Windows embedded (7) - repurposing a thin client PC

[Doddy]

Much depends on the target platform. For the el-cheapo thin clients, for which their price is a major differentiator, then these /tend/ to be the older, less capable platforms. I've been looking for parallel port support and these often come in with 1-2GB of flash storage, maybe 4GB at a push. MS advertise a 16GB/20GB install for 32/64 flavours of Win10. Going motion controller tends to kick the low-cost solution into the long grass unless you already own such a controller. I've been looking at the thin clients for very much the same reasons as Voicecoil, for a lathe install. Because UCCNC is not particularly lathe-friendly I'm now looking to avoid the whole mess of windows and trial LinuxCNC for the first time, but for that I think I need a machine with a parallel interface. I've got a couple of old desktops - not an ideal form-factor to bolt onto the side of a myford cabinet, but it's starting to look like the best, cheap solution for me.

We need to petition CNCDrive to port UCCNC to Linux :-)

[Clive S]

Doddy: If you need help with this I have my Myford s7 running on linuxcnc but through a mesa card with 2 mpg's so I can use it manually.

I am also setting a lathe up for a forum member with a PP running linuxcnc with an encoder (just A + Z) for threading you need 2 pins on the PP for this so three left for homing switches if you need them (I don't bother)

[Doddy]

Clive, much appreciated, I might well bend your ear. Encoder = shaft encoder I take it?, that was my plan, with one limit switch to avoid crunching the stepper on the cross slide (I foolishly went for a low profile stepper on the rear of a mount plate instead of the jefree front mount and it will impact the handle for the split nut engage lever

[Clive S]

Clive, much appreciated, I might well bend your ear. Encoder = shaft encoder I take it?, that was my plan, with one limit switch to avoid crunching the stepper on the cross slide (I foolishly went for a low profile stepper on the rear of a mount plate instead of the jefree front mount and it will impact the handle for the split nut engage lever

I actually made a 64 slot disc with slot opto sensors. https://photos.app.goo.gl/66KmdtD7TzUziNih7 you have to be able to move the sensors around to get the correct sync

edit: if I was to do it again I might have used a rotary encoder (it would have to be low count with a PP) But its been working for at least 3 - 4 years

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JH1GWVQbhxe6Z6Yo7 This is it simulating an arc that I needed to put on a roller for my belt sander

[Doddy]

<sorry, tried to post elsewhere>

[Clive S]

Yes sorry to the op

[Voicecoil]

We need to petition CNCDrive to port UCCNC to Linux :-)

+1 - If that happened I'd likely bite the bullet and go Linux - after my recent experiences with Windoze 10 I'm kind of over all things Microsoft. As I have Balazs from CNCdrive's email I might just suggest it ;-) - maybe others can do the same?

[Voicecoil]

Much depends on the target platform. For the el-cheapo thin clients, for which their price is a major differentiator, then these /tend/ to be the older, less capable platforms. I've been looking for parallel port support and these often come in with 1-2GB of flash storage, maybe 4GB at a push. MS advertise a 16GB/20GB install for 32/64 flavours of Win10. Going motion controller tends to kick the low-cost solution into the long grass unless you already own such a controller. I've been looking at the thin clients for very much the same reasons as Voicecoil, for a lathe install. Because UCCNC is not particularly lathe-friendly I'm now looking to avoid the whole mess of windows and trial LinuxCNC for the first time, but for that I think I need a machine with a parallel interface. I've got a couple of old desktops - not an ideal form-factor to bolt onto the side of a myford cabinet, but it's starting to look like the best, cheap solution for me.

Check out the HP T510 thin client. It has a parallel port, has a dual core CPU that benchmarks twice as fast as my old XP machine, can be found with 16GB flash and according to parkytowers takes Linux well. There were one or two on the bay of fleas for £50 ish last time I looked.

[Voicecoil]

We need to petition CNCDrive to port UCCNC to Linux :-)

Well I did just that, and Balazs said he'd canvassed opinion on making it OS independent a year or so back, but didn't have much in the way of a response, and hence dropped the idea as it promised to be a lot of work.

I have the SAS on standby to recapture my hijacked thread (lol) - and did find this which could be a solution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3g8VtJUdb4

[Doddy]

Aha, didn't notice the "plus" range. Okay, one in the post and I'm going to try a LinuxCNC / parallel-port install.

If you'd like I'd be happy to try installing UCCNC in demo mode prior to the linux install, to understand any installation issues, though with the licensing I don't think I'll be able to drive my mill directly - but I think if the demo works then it should be just about there.