Re: Who supplies the Post Processor?

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "CrazyDudeII" <apullin@h...>
wrote:

> Alrighty folks, so I took the plunge and I have purchased a Taig

CNC

> ready mill that was on ebay. I am planning on getting the DeskCNC
> servo kit for this machine (is that a bad idea?).
> What I'm really wondering about here is how do I go about using a
> program like GibbsCAM, which I have access to, to output code for
> this setup? Im not terribly well acquianted with GibbsCAM, but I
> think I need some sort of post processor to run the code through
> before I send it to the machine with the DeskCNC software.
> Should the DeskCNC folks supply such a post processor? Or should I
> look to the GibbsCAM people? Or will this be impossible?
>
> Thanks,
> Andrew Pullin

The CAM supplier is normally the party you look to for the posts.
They have to be able the take their proprietary internal file format
and output a form of g-code that will work with your chosen
controller software/hardware piece. The good news is that most CAM
programs have generic g-code choices or have an existing g-code
flavor (line Fanuac) that will work. You stated that you are getting
the DeskCNC Servo kit. Are you talking about just the Servo driver
card or the whole thing consisting of their Windows CAM/Controller
piece and their matching external step card? If you are doing the
latter then you you don't need GibbsCAM unless you are going to use
it for 3D modeling. I have never seen GibbsCAM so I can't comment on
it's features.

What kind of parts/things are you looking to make? Full 3D 3, 4 or 5
axis stuff or more common 2.5 (flat pieces with straight-sided pocket
cuts)?

All a post does is take the CAM software's internal code
and "translate" it into a form of g-code (or in some cases other
motion code). Not all machines support all g-code and the code spec
itself is pretty loose on a lot of the "special sequence" codes.
IMO a good CAM package has a modifiable post engine that you can make
match just about any machine that takes g-code.