RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Maybe OT, reprap build started

I don't see why they illustrated your point, unless your point was that the information was not available in some particular format that you artifically insist it should be in.

What is the difference between "a schematic" and "a picture of one"??? What do you think a schematic is? Right! A *picture* of how the components are electrically interconnected. So why is a picture of a picture inadequate? If I had printed off this PNG and snail-mailed to you would you claim is it not a schematic? I have news for you... up until about 30-40 years ago *all* schematics were just printed on paper!

This particular shcematic shows *all* the components on the board. Granted, rather than showing it as a single sheet it is broken up into functional groups with labelled traces to show how the groups interconnect. As a specific example, the top-right trace in the 'Arduino' section is labelled A0. This connects to the wiper of R16 illustrated in the 'Trimpot' section, whose trace is labelled A0. Granted, the schematic is a bit messy (with poor colour choices and text overwriting other lines making them hard to read) and could really use a cross-reference of the interconnects between the function groups, but nevertheless it is a complete schematic for the board.

Why do you claim it is "not complete"? What do you think is missing?

Can't find the code? Try clicking on a few links:
from http://reprap.org/wiki/Generation3Firmware
click on 'Download RepRap 3rd Generation Firmware v1.1'
click on 'Code' in the gray header
click on 'Browse Subversion Repository' on the right
Now you are in a tree browser. Click on 'trunk/', 'software/', 'firmware/', 'FiveD_GCode/', 'Extruder/', and 'Extruder.pde'
Now you are at a revision history browser for the mainline of the extruder firmware. Click on 'view' next to 'Links to HEAD:' to see the head version.
Behold! Source code! And I didn't have to pay a cent (although I will admit that I might have had to get a free signup to SourceForge at some point in the distant past).

As far as I can tell the only point illustrated is that you want all the information served to you on a platter, and until someone does that you will deny that it is possible to do so.

"Free" does not include delivery, but you can come pick it up any time.

-Kevin Martin
the Papertrail Handmade Paper & Book Arts
New Dundee, Ontario
518-884-7123
www.papertrail.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Phil@Yahoo

Thanks, but those URLs serve only to illustrate my point. For example, the
"schematic" on the extruder page is actually a picture of a schematic (a
.png file) which shows only the pinouts of the major components of the
board. It does not show how they are interconnected, nor is it complete. In
short it is useless, a pretense. Same thing for "source code." You can find
things like test programs to drive the extruder at a constant rate or to
read the thermocouple, but nothing non-trivial. By far the most space is
devoted to instructions on assembling the PCB. This "open source" project is
nothing more than a thinly disguised marketing program. Nothing wrong with
selling, but to do so under false premises is, in my opinion, despicable.
Technical aptitude or not, a liar is still a liar. (NOTE: I'm not calling
YOU a liar. I don't know who is behind the false claims. It's a matter of
principle. It's unethical.) These web pages look at first glance like a
trove of valuable information, but they are really little more than a sales
pitch. I'll withdraw my assertion when somebody shows me something
substantial that is useful without first buying something from the
promoters.