Private Declare Function Out8255 Lib "c:\windows\8255.dll" (ByVal
portaddress As Integer, ByVal portdata As Integer) As Integer
Private Declare Function In8255 Lib "c:\windows\8255.dll" (ByVal
portaddress As Integer) As Integer
Private Declare Function timeGetTime Lib "c:\windows\SYSTEM\winmm.dll"
() As Long

THEM things there... in that location on the hard drive..

8255.dll changes the port state pins.. not really needed..
Timegettime is a microsecond timer call to read the ports..
THEN the ports.. I forget how I call them..

Howdy.,.

   Will try to look it up here in a bit. I have been down and out for a
while now.

   THE code.. the only thing the dll does is to point to the parallel
port for a option "you don't get" anyways.. it could have been deleted
but I overlooked it. As the DRO gets to the setpoint, the colors
change on the blocks and a port pin changes value.

   I'll look into it later today.

David



--- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "backyardbiccat" <backyardbiccat@...>
wrote:
>
>  I am new here and need help, what files do i need to download, i have
> Windows XP. Thanks
>

I am new here and need help, what files do i need to download, i have
Windows XP. Thanks

model u91-R1 has 3 encoder inputs, four other inputs (encoders are
inputs) and has six outputs. Costs $450-550. I have one on my cnc
bender and using the dll from unitronics it communicates and updates
the computer. Using a usb-rs232 com adapter configured to port by
cheapass setup file.

Basically I set it up to read a gcode file, dump ten sets of xyz bends
and travel distances in encoder pulses to the plc. THEN you could shut
the laptop down.. or use it as a DRO polling the plc for position.

I had to get creative with the inputs. I'll upload the code so you can
see what is going on later if requested.

I dumped the excess baggage, the scanner program on this version. It
has a ansi read and a couple other things that might intefere with the
scope's software. Not sure what to try next on this. I need a intel
scope camera to play with a bit probably.. thou on this system not
sure if it work or not.

I uploaded the compiled file to the exe files section
David


--- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "markotime" <markotime@...> wrote:
>
> Yup, the Intel works well with every other windows program I've tried.
> Have 3 webcams that work just fine with machinist cam.
>
> I had mentioned "Runtime error 10" before, and you thought that
> might be coming from the .ocx.
>
> The QX5s are out in quantity now, so the QX3s are dropping in price.
> This would be a nifty one to fix up.
>
> /mark
>
> --- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "ibewgypsie" <ibewgypsie@> wrote:
> >
> > I have a pc cameras for microscope off ebay, Works with it. Not sure
> > what is going on there. I have tried to buy one off ebay a time or
two.
> >
> > I am doing a little more, want to include the drill point angles on
> > the software, I cleaned it up about a week back and labeled the
> > sliders for the controls.
> >
> > Make sure the drivers work in windows.. THE bttv driver I have in my
> > programmer box works with it now. WITH harbor Freight lipstick cameras
> > with rca inputs..  Strange..I did however do a motion camera driver
> > from some old robotics vision stuff I had. I am running "motion" from
> > sourceforge.org on my cameras system thou. Works great in Linux. That
> > pc has a rack drive and I swap it back and forth.
> >
> > Got a buddy in Canada who wants a single axis cnc..  NOW I still need
> > a pic with 4x encoders to a single signal train rs232 convertor. I am
> > tempted to use his money and buy one of the 32mhz basic stamps. See if
> > it can do it for US to actually use this system on more than one axis.
> >
> > A acroname.com ttl/232 convertor or ttl/usb convertor works too but
> > you have to buy lilmachineshop.com cables to plug into a scale.
> > Ya'll give me input.. what do we need to do next? I typed about 500
> > lines of code the other night for the cnc tube bender.. it uses old
> > serial opto22 boards from the 80s.
> >
> >  About ready to knock out some toys thou, the Xaxis is over ten feet
> > long and feeds right off the steel rack outside. It is a universal
> > gantry style bot. A fabricators dream come true, all the layout is
> > done on computer and you just load parts and set up saw, ironworker
> > and tube bender as needed.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "markotime" <markotime@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Raised it before, still think it would be worth a look.
> > > Haven't been able to make it work with Intel Play Microscope.
> > > Works with the capture engine, just not thru Machinist Cam.
> > >
> > > Article in Feb 06 Machinist Workshop (UK publication) covers
> > > use of webcam with a utility called "Willing Webcam", which uses
> > > a graticule that's been somewhat transparented by Photoshop etc.
> > >
> > > This, however, is NOT a 1-pixel graticule, but M.Cam *is*.
> > > I, personally, dont' care much for Willing Webcam  - it's been
> > > buggy and non-intuitive for me.
> > >
> > > I'd love to see M. Cam fixed, so that the dig. microscope can be
> > > used with it - would make a super tool!
> > >
> > > And my hat goes off to ibewgypsy for his work!  Thanks!
> > > /mark fraser
> > >
> >
>

