Re: Indexer LPT FAQ

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "ahlee1010" <ahlee1010@h...> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Need some help to understand Indexer LPT FAQ:
> http://www.abilitysystems.com/faq.htm
>
> My Questions:
>
> Is the "translator" above the same as a stepper motor driver as in
> G201 or Camtronics 2A etc?
>
> Is the "Indexer" refered to above the same as the controller

programs

> often mentioned on this list such as CNCPro, TurbocCNC, Master5,
> etc., except at a "lower" level and able to interpret more than

just

> Gcodes?
>
> Thanks
>
> Lee

Translator and driver are often mixed terms since the two perform
together and are usually integrated . The translator section takes
the step and direction pulses and "translates" these to the proper
motor phase drive signals, the driver section provides the power.
Example the L297 is the translator and the l298 the driver, put them
together and you have a translating driver. If it accepts step and
direction inputs or similar then the driver is a translating one,
there are a few that take only phase signals and can not be driven
from a step and direction input directly.

Indexer is a control program similar to the others although more
limited. It is a device driver that takes in commands to do things
and figures out how to move the motors or more specifically what bits
to twiddle on the parallel ports. It looks to be a convenient
interface so that you can write the rest of the program, user
interface, display etc.

It is the same idea different language, you will often see controls
with conversational languages as well as standard G-code. In the end
it all amounts to the same thing you have to define the tool path
with some language then convert it to motion.

G00 X10.0
Move: X=10.0
Or even
For X=axis_to_move: Go like heck until X=10.0

These would all do the same function, as would defining the path
with HPGL, DXF or postscript.

Now if you buy their G-code controller and Indexlpt the package will
be similar to EMC,mach5 etc.. On it's own The IndexLPT is not a
machine controller it is just the interface. It hangs out waiting for
you to send commands then does them. Think of it more like a library
already loaded waiting for you to write something to tell it what to
do. Adding the G-code controller gives you the user interface that
IndexLPT does not have.

Brian Punkar
BSP