Re: Beauty and the Beast
Posted by
Andrew Werby
on 1999-10-31 03:26:22 UTC
Message: 9
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 20:22:36 +0200
From: "Arne Chr.Jorgensen" <instel@...>
Subject: Beauty and the beast
Hi,
Andrew, Maybe Jon Elson could give you a few lines - maybe off the
list. I am sure you would be able to get some help from some kind of
school. I just don't know the school system over there enough, but a
technical high school my also be a possible place. But I know that many
students have problems to find things they would like to do a project
on, that is something real, and something they could see practical
results from. A machine controller is a very interesting thing.
You could ask, they would not kill you :) (IMO - okay, just to be safe,
keep a heavy wrench nearby :)
[The school system here is a bit different from that in Europe. Over there,
a technical high school is a place where students who are mathematically
inclined find a course of study focusing on engineering -which we don't get
to until grad school- and on real-world industrial applications. Over here,
it is a place where students who are unable or unwilling to learn anything
whatever are kept until it's time for them to go to prison. They are called
"technical" because the students only "technically" attend at all. I doubt
if one in fifty would know the difference between a pc board and a
skateboard.]
The other thing you could do was to put a nice close up picture of the
main board. Then we could see what type of circuits it uses, what kind
of cpu and pio.
[I could do that, if you think it might help.]
But as I said before, I can't imagine you should have
any trouble to get hold over a circuit diagram of the main board. It is
not that old.
[Where would I look?]
10K of memory could be enough, but as I said, there could be that it
uses the magnetic tape drive as storage. ( Think of it as a normal PC, -
it uses the hard disk as swap and temporary place for big files )
[It seems to be able to load information into memory, but everybody I've
talked to, (including the guys from Greco (thanks for the lead, Bill) said
that the controller needed to have a "run from tape" mode in order for the
drip-feed system to work. Apparently, my Centurion IV can't do that- it is
limited to running from whatever it can put in its 10k of memory, and
nobody can tell me how to override this limit. It's looking like a brain
transplant might be the way to go after all.]
If the cpu don't address more memory space, there is no use in putting
more memory in it. It would need to know how to use more memory.
[That's what I feared.]
It would be normal that you could not pass anything through the RS232
port and bypass the controller. Even beasts must have some brain power
:)
Make a call to the company that made the machine, and talk to them.
[They are long gone...]
There is several ways to "jump rig" the machine, - but you would have
to look at the controller schematics to find out the way to do it.
(What you have, is just the drawings of the external wires on the machine)
There is several on this list, that is capable of writing and
programming small micro controllers, - maybe there is a way to connect
EMC without a ServoToGo board. ( use the IO you have )
Anyway, you need that kind of information in order to use the servos
and encoders you have.
[Hmm- how would I use the I/O capabilities of the controller without being
stuck with its memory limitations? Does its division into quadrants mean
it's got separable qualities, like a right brain and a left?]
Hope this helps, - if it does, - send me a lollipop :)
//ARNE
[Seems like what you could really use is a US-style keyboard- I'll send you
one if you'd like.]
Andrew Werby
Andrew Werby - United Artworks
Sculpture, Jewelry, and Other Art Stuff
http://unitedartworks.com
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 20:22:36 +0200
From: "Arne Chr.Jorgensen" <instel@...>
Subject: Beauty and the beast
Hi,
Andrew, Maybe Jon Elson could give you a few lines - maybe off the
list. I am sure you would be able to get some help from some kind of
school. I just don't know the school system over there enough, but a
technical high school my also be a possible place. But I know that many
students have problems to find things they would like to do a project
on, that is something real, and something they could see practical
results from. A machine controller is a very interesting thing.
You could ask, they would not kill you :) (IMO - okay, just to be safe,
keep a heavy wrench nearby :)
[The school system here is a bit different from that in Europe. Over there,
a technical high school is a place where students who are mathematically
inclined find a course of study focusing on engineering -which we don't get
to until grad school- and on real-world industrial applications. Over here,
it is a place where students who are unable or unwilling to learn anything
whatever are kept until it's time for them to go to prison. They are called
"technical" because the students only "technically" attend at all. I doubt
if one in fifty would know the difference between a pc board and a
skateboard.]
The other thing you could do was to put a nice close up picture of the
main board. Then we could see what type of circuits it uses, what kind
of cpu and pio.
[I could do that, if you think it might help.]
But as I said before, I can't imagine you should have
any trouble to get hold over a circuit diagram of the main board. It is
not that old.
[Where would I look?]
10K of memory could be enough, but as I said, there could be that it
uses the magnetic tape drive as storage. ( Think of it as a normal PC, -
it uses the hard disk as swap and temporary place for big files )
[It seems to be able to load information into memory, but everybody I've
talked to, (including the guys from Greco (thanks for the lead, Bill) said
that the controller needed to have a "run from tape" mode in order for the
drip-feed system to work. Apparently, my Centurion IV can't do that- it is
limited to running from whatever it can put in its 10k of memory, and
nobody can tell me how to override this limit. It's looking like a brain
transplant might be the way to go after all.]
If the cpu don't address more memory space, there is no use in putting
more memory in it. It would need to know how to use more memory.
[That's what I feared.]
It would be normal that you could not pass anything through the RS232
port and bypass the controller. Even beasts must have some brain power
:)
Make a call to the company that made the machine, and talk to them.
[They are long gone...]
There is several ways to "jump rig" the machine, - but you would have
to look at the controller schematics to find out the way to do it.
(What you have, is just the drawings of the external wires on the machine)
There is several on this list, that is capable of writing and
programming small micro controllers, - maybe there is a way to connect
EMC without a ServoToGo board. ( use the IO you have )
Anyway, you need that kind of information in order to use the servos
and encoders you have.
[Hmm- how would I use the I/O capabilities of the controller without being
stuck with its memory limitations? Does its division into quadrants mean
it's got separable qualities, like a right brain and a left?]
Hope this helps, - if it does, - send me a lollipop :)
//ARNE
[Seems like what you could really use is a US-style keyboard- I'll send you
one if you'd like.]
Andrew Werby
Andrew Werby - United Artworks
Sculpture, Jewelry, and Other Art Stuff
http://unitedartworks.com