CNC-USB (PlanetCNC)

[IanS1]

I've only got it set-up on a test bed at the moment so the motors aren't actually driving anything mechanical. So far it seems to be a good controller using CNC-USB software.
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I've also written a simple Visual Basic program for controlling 3 Axis which works very well too. The SDK isn't very well documented so it's a case of playing and seeing what results I get type of software development!!!, all good fun though and the best way to learn really. Once I've got the VB app a little more polished I will post some details up and hopefully a video.
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The MK3 can be connected by USB or Ethernet, I've not tried the Ethernet yet but I will do over the coming days.
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[Boyan Silyavski]

Does that do squaring of slaved axis?

[IanS1]

Unfortunately I have no idea. I will not be using this controller for a router/milling machine.

I'll try to find out for you.

[IanS1]

I can't find any information in the user manual that might suggest this feature is available. I have sent them an email to find out for you.

[Dwayne Dibbley]

Heres my Mk2 running a homing sequence, but I believe that the software doesn't do the zeroing of the slave axis.

quote from planet cnc forums:

Currently this is not planned to be implemented.

Independant homing is dangerous.
If one switch fails during homing then machine might be destroyed. This is not an issue on small low power machines but if you use stronger motors something will break.

[IanS1]

Here's the reply I got from them. I've have no idea if this solution works well or not, or how difficult it would be to implement.

http://forum.planet-cnc.com/viewtopi...squaring#p8094

[Neale]

It's an interesting approach. It is similar to the one suggested in a similar discussion recently about the CSMIO/IP-M, which now has a slave output for dual-motor setups but no squaring capability. In that case, the suggestion was to use something like an Arduino processor alongside the motion controller, driving the stepper drivers by combining the two sets of outputs (from motion controller and Arduino). The Arduino would pick up limit switch signals and be able to execute the homing/squaring sequence, but apart from homing, would do nothing. The "Planet" solution sits in line between motion controller and stepper drivers so in that sense is a bit more intrusive, and because it uses discrete logic gates, circuit complexity limits it to managing step pulses only and the user has to set direction. More margin for error?

Personally, I would go for the Arduino just because it's much easier to set up physically and probably no more expensive (using a pre-programmed bare ATmega chip from an Arduino) and I'm thinking of exploring that when I get my new machine running using the CSMIO/IP-M but there still seems to be a bit of a debate about how much the squaring operation needs to be done, and whether you can't do it manually almost as easily.