Machine Manager CNC and Automation Framework


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  1. #1
    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default Machine Manager CNC and Automation Framework

    Machine Manager III beta


    Machine Manager III is available as an install package for beta testing


    You can download it here::

    Machine Manager - Browse Files at SourceForge.net
    Manager%20III.zip/download


    Use as a CNC gui, or create custom GUI's for your custom automation projects.

    Many controls are available and all can be docked in any configuration you like.


    You can setup IO led panels for inputs and outputs, create user settings (global
    variables) that can be accessed from live python scripts. You can also create
    custom 'Command Buttons' that will fire off a script.

    Documentation is lacking(for the moment), but expect top notch help for anyone
    brave enough to test this application and get it ready for production use.

    Let me know who is interested in using this poweful GUI to control your Kflop as
    an alternative to Mach / KMotionCNC



    -Brad Murry

    Similar Threads:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Machine Manager CNC and Automation Framework-current-gcode-config-png  


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    Registered judleroy's Avatar
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    Default

    I am very interested in giving it a try. I would like a little background if that's ok. Is it a modified version of the k-motion Cnc? Is it compatible with the k-motion setup that I already have or will I have to configure everything through another software? Thanks.
    Judleroy



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    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default MM background

    MM is not a Modified KmotionCNC, it is an automation framework + GUI that is written in c#. Much like the Kflop, it is not CNC only(can be used for custom automation projects) although CNC use is high priority on the feature set and is the most complete part of the framework. I write software for a custom machine tool manufacturer for a living, and MM3 allows me to try all the things I never have time to play with at work.

    MM is designed to be hardware independent, though currently only Kflop(what else do you need? Kflop is awesome!)is supported. But this does mean that down the road if you want to incorporate some other manufacturer's nice IO block it will be supported along side the Kflop.

    It interfaces with the KFlop via the .net wrappers I wrote for the DynoMotion cards; these are the same .net libraries that are shipped with the Dynomotion software, so rest assured some effort was put in to make a clean and robust interface with the hardware.



    As far as configuration goes, most everything other than home routines can be set from configuration pages inside the GUI. As an alternative, most things(Axis, IO, AxisGroup, Interpreter) can be flagged for "External Configuration" which will allow you to use your current initialization method.

    -Brad Murry

    Last edited by bradodarb; 12-01-2011 at 12:28 PM.


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    Registered judleroy's Avatar
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    Sounds pretty cool. I will download it and give it a try. That means lots of questions to come. The only hope is that it won't effect my k-motion setup I'm already using. I don't want to be down while learning something new. Do I tune my motors in your software. An auto tuning program for servos would be awesome but I won't get my hopes up. Thanks.
    Judleroy



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    Registered judleroy's Avatar
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    I cant seem to get the download to work. The site is acting up and is very slow. Any suggestions?
    Judleroy



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    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default Download and requirements

    I just downloaded the install package with no problems, perhaps you tried during a maintenance session. Sorry it did not work out.

    Some other things to not while getting things set up is you need to install the latest version of Kmotion (4.28x), and download the news .net interop files from here::

    Download Machine Manager from SourceForge.net

    (just paste the unzipped content into your Kmotion install directory)

    You will not need to perform this additional step once the next release of Kmotion is available.

    Let me know if you have additional problems.

    -Brad Murry

    Last edited by bradodarb; 12-01-2011 at 12:23 PM.


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    Brad,

    I have down loaded everything except KMotion 4.28. The latest available from the dynomotion site is 4.27. I am currently running 4.26. I couldn't get the compiled version to run, error:

    Exception of type 'KMotion_dotnet.DMException' was thrown.
    You stated above that I should C&P the dotnet directory into the KMotion install directory....how is that going to help with MM3?

    Actually....

    If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please give a step-by-step on how to install MM3? My experience in C and dotnet is zero, so just assume I am an idiot, because I sure feel like one :-)

    Fish
    Fish



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    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default Deployment Issue

    No Fish, you are not doing anything wrong. Although it seems to work without a hitch on my system(go figure) I am having problems deploying it on to other systems. We are working on a resolution right now and I will post back when the issue is fixed

    -Brad



  9. #9
    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default New build pending

    I think we have things buttoned up on some deployment issues. Currently working with Dynomotion to get a new build ready to make it a painless install, hopefully we'll have one tonight!

    -Brad Murry



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    Quote Originally Posted by bradodarb View Post
    I think we have things buttoned up on some deployment issues. Currently working with Dynomotion to get a new build ready to make it a painless install, hopefully we'll have one tonight!

    -Brad Murry
    Is it night yet :-) ? Not attempting to rush you, just curious.

    Is there any chance that the development issues you are working on might solve the VB6 problems interfacing with the KMotion DLL ? I sure would love to be able to control my KFlop from a VB6 environment :-) Nothing complicated like you are working with, just simple stuff like a "custom jogging" interface, or my "KFlop Init" front-end. Tom says there isn't enough interest in VB6 to continue support for it, but it seems to be the same type of interface problem you are having......Just hoping.

