Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Interface options, headless boxen, and remote control ...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan-TheBS-Smith" <b.j.smith@...>
, but I was just curious as to why people keep
> bringing up keyboard/USB interfaces when multiport serial cards
> aren't that expensive (and RS-232/UART is just so much more
> flexible!). Again, please excuse any newbie "ignorance" here on my
> part.

You seem much less 'ignorant' than most of us!!
I think the reason people are looking at the methods they are is that its a
case of trying to find existing circuitry. Most of us just aren't up to
designing stuff from scratch and most of the people who can design stuff
won't share with the world at large (funny isn't it - the software guys
spend thousands of hours developing linux and EMC and give it away free yet
the hardware types jealously guard their 'black boxes' in the hope of making
a fortune {this is a general comment and NOT aimed at anyone on the
list!!!}). There is a definite need for keyboard and display extensions to
the linux systems dedicated to, or principally used for, machine control as
most people just don't want to risk the main bits and pieces getting oiled
up or full of metal swarf in the workshop. Also, with the 'improvements' to
EMC requiring more and more computing power, it is more likely that people
will tend to use their main computer for CNC control as it will be
uneconomic to buy an additional high-end machine just for this use.

It would be nice to think that we could tap into your skills to design and
freely publish ways of making dedicated keypads and easily available LCD
displays work with EMC.

Ian
--
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK
www.iw63.freeserve.co.uk