Originally Posted by drawbar Needs to have look-ahead processing. I very much like TurboCNC, but my only beef is that every point is Stop-Go-Stop-Go-Stop-Go...
Brian |
Are you sure this is not possible to configure?
A program that stops at each block must be very close to unusable. Several programs that generate G-code can hardly be teased to output an arc as one block, they spit out thousands of segments. That in combination with stop/go must sound like a machine gun, take forever to mill and wear down your end mills in no time.
@Benny: What Al wrote + Must have PLC functions.
+ Must be using intelligent motion control card for RT-functions and PLC. So the machine will be handled in a controlled manner each time Windows is "out for lunch".
Actually I prefer it's not running under Windows as Windows was never designed for this and is eminently unsuitable. But it needs to be "networkable". That is: NFS, Samba or similar for transferring code to controller.
I suggest your friend check out EMC and maybe use his programmer's skills to contribute to EMC2. As a business proposition why not install and support EMC instead of making his own? Lots of people make a living from supporting Linux, but none as far as I know from installing EMC.