Re: Success at Last!

At 09:36 PM 9/26/99 -0700, you wrote:

>Would be very interested in your thoughts regarding EMC vs Ahha
>software. I'm presently running Ahha on a MaxNC mill,

Hello listers! Am just subscribed, saw interesting topic. I am machinist
and CNC programmer, have worked manuals for thirty years and CNC for over
ten. I converted one of my lathes to CNC (steppers) last year and wound up
using I-LPT to run it. I also wrote my own front end for I-LPT, as though
it is a serious product with loads of abilities including driving 6-axes,
it is tough to write scripts for it out of head, essentially line-by-line.
So I wrote program to drive I-LPT, write scripts, save to file and re-run
them. I included lots of canned routines for lathe and mill: turning,
boring, threading, drilling patterns with pecking, helix, parameters saved
in config file, etc, and am now blocking out module for rect pocket. I use
it all every day and it is simply marvelous to give it three or four
numbers and watch it do long strings of motions, and of course if computer
writes a script it needs NO checking for spelling or syntax before you run
it again.

The software front end is more fully described on my BelFab site, URL in
tagline below. I am giving demos for the asking; they are fully functional
but shut off action after 40 lines. These run under simple DOS and on any
processor you can name, have people making parts with laptops and I used an
8088 in shop til it crapped. The program is simple, easy (everything is
prompted for) and fast. I've looked at AHHA, MaxCNC, etc and they all have
roughly equal functionality. Where I have advantage though is ability to
include custom routines at user request. Anyone wanting to look into this
should write. You can test it w/o having I-LPT on hand. If you buy, all
revisions for one year will be updated to your copy also, and I will update
to the next ver cheaply too. HTH!!

Best wishes,

Hoyt McKagen


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