Setting up EMC2 on PC.........??

[DR]

Black Forest,

Unfortunately you're wrong about this. I did find out about the product through your private message (and I thank you for that). I verified everything you told me about the product with the manufacturer prior to my posting. I just got off the phone with the manufacturer for the second time today. They had no problem whatsoever with my posting the information, in fact they were glad I did since they're interested in getting "buzz" about the product. I confirmed in the second call everything I said about the product was correct.

They thought you may have misunderstood your responsibility for secrecy with the product.

The product was previously announced on CNCzone (where I'm not a member). They may also announce it here for all I know, although the guy I spoke with wasn't familiar with this site.

You must have some "in" with George when you're threatening me with forum banishment if I mention the product again.

[Black Forest]

Black Forest,

Unfortunately you're wrong about this. I did find out about the product through your private message (and I thank you for that). I verified everything you told me about the product with the manufacturer prior to my posting. I just got off the phone with the manufacturer for the second time today. They had no problem whatsoever with my posting the information, in fact they were glad I did since they're interested in getting "buzz" about the product. I confirmed in the second call everything I said about the product was correct.

They thought you may have misunderstood your responsibility for secrecy with the product.

The product was previously announced on CNCzone (where I'm not a member). They may also announce it here for all I know, although the guy I spoke with wasn't familiar with this site.

You must have some "in" with George when you're threatening me with forum banishment if I mention the product again.

Who did you talk to at Centroid?

[Black Forest]

No I am not wrong and this is a direct quote from the PM I sent you.

"The information I would send you is not to be published on the internet yet. It is all subject to change and I have agreed not to publish it. They did tell me I could share it privately as along as the people agree not to publish to the internet."

I was wrong in not getting you to agree not to publish any info before I shared the info with you. But I thought you would be an honorable man but it seems that is not the case.

This is my last post on this.

[DR]

Who did you talk to at Centroid?

I spoke with the sales department.

BTW: this is what you said to me:

"If you want me to send you some info on the Acorn let me know and give me your email address.

The information I would send you is not to be published on the internet yet. It is all subject to change and I have agreed not to publish it. They did tell me I could share it privately as along as the people agree not to publish to the internet."


For one thing, you didn't ever send me the information. Everything I got I verified directly from the manufacturer. As you said you're a total newbie in CNC, I'm not, so I thought best to verify directly. Don't forget they already publicly announced on CNCzone before you told me.

This has been an unfortunate misunderstanding. I'm sure DIY CNC'ers will find about out about this shortly anyway since the manufacturer intends to ramp up advertising.

[Sparky_NY]

I hate closed source stuff...

anyway.

Linuxcnc has something called nativecam that is taking off.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjO...86HyVrshTmiUBQ

A long thread about its creation
http://forum.linuxcnc.org/40-subrout...d?limitstart=0

I have NativeCam installed on my bridgeport with linuxcnc. NativeCam is fantastic, extremely easy to use and very powerful. I'm loving it.

[DR]

Okay folks, sorry about the drama of my posting being deleted. Anyway, lets move on beyond that.

Here's information published 1-6-17 by the manufacturer of the the CNC conversion board I mentioned earlier this week.

"the Acorn board is real and running on a test bed machine and a few are bench testing at Centroid HQ, also two have been sent out to Beta site testers that are just getting going with their installations. the acorn board is a 4 axis step and direction output cnc control board with its own dedicated motion control cpu, it communicates to a PC thru an ethernet cable and runs Centroid CNC software (the same software that is used on Centroid's M400 and T400 CNC controls) and is available in Lathe or Mill. The Acorn board will output a smooth step and direction output of up to 200khz! and can run stepping motors and AC brushless servo motors and drives. The Acorn board also has connections for spindle motor VFD control, encoder input, and 8 inputs and 8 outputs and is compatible with automatic tool measurement and probing devices. the price target will be under $400 for both the hardware and the software and release is set for spring of 2017."

The official release date has been announced as April 5, 2017.

I've been running a Centroid M400 control on a production machine for four years now. It is by far the best production grade CNC control of the many I'm familiar with.

[DICKEYBIRD]

"...the price target will be under $400 for both the hardware and the software and release is set for spring of 2017." The official release date has been announced as April 5, 2017.

I'm hoping it stays at the price level that I was told a few weeks ago, ie: $250 for the Acorn CNC control board, 24 VDC logic power supply, Logic power supply hookup leads, 110 VAC power cord, 6’ Shielded Ethernet cable & Centroid Free CNC software (Additional $99 for the next level of software; the free one being more hobby aligned & less powerful.) My plan is to run my new CNC bridge mill with Acorn when it's ready for controls.

ps: Why the hell are we talking about this game changing product in a freekin' EMC2/Linux thread, hmmm?

[skunkworks]

Game changing? I think it will turn out to be a way for centroid to get their foot further into hobby market. This will allow them to then make more money on all the accessories...

As stated by Milton. The software comes free! But if you want more - it is $99

what else do you need?

http://www.centroidcnc.com/accessories.htm

rigid tapping? $550

and so on.

Now you are stuck in system with pay for support and pay for options.

Just my 2 cents..

I think a section of people are looking for the perfect solution. Gun shy because of the experience they have with other computer based controls. Linuxcnc stable. I have not has a machine crash or do something funky (not caused by me). It just works and works well. You very rarely see someone switching from linuxcnc once they use it.

sam

[elf]

After reading the thread on CNCzone, I'd stay as far away from Centroid as possible.

