Mach3 ModIO Handheld Pendant

[phomann]

Hi all,

It has been a while since my last post and progress on the pendant. This has been due to other pressing demands, like sorting out an issue with my pick and place machine.

As it stands now the hardware for the pendant is basically complete. What needs to be done now is turn it into a kit. Also I need to finish the VB for the macro-pump, although I expect there are a number of people out there who are more skilled and imaginative, so I.d expect a number of better and feature rich Macro-pumps to appear. My macro-pump will hopefully get people up and running.

I'm planning top provide the kit with all the components required to put the pendant together, including a ModIO, LCD and MPG. I still need to work the numbers, but I expect there to be quite a saving on buying the components individually.

I also have some who has kindly offered to put a manual together. I need to get all the bits and pieces to them, and they'll document the construction. I should have the kit of components off to them this weekend.

If anyone has any suggestions regarding the components they'd like to see, i.e. connectors etc, now isa the time to pipe up.


Cheers,

Peter.

[1000IPM]

I have built a 2' x 4' router using the unibearings - They are a little tricky to get shimmed properly - but once setup - I have no issues with binding.

[Steve-M]

Hi all,

It has been a while since my last post and progress on the pendant. This has been due to other pressing demands, like sorting out an issue with my pick and place machine.

As it stands now the hardware for the pendant is basically complete. What needs to be done now is turn it into a kit. Also I need to finish the VB for the macro-pump, although I expect there are a number of people out there who are more skilled and imaginative, so I.d expect a number of better and feature rich Macro-pumps to appear. My macro-pump will hopefully get people up and running.

I'm planning top provide the kit with all the components required to put the pendant together, including a ModIO, LCD and MPG. I still need to work the numbers, but I expect there to be quite a saving on buying the components individually.

I also have some who has kindly offered to put a manual together. I need to get all the bits and pieces to them, and they'll document the construction. I should have the kit of components off to them this weekend.

If anyone has any suggestions regarding the components they'd like to see, i.e. connectors etc, now isa the time to pipe up.


Cheers,

Peter.

Hi Peter

Is the kit available yet? if it is will you supply one to England?

Thanks

Steve

[fatal-exception]

Looks good. I like the idea of the LCD. What to show on it is another story.

I would be willing to design a lexan panel overlay to really finish it off if your interested.

Paul

[alipavsky]

Hi Peter,
Do you need any beta-testers?

Andrey

[phomann]

Hi Peter

Is the kit available yet? if it is will you supply one to England?

Thanks

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the prodding. I'm current putting the parts lists together at the moment. I'm also sending a kit of parts to someone who has offerred to create the instruction manual. It should really help with putting it together.

The Kit should be available in a month or two and I ship to all over the world, so England is not a problem.

Cheers,

Peter.

[phomann]

Looks good. I like the idea of the LCD. What to show on it is another story.

I would be willing to design a lexan panel overlay to really finish it off if your interested.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the offer. I was planning to get two mylar overlays made for the two panels. Just waiting until the functionality is decided on.

Cheers,

Peter.

[PoppaBear10]

Greetings Mach3 Heads,

I just finished a Plug in for "Homann Designs" new Pendant Kit based on the Mod IO.
It is probably the most advanced Pendant you can get.

Functions:

1. Spindle Controls:
CW, CCW, Off (with Flashing LED while running),
Spindle Speed: Increment Up, Down, and reset Spindle Override.
2. Feed Override 5-200%, with dead band, (LED for Override active)
3. E-Stop button with E-Stop LED
4. MPG Operations:
• MPG Jog: X, Y, Z, A, B, and C (user can enable/disable axis for use in the configuration.
• Select Jog Type: Velocity only, Step/Vel, Single Step, Multi Step
• Select Jog Mode: Continuous, Step-Jog (can also control three step selections), MPG modes
• Shuttle Mode
5. Axis Zero Functions: for X-C, and a “T” function so that you can touch off a Tool and load that tools offset in the library!
6. Select Work offsets: G54, G55-59, G53
7. Home All Axis
8. Cycle Page Views in Mach!!
9. Increment Jog Speed up and down
10. Flood coolant, Mist coolant, Coolant Off
11. FIFTEEN!!! User defined Functions!!! Left switch has 12 of them each under one of the three soft-keys, with options on user defined Labels, choice to use internal Mach LEDs, and External LED above the soft-key!! The Mach User LEDs you pick can be used to trigger functions in Mach through a Brain and/or the Macro Pump! The 3 other User defined functions on the right switch are User LED only, and it only shows in Mach, and no external label.

