Re: desknc for windows.

Hi Sean,

I've done just a little with these, mostly "machining air", as my mill
is still setup for MaxNC's 4-phase drive. Hopefully MY Christmas
shutdown will give me time to get the mill over to Gecko's and new
motors. But, you'd be surprised what you can drive with a controller
program! I find they do quite well running my RDF (Radio Direction
Finding) hardware! It has a stepper, gear box, large massive antenna,
and digitizes data received from antenna.

DeskWinNC is promising because of it's "black box" approach, and running
under windows. Carl also has an Art and a CAM package to go along with
it. I will be doing more with it shortly.

CNCPro (step/dir) runs quite well and is an established standard for our
"home shop" level machines. Has a support list. Good attention to
user's problems/requests. Frequent updates.

I have a machine now built up for Linux, with BDI EMC installed. A fair
amount of "LINUX" to get through before you can machine, but VERY
promising, and FREE! step/dir. 'C' Source available! Much fine
support on this list!

TurboCNC is available with Pascal Source, as is Stepster, etc. Step/dir
or 4-phase, although requires two parallel ports for 4-phase (MaxNC
hardware uses one). The 4.0 is now out in Beta.

MaxNC controller and it's light duty hardware was my initial choice for
entry-level CNC. Works, if a bit slow. The hardware and software will
live on, after I transfer it over to a PCB router project I have.
Simple PC requirements. I've done quite a bit with it. DOS

Master5 has possibilities, however I only have on machine that wanted to
run it! And it is at work. Impressive, very involved control panel;
it's built off of NIST EMC code, with a driver that can generate good
steps even under windoz. Windoz

And I've got my own controller program to play around with (DOS). ;>)

No problems at all running Vector CAD/CAM, and it can accommodate Gcode
variations for any of the above.

seanc62 wrote:

>
> Alan, which interpreters have you tried?
> DeskWinNC
> CNCPro
> EMC BDI
> other?
>
> Christmas shutdown is going to give me some time to do some things
> and interpreter software is still something I lack. I'd sorta like to
> hear your impressions. If the EMC BDI is fairly do-able I might be
> tempted to go that way. I purchased Vector CAD/CAM, so I'm interested
> in hearing how things work with Vector (if there are any issues
> to/worth mentioning).
>
> --- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Alan Marconett KM6VV <KM6VV@a...> wrote:
> > Hi Carl,
> >
> > It opens my cnc files from vector 9.x. Check under "Connecting your
> > Controller" for pinouts of the three header strips. There are also
> > legends on the "black box" board.
> >
> > HTH
> >
> > Alan KM6VV
> >
> >
> > carlcnc wrote:
> > >
> > > Is anyone using desknc for windows? I have been thru help files
> > > looking for pin out assignments. didn't find anything.
> > > Also I have tried to open gcode files from
> Vector7,BobCad17,MillWrite
> > > with .nc,.cnc,.txt and tried renaming files to .dnc but none of
> them
> > > will work?
> > > could use some help[as usual]
> > >
> > > thanks
> > > Carl