Using EMC2 for non-step/dir steppers in DIY mill

[hondaman900]

I'm told on another forum that EMC2 should support setting up to phase drive steppers, but I can't figure this out in EMC itself. Am I chasing a ghost, or does someone know how to do set this up in EMC2? The setup config tools all seem to require a step/dir schema. After extensive searching I'm not finding any good direction on this. Suggestions?

Any help is much appreciated.

[CalG]

EMC2 is a machine control program that conforms to "standard" g-code formats.
There is a useful setup application to aid in the use of stepper drives . Step and Direction.

EMC2 will send pulses from a PC parallel port to motor drives configured to receive them.
EMC2 has no provision to act as a motor drive.
The options available with specialty add on cards are extensive.

Search the web, the EMC2 web site and forum has more information available than any one person can read in a week!

[chester88]

Actually EMC can output many different signals.
see here:
http://www.linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/h...stepgen.9.html
It's just that step / directions is by far most popular.

[jmelson]

I'm told on another forum that EMC2 should support setting up to phase drive steppers, but I can't figure this out in EMC itself. Am I chasing a ghost, or does someone know how to do set this up in EMC2? The setup config tools all seem to require a step/dir schema. After extensive searching I'm not finding any good direction on this. Suggestions?

Any help is much appreciated.

Yes, EMC has a variety of options for signalling the stepper drive. Other than step/direction, there is a Bridgeport full-step phase drive as well as a half-step phase drive. These are selected when you install the software step module. I don't think you can make these selections yet directly in the stepconf wizard, but you can edit in the change after making most of the other settings in the wizard.

In the integrator's manual :
http://www.linuxcnc.org/docs/EMC2_Integrator_Manual.pdf
under HAL / internal components / stepgen / step types, you will see the available step output signal schemes. The step type is selected by a code when you install the driver with the loadrt command in your xxx.hal file. I think step type 2 is what you want for full steps, you can then invert each signal (A and B) to make the not-A and not-B signals. That way, you still only need two parallel port bits per axis.

Jon