Software extensibility

[michaelstoops]

Hi @ycroosh and all,

I'm eagerly awaiting my DRO parts, and I have a question about extensibility of the TouchDRO app.

Does TouchDRO support any kind of real-time import-export of data?

As a customer and excessively creative engineer, I want to use the TouchDRO user interface with any data source available in software. For example, I may have a machine tool with integrated, networked sensors, but not the user interface I need. I love the TouchDRO UI, and the data is available just not via Bluetooth/USB. I need a way to get it into TouchDRO.

In a separate but related situation, I have a machine tool with TouchDRO hardware and software, and I want to use the data in ways that are out of scope for a DRO. For example, I want to use TouchDRO as feedback for a CNC system. Or I want to monitor spindle speed, thermal and electrical conditions together. It needs to be real time, not a file export after the fact.

I'm hoping for a local socket or other IPC interface.

I like that approach because it can be super decoupled, such that TouchDRO knows nothing about the source or destination.

• It doesn't require any configuration, or at least not more than any other input. It just reads data if it's there, and writes it into the void if no one is listening.
• The built-in Android access control is sufficient for security: if you can access a local socket, you're already good.
• Data formats can be the same as the Bluetooth adapter and file export feature.

Extension software would be in the form of Android apps/services. They can implement their own user interfaces, configurations, permissions, serve as proxies for remote connections, and implement network security as appropriate, etc.

I think it would be great.

Your thoughts?

 

[dabear3428]

LinuxCNC?

 

[michaelstoops]

LinuxCNC?

That is an interesting suggestion. Thank you.

 

[dabear3428]

That is an interesting suggestion. Thank you.

also check out Mesa cards they have encoder input cards and a lot of the servo drivers have a pass thru to output the built in encoder in a servo to use as feedback to the linuxCNC software or you can have an input from a scale as feedback.