Yup, the Intel works well with every other windows program I've tried.
Have 3 webcams that work just fine with machinist cam.

I had mentioned "Runtime error 10" before, and you thought that
might be coming from the .ocx.

The QX5s are out in quantity now, so the QX3s are dropping in price.
This would be a nifty one to fix up.

/mark

--- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "ibewgypsie" <ibewgypsie@...> wrote:
>
> I have a pc cameras for microscope off ebay, Works with it. Not sure
> what is going on there. I have tried to buy one off ebay a time or two.
>
> I am doing a little more, want to include the drill point angles on
> the software, I cleaned it up about a week back and labeled the
> sliders for the controls.
>
> Make sure the drivers work in windows.. THE bttv driver I have in my
> programmer box works with it now. WITH harbor Freight lipstick cameras
> with rca inputs..  Strange..I did however do a motion camera driver
> from some old robotics vision stuff I had. I am running "motion" from
> sourceforge.org on my cameras system thou. Works great in Linux. That
> pc has a rack drive and I swap it back and forth.
>
> Got a buddy in Canada who wants a single axis cnc..  NOW I still need
> a pic with 4x encoders to a single signal train rs232 convertor. I am
> tempted to use his money and buy one of the 32mhz basic stamps. See if
> it can do it for US to actually use this system on more than one axis.
>
> A acroname.com ttl/232 convertor or ttl/usb convertor works too but
> you have to buy lilmachineshop.com cables to plug into a scale.
> Ya'll give me input.. what do we need to do next? I typed about 500
> lines of code the other night for the cnc tube bender.. it uses old
> serial opto22 boards from the 80s.
>
>  About ready to knock out some toys thou, the Xaxis is over ten feet
> long and feeds right off the steel rack outside. It is a universal
> gantry style bot. A fabricators dream come true, all the layout is
> done on computer and you just load parts and set up saw, ironworker
> and tube bender as needed.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "markotime" <markotime@> wrote:
> >
> > Raised it before, still think it would be worth a look.
> > Haven't been able to make it work with Intel Play Microscope.
> > Works with the capture engine, just not thru Machinist Cam.
> >
> > Article in Feb 06 Machinist Workshop (UK publication) covers
> > use of webcam with a utility called "Willing Webcam", which uses
> > a graticule that's been somewhat transparented by Photoshop etc.
> >
> > This, however, is NOT a 1-pixel graticule, but M.Cam *is*.
> > I, personally, dont' care much for Willing Webcam  - it's been
> > buggy and non-intuitive for me.
> >
> > I'd love to see M. Cam fixed, so that the dig. microscope can be
> > used with it - would make a super tool!
> >
> > And my hat goes off to ibewgypsy for his work!  Thanks!
> > /mark fraser
> >
>

I have a pc cameras for microscope off ebay, Works with it. Not sure
what is going on there. I have tried to buy one off ebay a time or two.

I am doing a little more, want to include the drill point angles on
the software, I cleaned it up about a week back and labeled the
sliders for the controls.

Make sure the drivers work in windows.. THE bttv driver I have in my
programmer box works with it now. WITH harbor Freight lipstick cameras
with rca inputs..  Strange..I did however do a motion camera driver
from some old robotics vision stuff I had. I am running "motion" from
sourceforge.org on my cameras system thou. Works great in Linux. That
pc has a rack drive and I swap it back and forth.

Got a buddy in Canada who wants a single axis cnc..  NOW I still need
a pic with 4x encoders to a single signal train rs232 convertor. I am
tempted to use his money and buy one of the 32mhz basic stamps. See if
it can do it for US to actually use this system on more than one axis.

