Re: Digest Number 157

> From : Jon Anderson

> Don't know if this is a universal standard, but from my work on a Bosch
> controlled CNC mill, the handwheel is not used for "jogging". Jogging,
> as I understand it, is to move a preset amount in a selected axis, every
> time the jog button is depressed.

<snip>

Correct. All our discussion has been more directed to the implementation, where to put the control code for it. We thought that duplicating the jog function, and alter it a bit, could be a way to implement a handwheel.
My thoughts about it, - is that you could use an encoder without the electronics you have on a stg board. At most, just a few gates. This way you could have a handwheel with the steppers too. The reason is that I doesn't matter if you loose any steps from the handwheel. It is more like a mice, you keep cranking it until you reach where you want to be.

I guess most have been lost in the mess that I may have created, and I am sorry about that. Jon Elson has a Stg board, and want your "industrial" solution, ( I do too ), but I would like an implementation for a pure stepper setup too. And for this, I would like to have it so simple, that every one could have one, without having to buy expensive io boards. It should also be so simple, that everyone could wire it up themselves. You may have to cut some corners in order to do that. At the moment I see 6 different solutions:

1. Stg board - your "industrial " solution.
2. With a DRO board or encoder feedback for steppers - your "industrial" solution.
4. Just steppers - a serial mice modification.
5. Just steppers - a direct io implementation, ( it may need some simple gates )
6. Just steppers - some interface through the keyboard interface ( I don't like this )

I would like to have the "industrial" solution in the event that there is encoder interface. And have a solution like #5 for a par. port setup with steppers.

This group is a bit divided, - some are professionals, some just have a hobby, and many may like their hobby to become something more. There is a serious side to all of this: what jobs will be available and how shall people earn a living in the future ? The stuff that pay for our living today, has many times started as a hobby in someone's garage. I think this is one of the main reasons that anyone from NIST has taken interest in our activities. If so, - I would think that it would be important that features should be available for those who can't invest too heavy. The big companies don't have much problem, - they just buy a full fledge CNC center. But it may not be the same big companies
that will secure jobs for tomorrow.
I actually believe they would very much like us to have some fun !



//ARNE