Successful stepconf user buys Mesa5i25 wants to use experience in pncconf. How??

Andy,

Thank you for pointing that out. I was trying to say that although I didn't do due diligence (never occurred to me!) in looking for a BIT file, when I did, finally, think of it--prompted by Peter's gift, I couldn't find one. (I guess I was hoping that I would learn that, far from what kind of a generous character PCW is, that rather, oh, by the way, "there's actually a central location for BIT files for all the weird, one-of, CNC controllers ever brought to market." Of the two, I'm happier to thank Peter for going to the trouble. And I do thank you, Peter; humbled here.)

Now I have to report what I hadn't foreseen: I've been waved off of using a non-Tormach firmware in the 5i25, and also off of editing "stock Tormach INI and HAL files," but ordered instead to "effect all" by rewiring the non-Tormach CNC, "to respond like a Tormach machine."

I am deep enough into the project to realize that that's bollocks, as the great bard once put it. In fact, to prove it, I made some "trivial" changes to the Tormach HAL (choosing inverted forms of pins) to get limit switches working that would have cost a lot more time in "rewiring." It's nonsense to hold that ALL ARBITRARILY DESIGNED NON-TORMACH MACHINES, NO MATTER THE TECHNOLOGY THEY ADOPT, CAN BE 'REWIRED' TO EMULATE A TORMACH MACHINE.

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but...

Why name the files G540 and G540x2 if they don't match a G540 ?

No more than 4 stepgens can be used with a G540. There are 4 inputs, 1 e-stop input, 2 outputs, a spindle PWM, and a charge-pump.

But the G540 bit file doesn't represent this at all.

What does not match?

The extra stepgen is for driving the chargepump
The PWM is for the G540 spindle PWM
Any other pin can be used in any direction as GPIO

For example, the XML file for PNCConf says StepGen instances = 10, Encoder instances = 2.

That's correct
There are 5 stepgens per connector (4 axis and 1 for chargepump per connector)
the are encoders available on G540 inputs if desired but these in no way interfere
with the normal use of those inputs

But I would say my biggest issue is not understand how PNCConf will "connect" my choices to the hardware's pins.

I have XYZABC. Previously, I had XYZA and used an LPT port (with pull-ups) and assigned the pins in StepConf.

I fully understand the Mesa board is far more powerful and flexible and I look forward to using these features in the future. But I had thought that the presence of a "G540x2" configuration would be as simple as that sounds.

I can't manage to equate the "Num" column with anything.

What's the difference between 000 and 0, or 001 and 1 ? What is "Num" indicating?

The pin assignment of thing like stepgens is not changeable,
it is determined by the specific firmware loaded in the FPGA.

So a G540 configuration assigns stepgen pins in a Gecko G540
compatible manner:

Stepgen 0 = Gecko G540 X
Stepgen 1 = Gecko G540 Y
Stepgen 2 = Gecko G540 Z
Stepgen 3 = Gecko G540 A

etc

OK.

PNCConf prompted me to complete scale information on XYZ and A. But only once -- for one G540, I guess.

Do you know what file(s) I'll now need to edit to enable the other G540. Is it just the HAL file?

BTW, what does "Num" indicate on PNCConf? What is the difference between one of them being number 000 and another being numbered 0 (likewise, 001 and 1) ?