#linuxcnc Logs

Feb 17 2019

12:00 AM Tom_L: been working on a macro for smartcam but the dialog box is hard to read and i can't seem to figure out where to change the text / background color
12:04 AM Tom_L: macro works great though
12:04 AM Tom_L: it's pretty old unsupportd software now but it works
12:53 AM gloops: 'UK stock' but then 3 weeks delivery time, royal mail is next day here, most parcels 3 days or less
12:54 AM gloops: its the lying i cant stand from these chinese sellers
02:36 AM Deejay: moin
02:53 AM CNC_Brian: Anybody with qtpyvcp experience online>
02:53 AM XXCoder: irc channels tend to dislike "anyone know X" questions
02:54 AM CNC_Brian: Don't know where else to ask.
02:55 AM XXCoder: no, ask questions more pertaining to your issue
02:55 AM XXCoder: more people in a hour or 2 anyway
02:56 AM CNC_Brian: Have installed qtpyvcp and 2.8pre, but when I try to start qtpyvcp it cant Find the linuxcnc module
02:56 AM XXCoder: didnt you work that out with jt?
02:57 AM CNC_Brian: Im close, got everything installed, but when I run the qtpyvcp pointing to a ini file its doesn't have the path the the linuxcnc python module
02:58 AM XXCoder: your linuxcnc isnt at standard place?
02:58 AM CNC_Brian: Its in ~/linuxcnc
02:59 AM CNC_Brian: But it is run I'm place not installed from a .deb
02:59 AM CNC_Brian: Im thinking that the problem.
02:59 AM XXCoder: isnt there make install
02:59 AM XXCoder: it'd install at normal location?
03:00 AM CNC_Brian: Linuxcnc works fine.
03:01 AM CNC_Brian: Run script/rip-environment linuxcnc and fire up
03:01 AM CNC_Brian: I have 2.7 installed globally as I need it to run my mill
03:01 AM XXCoder: ahh so trying to avoid breaking a working system but testing 2.8?
03:04 AM CNC_Brian: yep
03:04 AM CNC_Brian: Going to migrate to probe basic if it works
03:04 AM gloops: i installed 2.8 as an update, on a blank drive, was warned it would update any existing 2.7 configs to 2.8
03:07 AM CNC_Brian: Building form source isn only like 5 steps, and I also have a PathPilot install which need linuxcnc run in place.
03:07 AM CNC_Brian: Just feel a bit mean stealing PP
03:07 AM CNC_Brian: So trying to use probebasic
03:13 AM CNC_Brian: Ah got the blender ui running. Was missing a package qt5.svg
03:28 AM CNC_Brian: Ahh, got it started ~/linuxcnc/scripts/rip-environment linuxcnc ~/qtpyvcp/sim/xyz.ini
03:32 AM gloops: having issues with inkscape trace bitmap not working, i had this before and worked it out
03:33 AM gloops: but that was a year ago lol
03:35 AM XXCoder: nice got it working eh :)
03:36 AM gloops: yeah, the trace bitmap window was minimised thats all lol - to the side
04:16 AM jthornton: morning
04:16 AM XXCoder: hey jthornton
04:17 AM XXCoder: still small areas of flat snow here lol
04:17 AM XXCoder: i dont count piles of snow as "still has snow"
04:18 AM jthornton: yea like parking lot piles lol
04:19 AM XXCoder: yeah
04:45 AM jthornton: finally figured out what the buttons on the mirror are for on the new car, they are HomeLink buttons
05:07 AM Tom_L: morning
05:14 AM jthornton: morning
09:22 AM adamj12b: Good Morning! Does anyone here have experience using the index signal on a 7i76e mesa board? Im trying to figure out why I cant get a good index pulse in the system, but can see it on the scope.
09:24 AM jthornton: http://gnipsel.com/linuxcnc/tuning/encoder.html
09:25 AM jthornton: that may help
09:34 AM pcw_home: Yeah, you usually cannot see the index pulse with halshow or halscope so you need to set index enable and see if it gets cleared on index occurrence
09:35 AM adamj12b: So I have index input linked to reset, but it does not reset regularly.
09:36 AM adamj12b: using a 4096 count encoder, sometimes it resets, other times counts get over 20k before it resets. at high rpm(6k) it gets over 1m
09:43 AM adamj12b: jthornton: it is telling me that unlink is an unknown command.
09:44 AM adamj12b: got it. Its unlinkp
09:59 AM adamj12b: pcw_home: Yes. It does. Is there a way to keep that enabled or self reset so counts resets ever rev? I believe the latency between the card and computer is causing the index to be missed and thus not resetting the count.