A acroname.com ttl/232 convertor or ttl/usb convertor works too but
you have to buy lilmachineshop.com cables to plug into a scale.
Ya'll give me input.. what do we need to do next? I typed about 500
lines of code the other night for the cnc tube bender.. it uses old
serial opto22 boards from the 80s.

  About ready to knock out some toys thou, the Xaxis is over ten feet
long and feeds right off the steel rack outside. It is a universal
gantry style bot. A fabricators dream come true, all the layout is
done on computer and you just load parts and set up saw, ironworker
and tube bender as needed.






--- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "markotime" <markotime@...> wrote:
>
> Raised it before, still think it would be worth a look.
> Haven't been able to make it work with Intel Play Microscope.
> Works with the capture engine, just not thru Machinist Cam.
>
> Article in Feb 06 Machinist Workshop (UK publication) covers
> use of webcam with a utility called "Willing Webcam", which uses
> a graticule that's been somewhat transparented by Photoshop etc.
>
> This, however, is NOT a 1-pixel graticule, but M.Cam *is*.
> I, personally, dont' care much for Willing Webcam  - it's been
> buggy and non-intuitive for me.
>
> I'd love to see M. Cam fixed, so that the dig. microscope can be
> used with it - would make a super tool!
>
> And my hat goes off to ibewgypsy for his work!  Thanks!
> /mark fraser
>

Raised it before, still think it would be worth a look.
Haven't been able to make it work with Intel Play Microscope.
Works with the capture engine, just not thru Machinist Cam.

Article in Feb 06 Machinist Workshop (UK publication) covers
use of webcam with a utility called "Willing Webcam", which uses
a graticule that's been somewhat transparented by Photoshop etc.

This, however, is NOT a 1-pixel graticule, but M.Cam *is*.
I, personally, dont' care much for Willing Webcam  - it's been
buggy and non-intuitive for me.

I'd love to see M. Cam fixed, so that the dig. microscope can be
used with it - would make a super tool!

And my hat goes off to ibewgypsy for his work!  Thanks!
/mark fraser

Hi..

   I have not been that active since my father died.. It has a camera
update on the screen.. I cleaned a lot of that up recently.
   My windows drive crashed, I thought I lost all the work on this and
other projects. I found the fan dangling in the computer by the wires.

   there should be a update speed on that form. Do you have the code?
want it?
   I am working to also incorporate a angle and split point for drill
bit grinding for this camera idea, plan is to mount a angle under
camera to center the bit.

   I just posted the DRO software code. When I loaded it off cdrom I
had burned, It had a strange extension and would not run.
c:\programfiles\microsoftvstudio\vb6\c:\programfiles\microsoftstudio\vb6\**

would not run as you might imagine.. I am on a laptop and hitting all
the keys with my pickle fingers...

   I'll try to upload the newest version..

   I found gambas, a linux visual basic cloned that can run modified vb
programs. I have been working for a day now trying to get the polar
holes program swapped, a lot of varible differences and the way they
are declared..

   ANYWAYS< I am around.. hanging around the metalillness.com forum
daily... will try to keep checking back in here.. Not gave up, still
need a atmel or other chip programmed to decode the encoders into a
serial train for this to work to my satisfaction.. it will work with
chinese scales now. but the adapters kick ass with price.. you might
as well buy a real DRO.. I'll get it sorted out..

   Parallax has a new 32mhz stamp.. it might do it.. I have used thier
products before and have a carrier board already.




--- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, "steveh8861" <steveh8861@...> wrote:
>
> Hello,Just joined up.
> I tried the machinist cam program with my old logitech webcam and win
> XP. I got it to work and the cross hair and circle slider is a great
> idea. I notice the cameras view is magnified compared to when I
> normally run the the webcam in windows. The frame update rate is very
> slow and jerky at the fastest setting though. Is it because of the
> magnification or am I doing something wrong? When I run the webcam
> through the XP wizard it has much smoother frame rate movement but
> it's also not magnifying.
> Just wondering if this is all normal.
> Steve
>

Hello,Just joined up.
I tried the machinist cam program with my old logitech webcam and win
XP. I got it to work and the cross hair and circle slider is a great
idea. I notice the cameras view is magnified compared to when I
normally run the the webcam in windows. The frame update rate is very
slow and jerky at the fastest setting though. Is it because of the
magnification or am I doing something wrong? When I run the webcam
through the XP wizard it has much smoother frame rate movement but
it's also not magnifying.
Just wondering if this is all normal.
Steve

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260021050533

search on ebay, 1.3 mpixel camera... I am replacing a 400 pixel width
camera on the center-finder and scanner.. Should work with no software
changes.