The LCD will display up to 6 axis dynamically updated as the machine moves.
It has 3 soft Keys below the LCD that depending on the position of the left hand
Function switch, a Button function label will appear above the soft keys that will do
That function when Pressed. For User Defined Labels/codes you can choose from
4 to 6 Characters (with 4 looking the best, since at six due to the 2 Chars/register set up
It puts Button Labels B and C touching each other, so 4 Chars gives you more space).

Other Goodies:

The Plug-in comes with a “Pendant Screen” (see Pic), this screen is a Diagnostic/setup screen. It has ALL the functions that the pendant can control. It has “Labels” that display
Active/Dynamic states of the: Buttons (discrete Inputs), Analog inputs (3), pendant internal states, MPG Status, and Configuration channels from the Modbus.
The “Right Switch Function” displays the current Function/Mode of the Right hand selector switch, (Since the Left hand switch controls the Soft-Keys and the functional display on the LCD).

The Plug-in configuration Page has “Tunable Ranges” for the selector switches for the Left and Right switches. (they have default values, but in case your resistors are different this gives you a way to set your ranges). Since the Analog values coming to the “Labels” are “real Time” raw values, you can turn the switches to see where you need to set your
Ranges for the resistors you use. (I used 1K ohm, between switch posts.)

The Plug-in Will come with an installer that will Automatically, install a:
Profile, Screen Set, and it will configure the Serial Modbus for you. All you will need
To do is Activate your Serial Modbus, and Turn on the Plug in, then configure it, if you
Need different values than the defaults.

I may be adding the ability to Change Parameters within the MOD IO itself but still thinking about if I want to do that one or not…….

Scott “Poppa Bear” Shafer
S S SYSTEMS, LLC

[PoppaBear10]

I have also made a Video of it working and showing all the functions, it should be available to view soon. Google says it may take a day or two for them to release it.

Scott

[PoppaBear10]

Here is a Link to the Google Video of the Pendant in action showing its functions and how it interacts with the Pendant Diag/setup screen.

It is a long video (about 12 minutes), The way Google does there videos is it starts off as a tiny square, but go down to the lower right of the video player, there is an "Expand" button that will bring it up to full screen size. It gets a little grainy at that size but the size Google changes it to when small makes it to small to see details.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...31538426112375

scott

[BobWarfield]

Any more news on this cool project?

I have a question. Can a ModIO pendant like this be used with a Smoothstepper, or do the two have conflicts?

Cheers,

BW

[phomann]

Any more news on this cool project?

I have a question. Can a ModIO pendant like this be used with a Smoothstepper, or do the two have conflicts?

Cheers,

BW

Hi Bob,

I guess things have been a little quiet lately. I've been off for a few weeks over the Christmas break and am flat out catching up.

As top the pendant kit, Scott Schaffer has written a Plugin for the pendant, that is very configurable from what I seen. I haven't tried it out yet as Scott has the Pendant I put together. The plugin will be provided with the Pendant Kit when purchased.

I currently putting a parts list together for the pendant am a little stuck on what to do about the cable to the pendant. The problem I have is that different people will want different terminations. We also need something that is affordable. The black multipole connectors I used on the prototype cost about $30 as a pair. A bit to expensive for a "Cheap" pendant kit.