[DICKEYBIRD]

After reading the thread on CNCzone, I'd stay as far away from Centroid as possible.

Interesting, maybe I should hang on a bit. Got a link? I hate slogging through that quagmire over there.

Hiya Sam. Game changing might have been a little strong but to those of us that haven't been able to climb the Linux mountain it's a pretty attractive option if it does what they say it does. Familiar Windows OS, 24v I/O, industry standard encoder capable, reliable software, etc. Like my pappy used to say: "We shall see what we see."

[DR]

Game changing? I think it will turn out to be a way for centroid to get their foot further into hobby market. This will allow them to then make more money on all the accessories...

As stated by Milton. The software comes free! But if you want more - it is $99

what else do you need?

http://www.centroidcnc.com/accessories.htm

rigid tapping? $550

and so on.

Now you are stuck in system with pay for support and pay for options.

Just my 2 cents..

I think a section of people are looking for the perfect solution. Gun shy because of the experience they have with other computer based controls. Linuxcnc stable. I have not has a machine crash or do something funky (not caused by me). It just works and works well. You very rarely see someone switching from linuxcnc once they use it.

sam

skunk'.

Centroid certainly doesn't need me to make their case. But, I can explain a few things.

Of course they're trying to sell more accessories and everything else they make, that's what business is all about.

I don't know about the $99 to upgrade the software to full version. If that's what they want to get the total high end software package, then I'd say it's well worth it.

$550 or rigid tapping...compare that to Haas that wants $1500.

I don't know about the pay for support, I do know the factory doesn't like to provide support for the production systems. They want you to get support through your local rep who you bought from. The Acorn board may be the only item they'll be selling direct. Options, yes, you do pay for them as would be expected (I have optional scaling and M00 jog. both worth their money)

Someone said they'd stay away from Centroid after reading a CNCzone thread, don't know about that. There's also an old thread on the PM site critical of Centroid. On the PM site there are also dozens of users saying how much they like the control, I have yet to see anybody using a Centroid control that doesn't like it.

What Centroid is offering for $250 (or $250 + $99) is what Flascut is offering for $1300. I don't know exactly what dollars of hardware linuxcnc needs. The Centroid control software is so much more powerful than those two systems it'll be an incredible bargain.

Everything I'm saying here is with the assumption the Acorn works as described. I have no reason to believe it won't work. My M400 control system, probe system and 4th axis expansion drive with servo all have worked perfectly.

Another thing about the control, it runs on Windows. A friend (a Windows basher) has already told me he won't have a CNC control on a Windows machine. Mine has never crashed in 4 years, not even once. I have a CAD/CAM system and other software on the same computer too.

[skunkworks]

I don't know the exact specs of acorn. Something similar to this on the linuxcnc side.

https://mesaus.com/index.php?route=p...&product_id=66

Ethernet
5 axis step/dir.
1 analog out (spindle)
1 ttl/diff encoder counter (spindle)
48 i/o. (Work with 24v)
Almost unlimited expandability
(More in the link above)
$199

Rigid tapping? Free

Sam

[DR]

I don't know the exact specs of acorn. Something similar to this on the linuxcnc side.

https://mesaus.com/index.php?route=p...&product_id=66

Ethernet
5 axis step/dir.
1 analog out (spindle)
1 ttl/diff encoder counter (spindle)
48 i/o. (Work with 24v)
Almost unlimited expandability
(More in the link above)
$199

Rigid tapping? Free

Sam

Sam,

Is rigid tapping free, what about the spindle encoder? You have input for it as does the acorn.

The price is not really the major issue IMO.

Go to this site:

http://www.helmancnc.com/centroid-m-code-cnc-mill/

Download the manual or just look at the G & M codes available on that site. Especially look at G68, coordinate rotation as standard, a very powerful feature. Chapter eleven of the manual describes system and user variables you have access to in a programs. My point is the full Centroid control is loaded with features usually not found in this price range.


On edit: I totally forgot to mention the Centroid Intercon programming system. You can draw parts and program from the drawing not to mention the canned cycles.

[DICKEYBIRD]

After reading the thread on CNCzone, I'd stay as far away from Centroid as possible.

Are you talking about the "Centroid ripoff" thread starting way back in 2008? That one didn't scare me at all when I read it weeks ago. It showed me how accessible they are to anybody. I thought maybe there was something new & horrible but I couldn't find anything like that at all.

[skunkworks]

linuxcnc
Complete manual
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/2.7/html/

overview
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/2.7/html/gcode/overview.html

gcodes
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/2.7/html/gcode/g-code.html

mcodes
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/2.7/html/gcode/m-code.html

owords
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/2.7/html/gcode/o-code.html

coordinate rotation.. (implements it in the G10)

Sam,

Is rigid tapping free, what about the spindle encoder? You have input for it as does the acorn.

The price is not really the major issue IMO.

Go to this site:

http://www.helmancnc.com/centroid-m-code-cnc-mill/

Download the manual or just look at the G & M codes available on that site. Especially look at G68, coordinate rotation as standard, a very powerful feature. Chapter eleven of the manual describes system and user variables you have access to in a programs. My point is the full Centroid control is loaded with features usually not found in this price range.


On edit: I totally forgot to mention the Centroid Intercon programming system. You can draw parts and program from the drawing not to mention the canned cycles.