Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Help with 5 axis EMC?

allan_r9@... wrote:

> Help from the group please,
>
> I'm trying to setup EMC from the BDI disk to control a 5 axis mill
> (GEM 500, with 2 stacked rotary axis). The EMC is running on a AMD
> K6-2/450 with 128MB, and 16MB video (not integrated). I have looked
> at the 4 axis files available from the Dropbox, and patterned my
> changes after them, plus applying a little knowledge - yet all I can
> get to show on screen is X, Y, Z axis. The EMC will not give an
> error if I enter under Manual Mode G01 X1 Y1 Z1 A2 B3, so it is the 6
> axis kernel. I have modified the the following files;
> usr/local/emc/mini5.ini - added A, B axis sections, 5 axis total,
> calls tkemc5. Copied from mini.ini.
> usr/local/emc/mini5.run - calls mini5.ini file, added "|tkemc5"
> to "display in foreground" section
> usr/local/emc/plat/linux_2_2_18/bin/tkemc5 - copied from tkemc,
> modified all that I can see that applies, following the pattern.
> usr/emc_kde/emcmini5 - copied from emcmini,
> calls /usr/local/emc./mini5.run
> Added desktop icon executing /usr/emc_kde/emcmini5
>
> What else is needed to get this working? Help!!! I've been trying
> this since NAMES '01, and frustration abounds! I have no Linux
> experience, but have found it is similar to Windows, which I use
> every day. Please help - any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated!

Unless there is a 5-axis version of the GUI (should be some 6-axis
versions for the hexapods) you will have to modify the tcl script
that builds the on-screen display as well as modify the c++ code that
manages the interface with the rest of EMC. There are a few more
places where the individual axis display info is handled, set up, etc.
The generic Tcl script is somewhere like
/usr/local/emc/src/emctask/tkemc.tcl


There are some lines like "set poslabel0 X" that I think define the
axis labels, and there is some more stuff under updateStatus that
places the label and value on the screen. At the top of this proc
there are global defines, near the bottom, there is
a section marked "format the numbers with ..." that sets the
text. You will have to add the new axes to this, and also put the
code into anyplace else that manipulates it, places it into a screen
window, etc. One trick is to modify the font callout in the
/usr/local/emc/TkEmc file that contains the resources for the
Tcl script. I changed the line *top*position*font to read
normal-*-24 where it previously read normal-*-56 to make these
position displays take up less of the screen. If you add more axes, you
will have to do the same sort of thing.


and the tcl interface code is in /usr/local/emc/src/emctask/emcsh.cc
if you search for "int emc_rel_cmd_pos" you should find the first of
the routines that deal with the individual axes.

I have done most of my hacking on a 2.0.36 Linux kernel, and EMC from
1999 through Mar-2000. There are definitely some major changes
to sections of EMC since then, and I just barely have the BDI disk mountable

on CD, so some of my info may be the "hard way" to do things. Wait for
a couple of other responses before diving into massive code modifications
with both feet!

Jon