I'm toying with the idea of a DB-9 serial cable. These come in all different lengths and styles. I'm thinking of a 3 metre cable. The problem with a DB-9 cable is that some may think that it is a serial comms cable and try to plug it into a computer serial port. I can counter this by having a male plug on the end of the cable so that it won't plug into a computer port (It is also a male). I would need to provide a small breakout board that has a male DB-9 connector on it for the pendant to plug into, and a female DB-9 that is the serial comms line to plug into the computer.

I'd really like feedback on this on. Alternatively, I could not provide any cable and connectors, but the amount of support enquiries I'd receive scares me.

Also, I'm waiting on a order of small PCBs to arrive. they are for the multipole switches and potentiometers. The multipole switch pcb will have the resistors and switch mounted onto the pcb. That way it can be wired directly into the ModIO analog port. This will remove having to solder all the resistors between the rotary switch pins. There is also a small screw terminal block on the pcb for the 3 wires to the ModIO. It should speed up putting the pendant together.

The PCB for the potentiometer brings out the 3 connections to a terminal block for easy wiring.


I'm putting a parts list together at the moment, but was planning to sort out the Pendant cable issue first.

Cheers,

Peter.

[phomann]

Can a ModIO pendant like this be used with a Smoothstepper, or do the two have conflicts?

Cheers,

BW

Hi Bob,

I forgot to answer your question.

The ModIO uses Modbus as it communications method. The Smoothstepper uses USB. The two may be used together without conflict so you will be OK.

Cheers,

Peter.

[PoppaBear10]

Showed off the Pendant at Cabin Fever, those I showed it to where luvin it!!

The Installer will install a XML, Screen Set, Modbus Config for the serial, the .dll, and a "Users Document".

Note: the XML, Modbus config, and Screen Set are so you can set up, tune and see how your pendant works. The screens have a "Pendant" page. On this page, is ALL the functions the Pendant can do/control. The Screen set uses the "Default" values for the LEDs, and labels. It also allows you to see the "Real Time" values of the state of the Mod IO, for Discrete IN, Out, MPG, Tickcounter, and Ana Inputs. If for some reason you need to "Tune" the Analog values of the ranges for the 2 Twelve position switches you can look at the values coming in across the modbus here, and turn your ranges accordingly.

The Screen also has all the OEM functions that the Pendant can effect, so you can basically Test all functions of the Pendant from this page.
Note: UserLabel 220 is "Hardcoded" to display what function the Right Selector Switch is doing. Since the Left selector switch controls the Messages to the LCD.
The Plug in config gives you the ability to turn off the other User Labels once you have set up the Pendant, (so you can use them somewhere else). Also, from the Plug in config you can choose to Turn on or not External LEDs and/or Internal to Mach User LEDs and your own LCD messages.

There are 15 User definable functions controlled by User LEDs.
These LEDs can trigger functions from a "Brain" or "Macro Pump" that you make for what ever you want.

The Left Switch has 12 User defined UserLEDs, and Messages to display on the LCD (you can choose your own 4 or 6 character codes). The three "Soft Keys" under the LCD are buttons: A, B, and C and the functions they become will be what the Left switch position is in, a "Label" for OEM or UserLabel will appear over the Soft key it goes to.

the Right Switch has 3 User defined UserLEDs only, NO messaging since only the Left switch can write to the LCD. BUT, UserLabel 220 will show Right switch OEM functions and UserLEDs Active 10, 11, 12.

The Installer will put a "Functional Document" on your desktop for you to print out, that has the "How to Use" it stuff in it. Due to the Massive amount that the Pendant can do, some operations have a few steps you have to be aware of, since some of the buttons/position switches have to interact with each other.

Once the installer installs, all you have to do is enable the plug in from the plug in config (put a green check next to the plug in), and set the Serial Modbus config to your Port that you are hooked to. Reboot Mach, to configure the plug in at that point go to the Plugins Top Menu and then configure the Plug in if you need to change things. The defaults will work with the Pendant/screen.

