Control Panel nearly done!

[Doddy]

m_c: Interesting insight there on your thought process - and entirely sensible.

I do, as a profession, deal with HMIs and ergonomics, but in a rather different field, but your points are very well made.

For me, I have an issue that I'm keeping my main computer 10ft away from the mill, and so I'm putting the functions to manage the interactive stuff (touching-off, etc) and the DROs onto the machine and enough to start/stop the program. Program management though, back at the computer. I've enough experience of tripping over hand-held pendant flying leads (replaced another USB plug last weekend when I sheared the connector by standing on the lead).

On the panel I've shifted the encoder to the right, with the DRO immediately to the left of it - so as not to obscure with my arm, and planning (once I get the IP65 chinese push-buttons delivered that I can get some accurate measurements to design with), push an Arduino with an Ethernet shield, use ModBus ethernet to hook this up (been playing with that - it's doable, and I had ethernet to the motion controller already - it makes sense to extend this to the machine).

I've contemplated touch-screens in the past, and kept an eye out for cheap ones (I am cheap) - I do worry though about heavily oiled fingertips with any interface (I'm am dirty).

Most of the stuff I've done on the starmill is an evolution on the previous attempts... for me I know I'll make mistakes, learn, and try again. It's a hobby :) One day I'll be happy, but that's a while-off!

[m_c]

I have been relying on cheap computers from ebay for running machines, as you can get complete 'refurbed' setups for under a hundred, and I'd rather have the computer near the machine than that far away.

The key thing with touchscreens, is stick to resistive screens as they rely on surface pressure, so are not affected by contamination like capacitive screens are. Resistive is generally not as accurate though, so you need to have the ability to have reasonably sized buttons.

Mistakes are part of the fun, however experience has taught to me try and make them in the cheapest/easiest way possible..

[Chaz]

I tend to do mine in CAD to get a feel however this works well. I'm right handed, so Id place the MPG on the right. Here is a mockup of Thor's panel. Ive since bought a Shuttle Contour controller which works well as my MPG seems not to want to work on 5V, so kinda abandoning this for now.