[joe aiello]

Why not use google groups as a repository, questions & answers, etc. ?

..... joe

[kstrauss]

I come here most every day so would prefer to have it on the CNCZONE site.

[LazyMan]

If I had a Tormach or get one I would just pay the money for their control computer and Pilot Pro and just get on with it. However, I am interested in all this LinuxCNC talk for other CNC machines such as routers so please keep the conversation going.

[waltpermenter]

I requested they create a subforum for Path Pilot/LinuxCNC here so the topic doesn't get lost elsewhere on the site, add your vote to make it happen. http://www.cnczone.com/forums/sugges...ach-forum.html

[sin_arms]

I have a paid invoice for my software, didn't buy a card or anything and I don't have a Tormach controller. I will see if I get a copy shipped.

[daniellyall]

2.7 has all the 1100 and 770 settings in it

[popspipes]

I just called and the shipping is being delayed until they have the instruction sheet completed, they may possibly ship Friday.

[sin_arms]

I just received my copy of PathPilot. Hopefully can get it loaded this weekend to give it a go. Still need to buy my card though.

[Philbobb]

Received my copy on Thurs, got it loaded on a new drive. Can't do anything until the card arrives, it won't finish booting without a card installed. Went with the 5I25 with the PROB RFX firmware which is for parallel port breakout boards, really hoping that's right. Hopefully next week.

[sin_arms]

Where did you order your card from?

[Philbobb]

Mesanet. About $102 shipped for PCI. I didn't think Tormach would let me buy the kit since I don't use their controller, so I just ordered the DVD. We'll see if it works...

[daniellyall]

cnc dude any up dates

[remartinez]

Just chatted with Tormach. They clarified that you can only purchase the upgrade if you own one of the latest TMC's.

They also told me that since PP is Open Source and in full compliance with the GPL, I can request a CD with the code.

It is possible, however, that anybody requesting the Open Source code won't be able to divulge the code. In that case, starting an Open Source group may be unlawful and rest assured I will not pursue (or endorse) such course of action.

I will continue discussions with Tormach and see where the boundaries lie.

I still think there is value in pursuing an Open Source group for tinkerers. But only if we are not endangering anybody's integrity and breaking the law in the process. Will keep the group posted.

So out of curiosity I called Tormach to try to see if I can buy the PP from them and basically they said no since I did not own one of their machines.
What is the truth on receiving a copy of their software? I have been a customer of Tormach for many years and they are a great company. I wish that I could afford one of their CNC machines.

It would be great if they make PP available to the public for someone like me who does CNC as a hobby and wants to move over from the Mach platform.


Great thread guys! Please keep it up!

[daniellyall]

yer its worth doing it, I have been playing with the new version of linuxCNC its a lot easier to use than it use to be, there is a lot of preconfigured files there so if someone wonted to put it on there system its not hard to do at all.

its just when it comes to adding stuff it gets hard

[tmarks11]

It would be great if they make PP available to the public for someone like me who does CNC as a hobby and wants to move over from the Mach platform.

They do. It is called LinuxCNC...

[daniellyall]

one thing I found I have a computer that was crap with M3 its just as bad with LinuxCNC trying it with M4 next

[remartinez]

They do. It is called LinuxCNC...

Does it have a nice interface and have conversational programming like the one Tormach is putting out for their machines?

[tmarks11]

Does it have a nice interface and have conversational programming like the one Tormach is putting out for their machines?

There are several GUI people have wrote for them, some appear just as nice as what Tormach has come up with.

I don't know about the conversational programming, but I suspect we will see some LinuxCNC ones soon if they don't exist already.

[CNC-Dude]

Hi Group,

Sorry for the disconnect, but I had to leave on business travel and my connectivity was null.

Just to give you an update, before I left the US, I ordered a Tormach controller. I knew it was going to take about a week for it to get here, so that is now out of the way.

The plan is to run one machine with the Tormach controller and the other one with the LinuxCNC 2.7. I have been told they are basically identical! Yes, there is of course the ATC and some conversational pieces which Tormach added, but with regards to the main features in terms of efficiency, that should all be the same.

Will try to document this process as best as possible and hopefully as soon as possible as well.

[slowtwitch]

I've looked into the LinuxCNC GUI's and one of the things that seem to be missing are probing routines on the screen, which is very important to me. I've asked on their forums and I was told that the probing routine, like finding the center of a hole, needs to be put into your gcode. I really prefer just hitting a button ( like probe center), from a probing menu. The linux folks told me that a button can be created and all you have to do is write this code and @#$!#$%^&&&&& and pointed me to a Wiki how to......which is all foreign to me. I believe this is one of the problems with LinuxCNC. When a questioned is asked, people assume that you are fluid in Linux.

Looking at PP, it looks like they may have a probing routine setup...Hopefully, like with Mach, screen sets like this will be available for dummies like me