I put all this in a seperate profile, and screen so that once you get it all working and see how it works, you can copy over the Serial Modbus Profile, and what ever Part of the Pendant diagnostics from the Pendant screen set to YOUR screen set (like adding UserLabel 220).

the Pendant will also Cycle your Mach3 screens, you can put in the config how many of your screen pages you want to cycle through, it will cycle through them in serial sequence ONLY, i.e. page 1, then 2, etc., then start back at 1 again. So, if your running custom screens, and you have a Blank screen on page 4 for instance, and your cycling the first 9 screens, when you get to 4 it will show a blank screen...........

As it stands now, If you want to set all/or some of our Output LEDs on the Mod IO to blink when active, you will need to write to them from the Modbus Test Page (follow Peters Mod IO manual). I put the Congigs for those effected "Configuration" registers in the serial Modbus config file, BUT they are Unchecked. IF you need to do some changes, then you will need to follow peters book.

Peter and I are working on a way, I can change these PIC registers from the Plug in, but it is not finalized yet......... and may not be.

Scott

Scott

[phomann]

I'm toying with the idea of a DB-9 serial cable. These come in all different lengths and styles. I'm thinking of a 3 metre cable. The problem with a DB-9 cable is that some may think that it is a serial comms cable and try to plug it into a computer serial port. I can counter this by having a male plug on the end of the cable so that it won't plug into a computer port (It is also a male). I would need to provide a small breakout board that has a male DB-9 connector on it for the pendant to plug into, and a female DB-9 that is the serial comms line to plug into the computer.

I'd really like feedback on this on.

Due to the overwhelming number of responses (None ) I'm going to do the following:

The kit will be supplied with 3 metres of 6 core cable. It will up to the constructor to decide how they want to interface it to their controller box.

Cheers,

Peter.

[PoppaBear10]

Hey Pete Let me make a recommendation if I may.

Put a standard Serial DB 9 at the end of a 10' cable, Use 2 of the Unused wires in the Serial Cable to run your 12V power over. Have that go to a
"Break out Board" in where the DB 9 plug into it from the pendant, at the side it plugs in at has a metal plate, so that if they want to mount it to the side of the control box (Like Serial ports on a computer do), they can, or they can mount it through holes in the PCB to the cabnet internally. Have two screw terminals where they can hook up the 12V power supply. Then on the Other side of the board have One or TWO options, Option One is another DB9 that will connect the BOB to the Host Computers serial port, Option TWO could be that Port and/or another set of screw terminals to bring in serial wiring. I think haveing a path of: Pendant -> Serial BOB (where power can come in) -> Serial cable to computer (mabey 6' cable here). would be good.

OR just sale them all as Optional Hook up hardward, that the user can choose from your shopping cart.

NOTE: Post this on the Mach Support Group, AND make an announcement on the Yahoo Mach Group......

scott

[BobWarfield]

The bare cable is fine, or one with serial connector is also fine.

I like to use cables already made up where I can (hate making cables, but it's really no biggie to solder a DB9), so I would even be happy if you just have the DB9 on the pendant and let us buy our own already made up serial cables.

Thanks for the note about the Smoothstepper. I'm thinking these pendants will be ready at just about the perfect time for me to add one to my mill. Almost done on the conversion!

Cheers,

BW

[PoppaBear10]

Hey Pete,

Any Idea on when the kits will be avail on your site and how much? I got two guys in my area that want one.

scott

[phomann]

Hi Scott,

I sent out 2 kits. One to Steve Beale, and the other to someone who is going to do an instruction manual.

I'm currently working on the website stuff. Should be up by the end of the week.

Cheers,

Peter.

[electrokean]

Peter,

I just found this topic with the latest details on the progress of the kit. I am looking forward to the kit release, and happy to help in any way - being in the Australian electronics/embedded systems industry myself.

I'm going through a similar connector selection process with a client at the moment. We will probably use a DB15 to avoid confusion while keeping cost low (need at least 9 pins). I think for a DIY kit having bare ended cable is fine, with suggestions for connectors and pin outs. You could also offer the DB or industrial connectors as a option (should you wish to stock them).

It isn't like the end users will be moving the pendants between systems often, so interoperability with each other isn't high priority (CNC BBQ's are an obvious exception... :-)

Cheers,
Kean