CNC Controller Choices - new build planning stages

[spumco]

Thanks again to everyone - all suggestions have been helpful.

As I stated earlier, this is in the spit-ball/napkin phase. And I've just had two big projects dumped in my lap - paying jobs take priority over hobby stuff (even if a CNC lathe can make me some money parts).

I'll be chewing on the options for a while. I honestly don't think I'll be making a decision for 3-6 months, even if a donor lathe drops in my lap. Maybe by then I'll have time to get demo versions of the various controller/software and fiddle with them a bit.

-Ralph

 

[spumco]

Don't know of any hobby or entry level software that supports kinematics. I could be wrong? This is an $8000 option on Haas controls.

I've seen evidence - nothing first hand, of course - that both LinuxCNC and KmotionCNC can do this to some degree. Neither of which are plug and play or wide-spread.

 

[macardoso]

I've seen evidence - nothing first hand, of course - that both LinuxCNC and KmotionCNC can do this to some degree. Neither of which are plug and play or wide-spread.

Well I'll have to look into this. I love robot kinematics. Spent nearly a year after college teaching myself all the equations and getting practice with it. I am still always on the lookout for a used 6 axis robot that I can afford.

 

[spumco]

The problem I had in my initial research is that everyone calls this function different things.

HAAS calls it TCPC. They also have Dynamic Work Offsets, which appears to be different but don't ask me to explain it.

LinuxCNC seems to call it "RCTP" or TCP. There's a remarkable video on youtube demonstrating this. Quick search should find it.

Kflop calls it RCTP

Kinematics - Dynomotion

www.dynomotion.com

 

[macardoso]

Wow! When I was playing around with robotics, I was doing all those calculations with custom written code. That math is not easy! I was not aware there were hobby accessible software packages with preconfigured kinematics!

HAAS calls it TCPC. They also have Dynamic Work Offsets, which appears to be different but don't ask me to explain it.

As I understand it, Haas goes beyond standard TCP and allows you to create pallets or different work offsets on a 5 axis trunion or table. Then just by calling G54,55,56, etc. it will adjust the machine motion and kinematics to allow your same code to run on the different parts.

 

[spumco]

it will adjust the machine motion and kinematics to allow your same code to run on the different parts.

That's my understanding, too. But you phrased it in English, which I wasn't able to do.

And that's what I want if I ever upgrade my mill controller and get/build a 5th axis dingus.

 

[Karl_T]

I did not chime in first time around as I thought you were looking at hobby level controls.

Camsoft does every option you've requested and then some. It is also based on the Galil card, like Jim Dawson's offer. Unlimited IO with opto isolation, great ability to add any logic you can dream up, great machine user interface in windows. Cost is in the pro user category and comes with 24X7 pro support. Installation is difficult the first time around, easy after that.

I've done six machines now, so know my way around it pretty good.

I know they have several kinematic options. I've not played with it as this is for six axis robot type machines as far as I know.

Karl

 

[spumco]

I did not chime in first time around as I thought you were looking at hobby level controls.

I'm looking for pro level features at a hobby level price.

Camsoft looked great until I got to the pricing page. Then I threw up a bit. Not that they're out of line of course, but just as with Centroid's higher end stuff it just doesn't make sense for me on something that will be a speculative money maker at best.

And I don't need all the swanky kinematics for a lathe. But if I'm switching to a new control system, it doesn't hurt to see what's available for a more complicated mill setup. Right now I've got a 4-axis mill and having to fiddle the CAM to deal with parts fixtured a few 'thou from the 4th axis center of rotation is massively irritating.

Would be nice to have a common control for my stuff as well as for future builds for other people.

-R