> On 28 Mar 2018, at 22:02, Rick Mann <[email protected]> wrote: > > I'm just starting on building a CNC router using MachineKit and a BBB. You'll > still need a board of some kind, if for no other reason than to isolate the > BBB from the rest of your system. I bought an OPTOCAPE ($165) to experiment > with, but I will be designing and building my own board at the same time > (mostly because I want all the right connectors on it). > > So far, I have not had any success figuring out how to get MachineKit up and > running. I also haven't tried that hard, but it's really non-obvious, and > there are huge gaps in the documentation. I finally have enough pieces in > place to try this in earnest, but my shop office buildout has taken priority > (can't make room for the router until I finish that).
Hi Rick, Can you give an example where you find documentation lacking? here’s a link on how to set up Machinekit. http://www.machinekit.io/docs/getting-started/getting-started-platform/ > > I'm fairly sure MachineKit and BBB is the right way to go. MachineKit seems > to want a real-time Linux kernel even though I don't think it's necessary > because of the PRUs. There's also this project which might be worth > considering: The PRU’s only do step generation. You basically want to have an RT kernel because you want to update the commanded position and read out the current position in a timely manner. RT preempt kernels are common enough not to have them build yourself. The Beagleboard has RT kernels. > <https://github.com/hzeller/beagleg>. > >> On Mar 28, 2018, at 09:50 , Andrew Voelkel <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> Hi, >> >> I was referred to the MachineKit group after discussing plans to switch my >> router machine control from Mach3 on Windoze. He told me that people are >> using the PRU on the BBB to do the stepper motor control for LinuxCNC. That >> sounded attractive. >> >> (I have a Gecko motor driver. My system is 4 motors, but only because the x >> motor is mirrored.) >> >> So I did a forum search here and it didn't really clear things up that much. >> It was pretty down in the weeds. >> >> What I'm trying to figure out is whether using MachineKit LinuxCNC and the >> BBB with the PRU is standard fare or not. I have basically two choices as >> far as I can tell: >> • Use MachineKit and a BBB I have lying around, and the PRU as stepper >> control. Ride off into the sunset. >> • Use a Mesa 7i92 for stepper motor control and standard LinuxCNC >> instead of MachineKit, making sure that I have a realtime kernel installed >> one way or the other. I'd probably still use the BBB as my CPU. >> Although I like the idea #1 above because it is a one board solution (and I >> save $89), the most important thing is that I choose the system that is >> easiest to set up and most reliable. >> >> Does anyone have any opinions of which that might be? If both of these >> configurations are regularly used, then I'll go with BBB and PRU and >> MachineKit, since I can try it all out for the cost of my own time. But I >> value my time so I don't want to get too experimental. >> >> Thanks for any help!! >> >> -- >> website: http://www.machinekit.io blog: http://blog.machinekit.io github: >> https://github.com/machinekit >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Machinekit" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/machinekit. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- > Rick Mann > [email protected] > > > -- > website: http://www.machinekit.io blog: http://blog.machinekit.io github: > https://github.com/machinekit > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Machinekit" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/machinekit. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- website: http://www.machinekit.io blog: http://blog.machinekit.io github: https://github.com/machinekit --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Machinekit" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/machinekit. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