09:59 AM pcw_home: Umm this is not latency related
09:59 AM pcw_home: Are you trying to look at the actual index signal?
09:59 AM pcw_home: that will never work
10:00 AM pcw_home: well it will only work if you are going _very_ slow
10:02 AM adamj12b: I am trying to set up orient so I am trying to reset count every rev.
10:03 AM adamj12b: From examples ive seen, linking index to reset would do it, but that seems to be too slow so it misses the index signal.
10:05 AM pcw_home: at 6000 RPM and 4096 counts the index pulse is about 2.5 usec long, you have a 0.25% chance of reading it at a 1 KHz servo thread...
10:06 AM pcw_home: this is why motion always deals with index-enable, not index
10:07 AM pcw_home: I think the proper way is not to reset the counter all the time but rather to do a spindle orient by seeking index
10:08 AM pcw_home: (seeking by setting index enable high, doing a slow spindle rotate and waiting for index-enable to clear)
10:09 AM pcw_home: once index enable has been cleared you know 1: you have passed index, 2: the position counter was cleared at index so is correct
10:13 AM pcw_home: I think examples that use the index signal assume a very coarse encoder or a proximity switch for index
10:17 AM pcw_home: have you looked at the orient component? It does the frac(turns) operation so if the spindle was ever homed to index (and you trust that you do not lose counts) it will remove whatever full turns have accumulated
10:24 AM adamj12b: pcw_home: It seems none of my replies from my phone got sent.
10:25 AM adamj12b: I have looked at the component, but have not started setting it up yet as I wanted to make sure the hardware was good first.
10:26 AM adamj12b: And it makes sense about reseting the index when orient starts. One rev for reset and 1+ for positioning.
10:29 AM adamj12b: My VFD supports very high acceleration rates and direction changes, which i believe will allow me to do closed loop positioning under 200 rpm. I was trying to reset the counter ever rev so after the first rev, the true position of the spindle was always known.
10:38 AM pcw_home: Hmm "true position" is open to interpretation, for threading or rigid tapping, you need to keep track of multiple turns
10:40 AM pcw_home: I think only spindle orient (or perhaps eccentric turning) want wrapped spindle angle
11:38 AM Tom_L: adamj12b, i've done spindle orient on my sherline so the code would be in my config but it didn't work so well on it because of the nature of the motor
11:38 AM Tom_L: i was more or less testing the concept
11:38 AM fragalot: anyone know of any EU based foredom dealers?
11:38 AM fragalot: my local one retired >.>
11:39 AM Tom_L: http://tom-itx.no-ip.biz:81/~webpage/cnc/configs/NEW_MILL/
11:39 AM adamj12b: Tom_L: Yes. I remember when you were working on it last year.
11:39 AM Tom_L: it may not be enabled there but i think the code is still there
11:40 AM adamj12b: I will take a look thanks!
11:40 AM Tom_L: i stopped using it but left the code in comments i believe
11:40 AM adamj12b: Im just getting started now with linking the orient and second pid
11:40 AM Tom_L: yeah it takes a 2nd one iirc
11:40 AM Tom_L: it should all still be there
11:41 AM Tom_L: http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/uploads/orient.svg
11:42 AM Tom_L: i used andy's chart to get started
11:42 AM adamj12b: yes thats what im following.
11:42 AM Tom_L: http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?SpindleOrientation
11:42 AM Tom_L: i'm not sure about that one
11:43 AM adamj12b: I was doing some testing the other night with my VFD and I can actually hold position by applying a command and switching direction ever 0.05 seconds.
11:43 AM adamj12b: Its kinda amazing to watch since its a sensorless vector drive.
11:48 AM Tom_L: there is also a demo config maybe in tormach dealing with orient
11:49 AM Tom_L: can't quite remember where it was
11:59 AM Tom_L: vismach*
12:06 PM Jymmm: Do any of you use a table top BUTANE stove?
12:08 PM SpeedEvil: I have in the past.
12:10 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: I JUSt found one that allows butane cans OR connect to propane
12:10 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbujVvJWtwU
12:12 PM SpeedEvil: I regret to say that this does not change my life.
12:14 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: haha, it's okey. Just depend up mine when the power is out, and finding one that have the dual option is a nice backup
12:14 PM Jymmm: upon*
12:16 PM adamj12b: Tom_L: Have you ever used a glade spin box to adjust PID settings?