    Fish



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    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default Progress

    We are getting close, just testing a few more things out to make sure its as robust as it can be(for a beta release that is)



    -Brad Murry



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    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    Default DynoMotion APIs

    Quote Originally Posted by Fish4Fun View Post
    Is there any chance that the development issues you are working on might solve the VB6 problems interfacing with the KMotion DLL ? I sure would love to be able to control my KFlop from a VB6 environment :-) Nothing complicated like you are working with, just simple stuff like a "custom jogging" interface, or my "KFlop Init" front-end. Tom says there isn't enough interest in VB6 to continue support for it, but it seems to be the same type of interface problem you are having......Just hoping.

    Fish

    Nothing to do with the KMotion.dll interface, thats pretty bulletproof right now.

    More just generally making it deployable with DynoMotion and squashing a few bugs along the way.



    On the VB side....

    I wrote an extensive .net wrapper for all the KMotion API's(with lots of patient guidance from Tom to make sure it works well). It comes included with the DynoMotion installs now.

    Although it is written in c#, it supports any CLR language (c#, vb.net, managed c++, IronPython, IronRuby, F#, etc...)

    Probably not 100% the answer you want hear, but I really feel your best bet is to switch over to VB.net(VB.net express development environment is FREE).

    I really think you'll find that most of you code will port over and 'just work', plus you'll have so much available to you from the .net framework.

    There is also a VB.net example application I wrote that demonstrates nearly every major aspect of the code. You can even create your own CNC control app with it..... MM uses it!


    -Brad Murry



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    Well :-) I happen to "have" dot net, though I would NOT say I am an owner.....I would never develop anything from it for general distribution, but I do own VB6, so if I am going to "share", I would need to make sure I have the "right to". "Free" is relative in the software development world, and I try to play by the rules. Anyway, I hate that VB6 is no longer supported by Tom's kinder and "gentler patience", but I will look into the dotNet wrappers you have written and see if there is anyway I can make them work in VS6, but I am guessing what you have done is way over my head.

    I guess this may be the excuse i have been looking for to learn C, but I just hate I have to start with a DLL, that is really SO FAR BEYOND my capabilities....I am very good @ parsing, AVR-ASM and VB6, I really never wanted/needed to add C++, C# or even C to my tool box, lol. Maybe I should just drop direct interface with the KFlop; @ the end of the day I really don't need it, it would mostly be to write apps to make life easier for other folks.

    As far as the VB.Net "working", his "example program" for VB.net does not run on my system as supplied with V4.26 or V4.27. Perhaps previous versions work, but since the KFlop will not allow "backward Flashes" I really can't say. I think restricting backward flashes is more constrictive than I would like to see, but I am sure it is well-thought-out. I know VERY FEW PEOPLE want to attempt their own front-end, and the very short list of us include mostly people like you who are "C" fluent.

    Anyway, I look forward to reviewing MM3.

    Fish



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    "Anyway, I look forward to reviewing MM3.

    Fish "

    I have to believe it will be pushed out early this week...

    -Brad



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    Hi Fish,

    Sorry about not supporting VB6. Visual Studio 6 was released 14 years ago! I loved that version myself. But in software years that is eons ago. But I don't see why it won't work it did years ago.

    BTW Visual Studio Express with VB.NET is FREE!

    Also you should be able to FLASH old versions of the firmware into the board. We have no restrictions for this. If you go too far back you risk loading firmware that isn't aware of the Flash chips on our newer generation boards. So it then won't know how to flash a New Version. But that issue can be solved using the Flash Recovery Option to load a new version into memory which will then know how to flash itself.

    Regards
    TK

    Regards
    TK http://dynomotion.com


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    Member bradodarb's Avatar
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    OK, we have spindles...


    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DynoMo...unt=20&dir=asc

    I think I have pretty much everything buttoned up and ready to try again.

    Spindle control, homing definition/integration for the HomeMMv7.c, better
    threaded performance and a few bugs squashed.

    I will upload it once I have a better connection and hopefully a Dynomotion
    install will magically appear shortly after.

    -Brad Murry

    Last edited by bradodarb; 12-12-2011 at 12:12 AM.


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    YEAH!

    :-)

    Were "Spindles" the problem? lol? I was having more fundamental problems ;-)

    ...bad link?

    Fish



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    Were "Spindles" the problem? lol? I was having more fundamental problems ;-)
    The main problem was level of completeness to be considered a semi "out of the box" solution, even for a 'beta'.

    Spindle control was pretty much the last item to add for a a full function CNC control app.

    ...bad link?
    Sorry about that, I guess I did not paste it in correctly.....

    *Fixed

    -Brad



  19. #19
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    Default Machine Manager III Beta Released.....(again)

    Mirroring DynoMotion's new version release we have Machine Manager available here::

    Download Machine Manager from SourceForge.net


    While you do NOT need hardware to try it out, you will need to download the latest KMotion install (4.28).

    If you install KMotion in the default location, MM3 is already configured, however if you do not you simply need to change a setting in the cofiguration XML.

    Let me know if there are any problems.

    -Brad Murry



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    Default New Installer Version Required

    Depending on your automatic updates settings/recently installed software the last link might have failed to install.


    I just updated the install link to include a method to download the latest MSI installer from Microsoft.

    -Brad Murry



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