
> won't do.
>
> One thing many folks reading this might not know ( or care ) about the PIC
> microcontrollers are some have an interrupt on change feature for PORTB.
> With a 16F8XX chip, you can put two encoders on the upper nibble of PORTB
> and when the encoder state changes an interrupt is generated. This makes
> encoders much easier to use. The 16F8XX also has a hardware UART and
> hardware PWM. Plus A to D converters ( 10 bit ), capture / compare and
> several timers, EEPROM storage, I2C and other goodies.
>
> If I ever get some free time back, I'm going finish my serial port based
> stepper signal generator. I'm also going to port it over to USB. I've got
> the USB design kit sitting here on my desk. I might even release it to the
> public domain.
>
> later,
> Larry E.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alan Marconett KM6VV" <KM6VV@...>
> To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 5:09 PM
> Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re:DeskNC - was CNC Pro 3x as fast as EMC??? NEW:
> PIC for controller?
>
> > Hi Larry,
> >
> > Pretty good! You brought up the ICE *before* I posted the mail! As you
> > know, and others may or may not know, the 'F parts are electrically
> > erasable, MUCH easier to erase/program/try. How do you like the
> > Microchip ICD?
> >
> > Alan KM6VV
> >
> >
> > Larry Edington wrote:
> > >
> > > > Larry,
> > > > What added cost is there to program the PIC? It
> > > > is obvious you have mastered PICs! A person going
> > > >with your suggestion now has to add more to his
> > > >plate.
> > >
> > > But you were advocating just a few messages ago to do it yourself to
> learn
> > > something!
> > >
> > > If you build your own programmer, very little additional cost other than
> > > time. Most 'non programmer' types can program in Basic rather quickly.
> Basic
> > > PIC compilers are cheap. If you want to learn assembly language
> > > programming, then it can all be practically free. You can also pick up
> the
> > > Microchip or Advanced Transdata 16F877 in circuit debugger / programmer
> (
> > > ICD ) for around $150. Or you can build that yourself too using the
> plans
> > > from www.epemag.com
> > >
> > > > I say build a simple controller capable of 6amps at
> > > > 60 volts per phase. The circuit has been around for 30 years!
> > > > It uses cheap chips and almost all Radio Shack parts. >Where can
> > > > you find such a diagram, you ask? Well look I have a >website TOO!
> > >
> > > The problems I see with your circuit is: (1) It's a Unipolar drive which
> > > costs a lot of torque the motor could otherwise produce. (2). It uses
> > > discrete logic ( flip flops and xor gates ) all of which are built into
> the
> > > L297 so why build it out of discrete logic? (3). It is an LR drive which
> > > means lots of power wasted as heat. (4). It has no current feedback so
> you
> > > can't drive the motors at optimum settings as a chopper drive can.
> > >
> > > By the time a novice electronics technician could build your circuit,
> they
> > > could put an L297 / L298 board together and have a better performing
> > > circuit.
> > >
> > > later,
> > > Larry E.