5i25 with PMDX126

Was wondering if any is using a 5i25 Mesa board with the PMDX-126 board? I am thinking of going initially with the 5i25 only and interfacing it with the 126 and was wondering if any firmware exists for that? I saw something on cnczone once where the user had 5i25 and PMDX-126 working but cannot find it again.

And when I eventually pony up for the 7i76, would it simply be a case of reflashing 5i25 to use that?

Any help appreciated

Cheers
Bruce

yes you could , it would mean a slight change to the firmware , i'm not 100% sure if a copy exists , although I should have one

Hi Bruce,

cncbasher provided me with a couple versions of firmware for the PMDX126.

JT

Thanks JT, she sent me the same files so hopefully good to go inside a month.

Cheers
Bruce

BigJohnT wrote: Hi Bruce,

cncbasher provided me with a couple versions of firmware for the PMDX126.

JT

Hello, I'm in the beginning stages of setting up my mill (non-Tormach) with Pathpilot and I also have the PMDX 126 with the 127 speed control. Would these files be beneficial for me, if so, would it be possible to send them along

Thank you !!!!

pete

They are only a benefit if your using a 5i25 7i77 setup and want to flash the card yourself. If you order the cards from me I'll flash them with the correct firmware.

JT

Hi All

I am just doing the same thing now. I have setup a PMDX-126 BOB with a PMDX-107 Spindle controller in my new machine. I have it running on Mach 3 to make sure the parallel port works fine in all the machine's axis,spindle,coolant etc. Now this is done I want to put it onto LinuxCNC at first just running the parallel port interface. I am in the process of getting the pc together for this now. I also have now got a Mesa 5I25 card and a 7I76 card ready to go after I do the standard parallel port to get acquainted with LCNC. Then I want to fit the 5I25 and run LCNC to see if it is any different in parallel port mode then the ultimate aim is to have the PMDX out of the machine and the 7I76 in there and run it using the full motion control abiliaties. The object of all this is to get the best I can be with the reasonably cheap resources and of course to learn a lot more about the software side. The hardware electronics is a no brainer for me so setting all this hardware and wiring is the easy stuff because that sort of what I do in my real life but getting you head around HAL's etc and some of the machining stuff is the hard bit. I have been using Fusion360 for the CAD/Cam and foid it exceptionally easy and of course its basically free which helps.

Any advice or files you have would be great if I could get some or be on a list for them. I can read software and can cut and paste and do basic stuff with the code so not a total dummy there but any help from others who have been down this track before would be appreciated

Mark

kylecom@tpg.com.au wrote: I have it running on Mach 3 to make sure the parallel port works fine in all the machine's axis,spindle,coolant etc. Now this is done I want to put it onto LinuxCNC at first just running the parallel port interface.

You should be able to import the Mach3 config (XML) directly into the StepConf wizard to create a LinuxCNC config.

Hi Andy

I just found the thread about the latest version of LCNC having the xml file converter in it. Next week I should have the Linux installed in the new pc so can start on getting it done. I have a couple of jobs to do on the machine first using Mach 3 then I have to make another lot of the same so will make them under LCNC to see the difference. They will be a reference file sort of. I am going to video each one to hopefully see and hear the difference. From all the videos I have watched the machines running on LCNC actually sound different. I am told and have also read its the way the machine controller is done and handled by LCNC. So I am looking forward to doing all of this

I can say my machine sounds and performs 10 times better on LCNC/Pathpilot than it EVER did on Mach 3. I was even using an ethernet smoothstepper which, to be honest, was just a pain in the butt. You will not regret ever moving from Mach3 to LCNC, it is so far superior it is not funny.