AsAs I learn more about EMC I realize what a great challenge lays ahead.

I have several questions I would like the group’s feedback on.

First is it possible to remap the parallel port pinout for example, pin #2 is Z-Step, and if so how?

Has anyone integrated a servo or stepper in closed loop without the huge experience of a Servo-To-Go card or equivalent? I have built hardware Quadrature encoders using LS7266r1 and HP counters but I lack the programming knowledge as to how this will tie in to EMC.

Lastly what is your experience with the EMC-Probing program?


Thanks Much
Brian

This hardware might be a bit cheaper. http://pico-systems.com/motion.html

This hardware might be a bit cheaper. http://pico-systems.com/motion.html

I'm using a Pico Systems USC with a Xylotex drive (and EMC of course!) and my steppers (142oz) do have encoders for closed loop so I can confirm to you that it works.

Unfortunately I never really got around to fine tuning the system so I don't rapid any faster then 30IPM although I have gone 60 or more with following errors. Sadly I've done very little work on the system in the last year due many reasons but I'm now working back up to it in a couple of months so if you go this route I may be a little help to you. (I have to build a new enclosure, relocate mill, find new computer, install emc, etc...)

EMC already has a way of using the encoder chip from US Digital to close the loop ( I think that's the chip you're using). It uses smdromod.o.
In the section of the *.ini file that you select which motion module to use (ie feqmod.o...) select smdromod.o
It can then control a step/direction type driver closed loop. I have a little mill/drill that I use this part of the program for, to use it as a plain old DRO (have been too lazy to hook up drives and have a CNC Bridgeport anyway).

Dan

Isn't the Dan Mauch DRO thing obsolete? It looks like it was discontinued by camtronics in 2002 and it's an ISA board.
It would be handy to have a low cost encoder interface.. microcontroller (with QE inputs) on a PCI board?
I don't like the idea of proprietary hardware (g-rex or pico) in my machine, i want to have control over this stuff (and be able to repair if something breaks).
Making EMC count encoder pulses on parport inputs would be ideal... is this possible???

As to the other questions, i think it is possible to change the pinout in EMC2 but not in the original EMC. EMC2 also features a HAL (hardware abstraction layer) driver interface, so programming a driver seems to be manageable. The HAL is also where you reconfigure the pinout, IIRC.
K

I would like to close the loop for my system as well. I've got steppers with Sumtak encoders. I'm ruding Fedora COre 4 now, So i figure i might as well run EMC.

Where do the encoder wires actually go to? I would think the wires go right into the parallel port, so the software can do its thing.

The drivers handle the loopback interfacing towards EMC, you need cards that handles closed loop if you want to use the functionality.

--S

Okay so it looks like the Pico system product would work. BUt it appears that you need your regular drivers, that then interface with this board.
Well I am having my own custom drivers built, so I can drive my 6 amp motors.