12:16 PM adamj12b: Or even better, do you know how to get a spindle pid to show up in the calibration window like joints do... That would be ideal
12:19 PM SpeedEvil: Jymmm: getting electrical backup system sorted here.
12:20 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: generator?
12:20 PM SpeedEvil: solar + generator
12:20 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: Where's "here"?
12:20 PM SpeedEvil: Scotland.
12:21 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: Ah. battery for your solar or just grid-tie?
12:21 PM SpeedEvil: I am intending to go slightly decoupled - shifting loads to cheap power periods. in addition to solar.
12:22 PM SpeedEvil: This should work really well, with only small amounts required as battery storage.
12:22 PM SpeedEvil: Solar daytime, grid 0100:0800 or so, battery the rest.
12:23 PM Jymmm: Nice, have you seen the 18650 solar setup on youtube?
12:23 PM SpeedEvil: Generator for emergencies.
12:23 PM SpeedEvil: Basic design is quite a lot of 4s4p packs of 18650s.
12:23 PM Jymmm: Yeah, pretty amazing what he's done though imo
12:24 PM SpeedEvil: 7-10kWh or so
12:24 PM Jymmm: I think he's up to almost 30KW now
12:24 PM Jymmm: in batterys
12:24 PM SpeedEvil: I don't have that much demand on power.
12:25 PM Jymmm: Me neither, but on those long cloudy days the extra capacity is nice to offset them
12:26 PM pcw_home: adamj12b: I think calibrate only looks for things in the [AXIS] section of the ini file, It probably should look at [SPINDLE] also
12:26 PM SpeedEvil: I got some scratch+dent solar panels which considerably exceed my baseload in poor insolation conditions
12:27 PM SpeedEvil: (over a 24h period)
12:27 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: I do LOVE the dual fuel (gasoline/propane) generator
12:27 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: Nice, what controller are you using?
12:27 PM SpeedEvil: gasoline/propane/natural gas here.
12:27 PM SpeedEvil: Jymmm: DIY
12:27 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: MPPT ?
12:28 PM SpeedEvil: yes.
12:28 PM Jymmm: Ok, good =)
12:28 PM Jymmm: With 50ft trees, solar isn't the best option for here =)
12:29 PM SpeedEvil: zip-tie the panels to the tree.
12:29 PM Jymmm: SpeedEvil: The squirrles like to chew things =)
12:30 PM Jymmm: There was one fire here last year when a bear climbed a power pole
12:31 PM Jymmm: =)
12:35 PM adamj12b: pcw_home: Correct. and I agree. I hacked it up by changing joints to 5 and kins to XYZAA and renaming the spindle_9 and spindle_10 to joint_4 and joint_5.
12:35 PM adamj12b: pcw_home: its a tad ugly, but I can change the joints back to spindle later on after ive tuned everything. but this will allow me to save back to the ini which is huge.
12:37 PM pcw_home: probably deserves a pr
12:39 PM adamj12b: pcw_home: pr?
12:39 PM pcw_home: maybe not the right term but a feature request
12:40 PM adamj12b: yes. Where would I submit a feature request?
01:18 PM Tom_L: adamj12b, no on the spin box
01:43 PM pcw_home: adamj12b: https://github.com/linuxcnc
02:26 PM dgarr: adam12b: Calibration - Starts the Calibration assistant (emccalib.tcl). Calibration reads the HAL file and for every setp that uses a variable from the ini file that is in an [AXIS_L],[JOINT_N], or [TUNE] section it creates an entry that can be edited and tested.
02:26 PM dgarr: master branch: http://linuxcnc.org/docs/master/html/gui/axis.html
02:46 PM adamj12b: I will give the tune option a try.
03:47 PM Deejay: gn8
03:48 PM Tom_L: ltr
03:53 PM Jymmm: Weird, an't find fire steel on ali anymore
03:54 PM Tom_L: fire steel?
03:55 PM Tom_L: fire starters?
03:55 PM Tom_L: https://de.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20190217135325&SearchText=fire+starter
03:56 PM Tom_L: now why is my default german?
