LinuxCNC on RPI

I have started to post details on how I have been getting LinuxCNC up and running on Raspberry Pi.

scottalford75.github.io/LinuxCNC-on-RPi/


I started with Raspbian but soon moved to Arch Linux due to the out of date OpenGL libraries. I will also start to put up details on my development of spiPRU that turns a cheap 32bit 3D Printer control board into a PRU (programmable real-time unit) connected to the RPi via the SPI bus. This then gives hard real-time step generators for the RPi similar to the Beaglebone inbuilt RPU’s.

For <$150 it’s now possible to have a LinuxCNC system!

Scott

If making swarf for the least amount of money is your goal, dumpster dived PC is usually cheaper.

Dollars not the main driver. Size and the challenge to get it to work. Always need a challenge to keep the interest going.

what rasperian did you choose

my fault language problem the version of the hardware as there are many pi versions

Hardware currently is RPi 3B and 3B+. Would love to get my hands on a 4 as well to test the LinuxCNC component. spiPRU is based 100% on the BCM2835 driver library by Mike McCauley. Only using the SPI portion but in theory would also give GPIO access to rtapi. The RPi 4 might have a suitable base thread... maybe not..

the rapberryCNc club saying it is significant slower then the 3B version on printer setup

Are they building a preemp_rt kernel? Which kernel version?

How much space can i save by using a Rpi to control this vs a PC?
imgur.com/ey5VtXu



Just kidding. The Rpi4 has an integrated Ethernet controller so you should be able to use Mesa Ethernet cards to control stepper, servos and galvos.

I have tested that. Works fine.