Getting desparate...

[Chunky]

...for help. About ready to throw in the towel. I'm sure I'm the dumbest one using the forum. And it's not because many of you haven't tried. You certainly have. Not even sure I'm putting this post in the right department. Will some of you look at this and see if I'm getting anywhere close to understanding the sequence of events that occurs from the idea, the lightbulb in the head, and the spinning of motors? Please note that one file is not even named, don't know what it is. The whole thing may be wrong.
diagram

[kong]

The Cam software outputs g-code, the file can have almost any extension such as *.tap, *.nc, etc. This is loaded into TurboCNC, which will output step and direction signals to the motor electronics.
I think this is what you are after!

[buscht]

Chunky, don't give up. You are pretty close. The type of file in question is the G code file. Between the TurboCNC and the stepper driver is not a file or G code. It is the step and direction signals that TurboCNC generates from reading the G code file.

Nice job on the graphics!

[ynneb]

LOL, no you are not the dumbest here. You are just trying to visually understand what is happening and you have made an excellent drawing. You are not far off at all.
The answer to your question about the file depends on what sort of file your machine can use. File.nc is a common type of file, or it could be called file.txt or a few other options.

You drew a light box with the steppers connected into it. That box would contain the stepper drivers.

I guess the one obstical with your drawing is that certain types of machines work in different ways. Sometimes the computer is the actual motion controller itself, ( It generates and controls the pulses for the stepper controllers) and on other machines the only job of the computer is to send the gcode to an external motion controller that generates the stepper pulses.

Gee I hope that doesnt confuse you more.

Your drawing is great, keep up the good work.

[Chunky]

I guess the one obstical with your drawing is that certain types of machines work in different ways. Sometimes the computer is the actual motion controller itself, ( It generates and controls the pulses for the stepper controllers) and on other machines the only job of the computer is to send the gcode to an external motion controller that generates the stepper pulses. Gee I hope that doesnt confuse you more.

Well it does. But if that's the way it is, that's the way it is. I hope that I can get this stuff figured out so that I may be the last one to have to suffer (mentally) as I am. I will now go and revise my drawing per the responses you kind men have given me. Then I'll come back and study your responses again.

[Chunky]

diagram

[ger21]

It looks good. Disregard what Benny said (below). It's actually not entirely correct anyway. At this point you don't need more confusion, and if using Mach2/3 or TurboCNC, it doesn't pertain to you.

I guess the one obstical with your drawing is that certain types of machines work in different ways. Sometimes the computer is the actual motion controller itself, ( It generates and controls the pulses for the stepper controllers) and on other machines the only job of the computer is to send the gcode to an external motion controller that generates the stepper pulses.

Gee I hope that doesnt confuse you more.

[OCNC]

Revised diagram

Nice graphics. I'm pretty sure that the drives are only concerned with counting steps and not time. I know that there is a relationship between the two but I don't think using time would be considered correct jargon. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about this. It's more appropriate to say go CW 2 steps rather than go CW 2 secs.

Have you looked at a G-code file yet? You can take a .dxf drawing, convert it to G-code and run it in simulation all for $0.00.

Chris

[Chunky]

Nice graphics. I'm pretty sure that the drives are only concerned with counting steps and not time. I know that there is a relationship between the two but I don't think using time would be considered correct jargon. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about this. It's more appropriate to say go CW 2 steps rather than go CW 2 secs.

That's precisely the kind of information I'm trying to bring out. I'll change the drawing.

Have you looked at a G-code file yet? You can take a .dxf drawing, convert it to G-code and run it in simulation all for $0.00. That's what someone else told me. I'll definitely get a copy. The little exercise I posted helped immensely. Now I can see how it works (the g code). I always kinda thought it worked like map coordinates but wasn't sure.

Chris[/QUOTE]

[ger21]

and on other machines the only job of the computer is to send the gcode to an external motion controller that generates the stepper pulses.

Benny, the actual g-code isn't sent to the motion controller. Otherwise you wouldn't need the controller software. When the new version of Mach3 comes out for the Gecko motion controller, Mach3 will still read the g-code, and convert it into vectors or something like that, which the motion controller will use to convert to step and direction.