I got this idea for a CNC machine controller.

[podolskiy]

I was thinking about this lately:
How hard would it be to build a CNC machine controller that has a micro SD card slot, so when I want to debug the G Code and make a test part, I control the CNC machine with a computer directly, but when everything is already worked out, I save a G code file on the SD card and the controller reads the code off the SD card and no computer is needed.

I tried building this kind of controller, but I really could not find any information on how to build a device that is visible to a PC as an external memory, in the file explorer.

I envision this controller to be like a digital camera, so it can work when it is attached to the machine and on its own, except instead of saving information to the SD card, it will read the G code off the SD card.

Not something I could build using PIC18 microcontrollers and my limited knowledge of USB.

You are welcome to build your own devices that work on this principle if you like my idea.

If it works out, send me a circuit, please. If you commercially succeed at building a controller like this, please send me one.

[ger21]

ncPod Motion Controller - Original Engineering Machine Technology by OEMTech

[HorridHenry]

What benefits would this idea have over the computer?

[podolskiy]

What benefits would this idea have over the computer?

Well. The benefits are that computer is really an overkill to run a CNC machine.
Too much processing power.

Plus you have a hard drive, a communication line. More things can go wrong in process of manufacturing.

[HorridHenry]

Well. The benefits are that computer is really an overkill to run a CNC machine.
Too much processing power.

Well it can store a lot more information than a mem card ie you'd have to have a bunch of mem cards and swopping and changing.

Plus you have a hard drive, a communication line. More things can go wrong in process of manufacturing.

And how would you select a certain file to machine from the card? and mem cards are not that reliable.

[podolskiy]

ncPod Motion Controller - Original Engineering Machine Technology by OEMTech

Awesome project. I wish that I could be the one to beta test it.

[HorridHenry]

Awesome project.

It will never catch on,people like to take control of their machines rather than slip a card in and away yer go ie its the joy of routing a piece of work and the end result gets us with a big smile.

[podolskiy]

It will never catch on,people like to take control of their machines rather than slip a card in and away yer go ie its the joy of routing a piece of work and the end result gets us with a big smile.

In a factory it may if the production does not require extreme precision.
If no compensation for cutter wear is necessary.

[underthetire]

It takes a huge amount of processing power to contour at high speed. All the big players went to 64 bit long before pc's ever did.

[HorridHenry]

You will still have to plug the card into a computer to transfer the data over for the job piece,,,,so rather defeats the object doesn't it.

[ger21]

Awesome project. I wish that I could be the one to beta test it.

The developer dropped the ball on it. I believe that anyone who wanted could purchase one.

They are used in the Shark routers that Rockler sells in standalone mode with SD cards, I believe.

And mach3 has a plugin to use it with the PC, but the plugin was never fully completed due to an apparent lack of help from the developer of the NcPOD. If the developer would have worked to get a fully functioning Mach3 plugin, they would have sold thousands of them. Instead, everyone who purchased them eventually moved on to different hardware.

[podolskiy]

It takes a huge amount of processing power to contour at high speed. All the big players went to 64 bit long before pc's ever did.

How did big players move to 64bit if PCs didn't?
What were they using?