LinuxCNC-RIO - RealtimeIO for LinuxCNC based on FPGA (ICE40 / ECP5)

yet another FPGA-Based PRU
i named it 'LinuxCNC-RIO' (Realtime-Input-Output)

• no Soft-Core
• logic only
• no jitter
• fast and small
• communication via SPI (with Raspberry PI 4)
• generated verilog-code / setup via json files (free pin-selection)
• using free FPGA-Toolchain

Tested on ICE40 and ECP5 boards

github.com/multigcs/LinuxCNC-RIO

youtube.com/shorts/G5V5OM_ORsk?feature=share

new demo video

No comments ? really ?

Features-List:
* Digital Input
* Digital Output
* Expansion to add I/O's via shiftregister's
* PWM Joint Output with DIR-Pin
* RCSERVO Joint Output
* Stepper Joint Output with STEP/DIR/ENABLE(optional) pins
* Variable-Input for frequency measurement
* Variable-Input for pulse counting with up to 3 pins (all optional)
* Variable-Input for pulse width measurement
* Variable-Input for Quad-Encoder (int32_t)
* Variable-Input for distance measurement via ultrasonic sonar sensor (HC-SR04)
* Variable-Output for frequencys
* Variable-Output for PWM-Signals with optional DIR pin
* Variable-Output for RC-Servos
* Variable-Output for Sine-Waves via PWM-Signal (multi. phase)
* Variable-Output using digital poti with UpDown/Incr. Interface (like X9C104)

no mesa alternativ (yet) but close

 

meister wrote:

No comments ? really ?



no mesa alternativ (yet) but close


 

You guys who are working on the cutting-edge alternative micro controllers are doing some really nice work.  I think - I'm not in a position to evaluate.

But there is, I suspect, a not-insignificant population of LCNC users who have no clue about the microcontroller world, or coding computers, or other non-machining topics.  Python is a mystery, as is C or other machine programming.

I'm one of them.

I'm able to digest about 5-10% of the forum threads discussing the Remora, OPi5, and similar edge-case ports of LCNC to non-Mesa microcontrollers.  But most of the time I'm watching from the sidelines, fatally confused, and simply waiting for one of you big-brains to declare:

"It does the following, it costs this much and here's where to buy it, and here's the idiot-proof instructions on how to use it without the standard horrible Linux-hardware insanity"

When you throw that one out there, you'll get more comments from a broader segment of the LCNC community.

ok, that's what i wanted to hear,
I'm trying to put my focus on the hardware and build a usable board.
And try to write the documentation for users, not for developers.

thank you !

Replying to spumco:

Really don't want to clutter up this thread with a digression as meister's project is some really fantastic work, but this is exactly what the RPI4 image for Remora and FlexiHAL is addressing.

While I am sure you have your own ideas for hardware design, you may find the FlexiHAL an interesting starting point, the design is open and everything is posted. It would not be hard to adapt it to the ICE40 instead of STM32.

meister wrote:

And try to write the documentation for users, not for developers.


 

No, thank you.  And all the other hardware/software gurus here, too.

Genuinely appreciate all the efforts to make LCNC more accessible to us Luddites.

Nice work. I'm very happy to see more options.
I have some Mesa boards and they are great, but cost of postage from US is a killer.

Not being that Linux savvy, I haven't yet tried an ARM board (RPI4/Orange Pi). These boards have SPI / i2c / feasible ways of interfacing between LinuxCNC and a hardware realtime board.

To me there is still a gap in realtime options for use with x86/standard PCs. 
These days ethernet is the only consistent feasible port option, and currently that means Mesa or Pico only I believe.