LinuxCNC-PC - Remora - OrangePi3 LTS - BTT SKR V1.4 Turbo

Ive started a new project.

I want to control a mini 3 axis cnc ive built, with LinuxCNC. The problem I hit, i have a BTT SKR v1.4 Turbo board, a PC and an OrangePi3 LTS SBC board.

The Plan:
Install LinuxCNC Debian on the PC. Install and configure Remora on the PC. Connect to the OrangePi3 LTS through ethernet connection. This in turn, will be connected to the BTT SKR v1.4 Turbo board via SPI. The SKR board has the latest LPC1769 supported Remora firmware installed on it.

Follow this repo for my progress. Feel free to collaborate!

github.com/afaulkner420/LinuxCNC-Remora
 

Nonsense.
This will be not cheaper and not better than chinese 7i92 + cncshield (~60 US dollars on Aliexpress).
I have small table milling machine controlled by ESP32 + W5500 + cncshield (hal2udp project) - it is cheapest solution and work well.

Actually this is cheaper. I already have it running on GRBLHal, and I fancied a challenge.
I have all the hardware, so buying supported/prebuilt hardware, is more expensive…
Plus, this could open up a lot of extra windows and doors!

Am I understanding correctly, the Pi in this project exists purely for bridging ethernet udp <-> spi?
I am always interested in new ideas. Sometimes new ideas hatch breakthroughs.

Yes I believe you are.
PC → Ethernet → Orange Pi → SPI → SKR

Again, read. Through my repo. It explains everything! In depth!

ukhellfire wrote:

I have all the hardware, so buying supported/prebuilt hardware, is more expensive…
 

You're wrong.
You will waste a lot of time (that's also money) and you will reach a wall that you can neither get around nor jump over.
Short time ago I have removed four Remora EC500 from working machines, because this project has no future.
I spent many hours with this hardware and not solving some troubles (stupid 3,3V differential outputs not fitting motor drivers and not working spindle encoder).
I bought four Chinese 7i92, because it was cheaper and better, and now I have many time for other projects...

Well I’m always up for a challenge!
I reckon I can get this running as reliable as ever.
This was the best solution I could think of, as usb isn’t an option. Then realised, this has the potential of actually being quicker and more reliable than usb.

I wouldn't do this, but I'll follow the topic as I'm sure I'll also learn something. Personally, I would have tried to run LinuxCNC directly on the OrangePi3. Or added a W5500 to the SKR.

A couple of months ago, I did some tests with Remora and a RP2040; I watched Rod's video on Youtube to achieve real time performance on the ethernet connection between a Pi400 and the Pico. My guess is that you'll have to compile a real time kernel for the Armbian OS too (did it last year for a Radxa Zero 3E, worked more or less).

Yes running Linuxcnc on the OrangePi would be easier. And the board would probably run it extremely well. But again, that’s normal. 
if I’d opted for the w5500 on the SKR, I’d have to have ported the code over from the stm32/rp2040 side of things. Not hard, but not as challenging as this.
So I opted for this. Means I still have the main pc doing all the hard legwork, and the OrangePi just bridging the traffic over to the SKR. Which I think long term, is the best option, performance wise. This was the SBC isn’t doing a lot of work at all.

the last time I did anything challenging, was when I originally bought up Armbian for the OrangePi 3 LTS. This was nearly 5 years ago, and it’s the same board I’m using today! Never found a use for it! I had it running klipper and a 3d printer for a while