Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Getting started, were to begin?

Bryan-TheBS-Smith wrote:

> shawnusa@... wrote:
> > And lastly, EMC users, what PC hardware would you recommend.
> > Anything to stay away from, or a must have?
>
> Depends on your platform. If you go Linux you must, obviously, have
> Linux compatible hardware. Same deal for Windows NT/2000/XP, there
> is a lot Win9x/ME-only PC hardware out there and you have to be
> careful.
>
> The good news is that a PS/2 port is a PS/2 port, a parallel port is
> a parallel port, a [UART] serial port is a serial port, ethernet is
> ethernet, etc... Unfortunately, things get "hairy" when you start
> talking USB.
>
> Most of the Linux and NT (an successor) incompatibilities are
> limited to end-user hardware like scanners, printers, multi-function
> equipment, etc...

Well, there's more to it than that.

To run EMC, you don't need a whole lot of memory, 32 MB is plenty
for EMC, Xwindows and applications. A 100 MHz Pentium is adequate
for servo systems (or steppers with my PPAC cards), for software-
generated step pulses, a 233 Mhz Pentium is about the minimum,
and higher, including Pentium II, is a good idea.

If you were to want to use my PPAC cards, then there are some
integrated parallel ports that work, and some that don't! You can
add the plug-in PCI parallel port cards if the motherboard's own
causes problems.

Video cards are a big problem, and there are so many variations
by the Taiwan manufacturers, that cards that seem like they should
work, have quirks. You have to check the hardware compatibility
lists carfully before buying. Most anything will work at 640 x 480,
but to get good accelerated bit-block-transfer (fast scrolling and
moving of windows) some cards work better than others when pushed
up to 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768. Also, getting the best picture without
flicker on a particular combination of video monitor and card can
be a challenge, and you may have to go into the setup files and
tweak the video timings. but, the result is worth the effort.

Jon