03:56 PM Tom_L: hmm
04:01 PM fragalot: if you can't find firesteels, just get ferrocerium rods instead
04:01 PM * fragalot nods knowingly
04:01 PM Tom_L: i searched both terms and got results
04:50 PM Jymmm: Yeah, I couldn't find either one
04:51 PM Tom_L: https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-camping-fire-starter.html
04:52 PM Jymmm: This is the ONLY thing I found, but unavailable https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Outdoor-Camping-Large-Magnesium-Stick-Fire-Starter-Black-Orange-100x23mm-Free-Shipping/32262831867.html
04:52 PM Jymmm: Tom_L: IF you get non-englis, just click "goto global site" in top right corner
04:54 PM Tom_L: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Outdoor-survival-fire-tools-Drill-wood-fire-Fire-tools-Camping-fire-equipment-development-training-props/32899140816.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.93.7c387412adJPBN&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10065_10068_10130_10890_10547_319_10546_317_10548_10545_10696_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_537_536_10902_10882_10059_10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_56,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=c5e80f9b-cd04-42a1-b432-555f6
04:54 PM Tom_L: get your exercise and start a fire
05:03 PM MacGalempsy: good evening
05:40 PM adamj12b: Tom_L: Hey Tom, how did you reset your encoder position at the beginning of the orient?
06:00 PM adamj12b: pcw_home: PCW, Im really close but stuck. lol I need to set index-enable when orient is called, but that is already assigned to the PID loop and motion.spindle-index-enable for synchronized motion. Do you have a suggestion how to accomplish this?
06:00 PM adamj12b: I have orient working, but have to index manually to start.
06:30 PM Tom_L: adamj12b i think one of the functions resets it
06:30 PM Tom_L: i know one pin is bi'directional but i forget which one
06:31 PM Tom_L: pcw might be able to shed some light on that
06:34 PM adamj12b: Tom_L: the pin is called index-enable.
06:35 PM Tom_L: yeah..
06:35 PM adamj12b: but its tied to synchronized motion already. I need to tap into that so it activates when i call orient as well as synchronized motion.
06:35 PM adamj12b: I do have orient working BTW
06:35 PM Tom_L: nice
06:35 PM adamj12b: wasnt too hard. :)
06:35 PM Tom_L: no not bad
06:36 PM adamj12b: my vfd is fast enough that I can almost do full position control.
06:36 PM adamj12b: Im still trying to tune the pid but it holds between a few degrees
06:38 PM Tom_L: i haven't had to cross that hurdle yet
06:40 PM adamj12b: loop keeps it inside 8.8 degrees of motion. I had it tighter but it started over because it was oscillating
07:41 PM marvelcabs: Hey guys, I'm considering retrofitting an old Morbidelli Author 502 we have sitting in the workshop. The computer controller died a couple of years ago and I started reading up about retrofits back then and was put off when I saw that it can be quite complicated to get the machine working with the multitool head and horizontal boring etc.
07:41 PM tiwake: bleh... quite a while back somebody linked a youtube video in here of a USA military ammunition manufacturing facility... it was recorded in the 1970's or 1960's if I recall correctly
07:41 PM tiwake: I can't find that video through normal searches
07:41 PM marvelcabs: I've been looking at the boards from Mesa, however besides going for an Ethernet board, I really dont know which one will suit my needs.
07:42 PM XXCoder: tiwake: yeech yeah sometimes videos cannot be rediscovered
07:42 PM tiwake: it might have been listed privately, donno
07:42 PM tiwake: but it was a great old video that I can't find
07:42 PM marvelcabs: The machine is 3 Axis, however there are 7 Parallel control interfaces coming from the controller, so I'm assuming I'd have to replicate this.
07:42 PM marvelcabs: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7x6mc9pvmet7a5j/Photo%208-3-17%2C%208%2033%2050%20am.jpg?dl=0
07:43 PM XXCoder: nice layout
07:45 PM XXCoder: tiwake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=237pAi_RaCs ?
07:45 PM tiwake: XXCoder: thats not it
07:46 PM tiwake: XXCoder: it showed mostly small munitions being manufactured
07:46 PM XXCoder: ok
07:47 PM XXCoder: no luck oh well.
07:48 PM adamj12b: marvelcabs: What type of servo drives does it have?
09:49 PM _unreal_: thinking about trying to get the GPIO's on my tinkerboard to work with linuxcnc
10:12 PM marvelcabs: adamj12b: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3x7w6etdvell86d/Photo%208-3-17%2C%208%2035%2029%20am.jpg?dl=0
10:13 PM marvelcabs: admj12b: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sshwcrouniu4cxi/Y%20Axis%20Motor%20Close-up.jpg?dl=0
10:16 PM marvelcabs: They are also analog servos if thats what your wondering?
10:17 PM Tom_L: encoder or resolver?
10:17 PM marvelcabs: whoops, didn't realise he'd left :/
10:18 PM Tom_L: there's logs