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07 Nov 2019 15:35 #149851 by UKenGB
Replied by UKenGB on topic Very basic questions
Is LinuxCNC suitable to control a 3D printer?

3D desktop router/mill?

What about a vinyl cutter?

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07 Nov 2019 16:13 #149857 by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Very basic questions

Is LinuxCNC suitable to control a 3D printer?

Yes.

3D desktop router/mill?

Yes.

What about a vinyl cutter?

Yes.

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07 Nov 2019 16:48 #149861 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic Very basic questions

Is LinuxCNC suitable to control a 3D printer?

Yes..


I think that is debatable, as the G-code consumed by 3D printers (and that produced by slicers) is a lot different from standard G-code.

To the extent that, possibly, a different interpreter for LinuxCNC would make sense to parse it.
The following user(s) said Thank You: tommylight

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07 Nov 2019 16:53 #149862 by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Very basic questions
I stand corrected ! Thank you.
Although i did try "slic3r" and Linuxcnc had no problems with it.

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07 Nov 2019 19:37 #149869 by UKenGB
Replied by UKenGB on topic Very basic questions


What about a single PC to control 2 different machines, e.g. mill and lathe - not at the same time of course?


Yes of course. The Linuxcnc chooser allows an unlimited number of configurations


Would that mean a separate connection from the PC to a 'breakout/control' box for each controlled machine? So if I wanted each working from a dedicated PCI card, that would mean 3 PCI cards in the PC?

Or perhaps a PCI card to control one machine, say parallel port for another and ethernet for a third? Then one would select which machine was to be used? Could they each have their own display, so video signal would go to the configured display when that machine was chosen?

Just trying to get a handle on the overall capabilities.

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07 Nov 2019 19:48 #149871 by Todd Zuercher
Replied by Todd Zuercher on topic Very basic questions
You can arrange your hardware topology however you like. If you can fit all of your control signals for multiple machines on a single device you can or you can use multiple devices for one or more machines. The only limitation is that there can only be one instance of Linuxcnc running a time.

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07 Nov 2019 19:58 #149872 by RotarySMP
Replied by RotarySMP on topic Very basic questions
The PC is the cheapest part if a CNC retrofit. There is little point using some high end hardware. I used some old ITX board, as it has very low latency. Cost something like $30. Why not provide one per machine?
Mark

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08 Nov 2019 13:11 #149916 by UKenGB
Replied by UKenGB on topic Very basic questions
Good point and the likelihood of me trying to run 2 CNC machines is small, but I'm building up my knowledge of what is and what is not possible.

The trouble with multiple PCs is the additional time taken to set up and maintain each machine. I already run several computers and other electronic devices around the house and just trying to keep everything running could be a full time job. Complex electronic devices with processors always give trouble. Time was when a telephone couldn't 'hang' or 'crash'. But that's the norm now.

So a single PC that can be used to control all CNC machines I might possibly have is a good thing. Only one device to set up and control and troubleshoot.

But as i said, it may be a moot point. I'm only thinking about the mill at present and it may go no further than that.

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08 Nov 2019 17:13 #149931 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic Very basic questions
If you have hardware with enough step-generators (or whatever) to drive two machines then it is simple to run two separate machines
So, for example, a 7i76 with 5 stepgens could control a 3-axis mill and a 2-axis lathe. If you control the power relays from each with GPIO then you can make sure that the on/off button on the screen energises the correct machine for the config too.

I had something rather like this when I had a dual-purpose lathe/mill. I even had a GPIO pin controlled directly from the HAL which changed the state of a relay so that I only needed one VFD for two spindles.

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08 Nov 2019 19:17 #149935 by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Very basic questions
On two industrial Plasma machines i retrofitted, they have 2 separate plasma sources and based on the config they can choose to use one or the other. The config engages the appropriate relays and switches THC inputs and torch outputs accordingly.

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