Can EMC2 control lathe spindle with Step/Direction Drive?

[Mike Nash]

I have seen where Mach3 can control a lathe's step/direction servo or stepper spindle drive. I have not seen that EMC2 is set up to do it. I know, I know about running a velocity mode drive with an analog signal, but I want full control of the spindle like the big boys have. This would allow live tooling with the spindle acting as a rotary axis as well as normal spindle speed control.

Can it be done? Can you point me to more info on this?

Thanks.

[vlmarshall]

I'm pretty sure it can be done... it seems like EMC can be configured for anything.
Ask the guys on the EMC developer's IRC chat, at http://www.linuxcnc.org/component/op...mid,8/lang,en/

They just answered my question about lathe spindle indexing.

[Mike Nash]

I have searched some more, and it does look do-able. Unfortunately, EMC2 requires a great deal more of my time to learn just how to do it. It's a simple menu selection in Mach 3.

I'm glad you got your question answered. I just looked at the link you posted. I don't think I'm ready for IRC chat just yet. I like the slower pace of forums and email. It's hard to hold a real time conversation when I don't even know what I need to ask yet.

[vlmarshall]

Ha, yeah it can get deep.

I started with Mach, but didn't like that all of the canned cycles and such that I wanted to use, weren't available, and the answer was always "write a script..."
I don't know how to write that stuff and don't have time to learn, I want to make parts.

[wendtmk]

Well, I can give a huge thumbs up and much thanks to the folks like Mike Gaes and Alex Joni who seem to live on the IRC. They both helped me get over the hump of getting a dual-stepper gantry moving yesterday. Much like phone support, except I didn't have to hold the damn phone on my ear for close to 6 hours of troubleshooting. Give it a try, there always seems to be somebody on the IRC channel who wants to help.

Mark

[vlmarshall]

Originally Posted by wendtmk Well, I can give a huge thumbs up and much thanks to the folks like Mike Gaes and Alex Joni who seem to live on the IRC. They both helped me get over the hump of getting a dual-stepper gantry moving yesterday. Much like phone support, except I didn't have to hold the damn phone on my ear for close to 6 hours of troubleshooting. Give it a try, there always seems to be somebody on the IRC channel who wants to help. Mark

Yep, I was there yesterday for that, trying to keep quiet and not offer my "help".

It was fun and educational, since I was learning about possible future set-up problems I'll be having with a dual-motor axis on a Solsylva router.

[wendtmk]

Originally Posted by vlmarshall Yep, I was there yesterday for that, trying to keep quiet and not offer my "help". It was fun and educational, since I was learning about possible future set-up problems I'll be having with a dual-motor axis on a Solsylva router.

Were you logged on as "Vernon"? The chit-chat was pretty interesting too.

Mark

[vlmarshall]

Originally Posted by wendtmk Were you logged on as "Vernon"? The chit-chat was pretty interesting too. Mark

Yes, that's me.

The LinuxCNC helped me fix my lathe problem, after yours, early enough in the evening that I was able to cut a test thread, and post the video to my YouTube account.

...complete with "credits" at the end that are really there just to pick on a friend of mine, from the "Home model Engine Machinists" forum.

[wendtmk]

Originally Posted by vlmarshall Yes, that's me. The LinuxCNC helped me fix my lathe problem, after yours, early enough in the evening that I was able to cut a test thread, and post the video to my YouTube account. ...complete with "credits" at the end that are really there just to pick on a friend of mine, from the "Home model Engine Machinists" forum.

Schweet! That IRC is a hell of a good resource!

Mark

[vlmarshall]

Yeah, I made the switch from Mach to EMC on Jan 1st, 2009 and I've never regretted it. I've made more parts at home in the last year than I had in the 3 before it.