What went wrong with the G100?


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Thread: What went wrong with the G100?

  1. #1
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    Default What went wrong with the G100?

    So I've heard the G100 was overall a "failed" product... Google searches show even Mariss said it didn't do what it was intended to do and bemoaned the whole project.

    However, I'm not sure what the specific problem was.
    Was the firmware on the G100 itself buggy, or the hardware on it not up to the computing task?

    Was the protocol flawed?

    I saw complaints that it was the Mach3 plugin itself that was buggy- given the closed-source nature of Mach3 and it seems like only Art really knows how it works, I can see that as being a problem.

    Was it supported for EMC2, or just Mach3?

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    Quote Originally Posted by MechanoMan View Post

    Was it supported for EMC2, or just Mach3?
    Neither, really.

    Afaik, the G100 was not designed with Mach3 in mind, but as a standalone motion controller.
    A 3rd party was writing the firmware for Mach3 use, and he never finished it.
    Without that firmware, the Mach3 plugin was very limited.

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

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    Was the hardware up to the task though? And is the protocol published?



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    Was the hardware up to the task though?
    For what task?

    From what I recall, the space for the firmware was not really enough for what was needed for the Mach3 firmware. The firmware was extremely complex, and only one person appeared capable of doing it, and he disappeared before completion.

    The Geckodrive Yahoo group should have all the documentation you're looking for in the files section there.

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    So the G100 protocol is "good", but the Mach3 plugin was never finished? And Smoothstepper came in and made something which seems to have been based on the G100 project, yet it is closed-source?

    Did EMC2/LinuxCNC ever make the G100 plugin, or anything like it?



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    Member ger21's Avatar
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    So the G100 protocol is "good", but the Mach3 plugin was never finished?
    No, the firmware for Mach3 use was never completely finished.

    The Smoothstepper was designed for Mach3 use, while the G100 was not.

    Afaik, EMC doesn't support devices like the Smoothstepper or G100.

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    It's unlikely we will ever design another Mach3 compatible motion controller again. That doesn't mean we have given up on motion controllers though. Please see the attached pdf to see the direction we are taking. This manual is a work in progress so please excuse its incompleteness.

    Mariss

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails What went wrong with the G100?-g215-users-manual-pdf  


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What went wrong with the G100?

What went wrong with the G100?