Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] EMC Control Panel

dlantz@... wrote:

> You can buy little boxes that do this from some of the
> 'computer warehouse' flyers. I wouldn't be surprised if the
> local computer warehouse store has them, too.
>
> The real problem with all these keyboard hacks is that
> the keyboard is only sending keystrokes to EMC when the
> 'window focus' is on the EMC window. If you set the 'focus'
> on another process, like when editing a file, running another
> program, etc. then the control panel is no longer connected
> to EMC. Maybe this isn't such a big deal, but it seems like
> it would be one to me.
>
> Jon
>
> I SEE YOUR POINT... I SPENT SOME TIME WORKING WITH FVWM2 (MOSTLY DUE TO THE
> SLOW COMPUTER I HAVE, WITH LIMITED MEMORY) AND WAS ABLE TO SPECIFY A FEW
> THINGS... I BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE FVWM2 CONFIG FILE (.fvwm2rc)
> LOCATED IN THE HOME DIRECTORY OF WHICH USER YOU LOGED IN AS (ALSO A DEFAULT
> ONE SOMEWHERE IN /etc)... ANYHOW, I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE
> KEYBOARD FOCUS 'HOGED' BY THAT WINDOW... I WAS SUCCESSFULL, AT MAKING IT
> UNMOVABLE, AND TAKING ITS BORDERS AWAY... HAD SOME LIMITED SUCCESS AT MAKING
> IT THE SAME SIZE AS THE DESKTOP... WITH ALL THAT, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO
> (THEORETICALLY) TAKE THE MOUSE POINTER OFF IT, THEREFOR ONLY LOSING KEYBOARD
> CONTROL TO POPUPS AND THE LIKE... HMMM... THAT COULD BE A BIG PROBLEM WITH
> ESTOP... WOULDN'T IT? OR DO ALL THE POSSIBLE ERRORS CAUSE AN ESTOP
> AUTOMATICALLY?

Estop is generally handled by external circuitry, and the PC and its programs
are
just informed of the condition. the only exception is a following error, where
the
PC generates the fault condition when it realizes it is no longer in control of

an axis.

Hogging the window is a great disadvantage, as you can't run other programs at
the
same time. I find this quite useful, to FTP cad files from the cad computer,
or
use a calculator, run a program to generate simple G-code, search for a file,
whetever.

Jon