EMC2 Mircrosystems 7200-pci wincnc

[trevis1st]

Is it possible to use EMC2 with the Mircrosystems 7200-pci controller? If so has anyone done so? I've been searching, but I starting to think everyone just uses some other controller.

[trevis1st]

Anyone?

[trevis1st]

Hello! Anyone there?

[samco]

I don't think anyone has used this with emc.

Its hardware would have to be open-source for anyone else to make a driver for it. It doesn't look like it is. You could email the company and see if it is a
possibillity. This is also assuming that it would work within the emc2 architecture.

http://www.wincnc.net/

[trevis1st]

I think your right. Well when I can have another machine I'll make sure the hardware will work with it.

[Ray Henry]

Originally Posted by trevis1st I think your right. Well when I can have another machine I'll make sure the hardware will work with it.

I read through the user manual for this 7200 system and was wondering what it doesn't do that causes you to wish for the EMC2?

Rayh

[trevis1st]

Originally Posted by Ray Henry I read through the user manual for this 7200 system and was wondering what it doesn't do that causes you to wish for the EMC2? Rayh

It does what I want for now. I would rather use Linux over Windows. If all of my software, that I use, ran on Linux I wouldn't use Windows at all. Also I would like to know what will work with it. More of a curiosity than anything else. I'm in no rush to break something that is working just fine.

[Ray Henry]

Originally Posted by trevis1st It does what I want for now. I would rather use Linux over Windows. If all of my software, that I use, ran on Linux I wouldn't use Windows at all. Also I would like to know what will work with it. More of a curiosity than anything else. I'm in no rush to break something that is working just fine.

Curiosity is good but I really like the idea of not messing with a working system. Let's see what the makers say about us getting access to the PCI communication docs before we abandon this plan.

[trevis1st]

That's a interesting thing. Just asking the question would be tech support. And it's $400 for a six month time frame. I do find it interesting that if you have tech support for 1 1/2 years then you would have spent the same as if you bought a new unit with software with them. But maybe for a simple question they will answer.

[Ray Henry]

Originally Posted by trevis1st That's a interesting thing. Just asking the question would be tech support.

A lot of their product and add-ons are software. In places it sounds like the hardware is little more than a connector between their own software and the motors and such that it will run. They may be reluctant to help an alternative software system that would not return software revenue to them.

[trevis1st]

What would be the ideal controller for EMC2? From 3 to 5 axis.

[Ray Henry]

That is a difficult question for me because I have friends among several of the commercial hardware vendors. Each system has its advantages. Right now I'm tuning a small servo system that is using a Mesa m5i20 with a 4 channel 100 watt servo drive. This will eventually become a six axis servo testbed for non-trivial kinematic machines. I've also used Vital and Pico systems on several machines for servo control. For stepper systems I've used Centent, Gecko Keling, Pico, PMDX, Sherline, and Xylotex for stepper systems.

There is quite a list of possibilities that you can look over at Supported_Hardware. Skulking around that page will get you quite a bit of information about each.

You might join the IRC emc channel at freenode and talk with folk there about their preferences. Since you are familiar with Linux you could use pidgin or xchat or any one of several others.

Hope this helps

Rayh