Opti-pac is here on bench, tied into a $30 Clarostat optical encoder.

What it does here on the bench, Tied into X=encoder for a trackball..
it makes the cursor scroll across the screen. It has two serial ports,
a serial to USB cable and a jumper to configure for USB.

With the basic stamp, I could outrun the cpu speed with the small
diameter clarostat encoder (pulse width too narrow). DOES not appear
this one does. it has about a 40 pin chip on it.

  If it reads the narrow ppr of the clarostat, the 600 ppr encoder
would be magic.

  NOW, getting the cursor position with ansi Sys, making it register to
the software. < keeping it in a box on screen and adding it into the
DRO> will be pretty simple. NOW a keyswitch to enable or disable
software will be needed. ANY mouse-movement will register on the
screen DRO.. SO, main mouse will have to be disabled to make this
work. A couple of home Zero switches too.

ONE is on the way.. Ordered it last night. THIS WILL make a two axis
DRO. THE third and fourth encoder inputs are oddball.. need a special
call to work with them.. the 1st,2nd two channel encoders can be read
with a Mouse read command. Unless someone knows some magic..


[img]http://www.ultimarc.com/images/optipac.jpg[/img]

encoder input boards.. wow.. cheap.. and complete.. Ordering one now
to play with for a DRO...

[url]http://www.ultimarc.com/optipac4.html[/url]

[img]http://www.ultimarc.com/images/sens2opplus.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.ultimarc.com/images/vanewhl.jpg[/img]

This will work as fast as any DRO on the market. I have some
industrial encoders laying here on the bench to try these out with.

I've waited for someone to {PROGRAM} me a chip.. now, I am going ahead
with this.. it will work fine.. THE serial has a problem with missed
counts, the USB model does not. We'll see. SO they say..

[img]http://www.ultimarc.com/images/optipac.jpg[/img] is the ipac
spinner input that reads encoders and dumps it to the pc..

this might be it..  I have waited for someone to step up with a
encoder input board.. not here.. not happened..

I did manage to crash the pc again.. My sony two stick mouse with
encoded buttons to "sendkeys" command controlling a 3d solids program
via hotkeys..

Lost the networking driver too, and the mouse driver.. on the laptop
right now..

WElcome ya...

  If I can get the inputs completed, yep.. cheap and quickt hen..

Comments?

David Cofer

Hi,
Looks like you folks are way beyond me in cnc machine knowledge. I hope
to learn a few things from all of you. I do have a bit of machine shop
experience though. My Father owned/operated a machine/welding shop when
I was in high school during the late 60's- early 70. I did a lot of
repitious drilling/turning/milling for the various contracts we had.
After 30+ years of being away from machining, I recently purchased a
small lathe and a mill/drill machine as I'm trying to get back into
my "roots", and get ready for my impending retirement etc.

I do have some minor programming skills using QB 4.5 and recently
completed a bolt circle calculator written in quickbasic. Also a sine
bar calculator in the works. I'd be happy to upload them if there's any
interest from the group. I also have a small web site regarding "Solar
Tracking" that some of you may find useful in some way.
You can visit at http://pages.prodigy.net/rich_demartile.
Regards,
Rich D

Hi..
   I am still in mourning over my father.

   I am physically staying busy. Building onto my small shop. WOrking
on the old 41 chev shop truck I am building.

   My programming computer power supply is down. I opened it up and
confirmed it, the fan sounded like a bucket of marbles anyways. One is
on order.

   THE PLC-pc software and DRO software has been in my thoughts of what
to do next. All the code uploads are still on the dead machine.

David Cofer

Hi guys..

   I'm working on the shop truck. Got alot of parts to put on. Got a
lot of rust to address.

   I still am having trouble concentrating on the software. I noticed
several vb programmers have joined our groups..

   I'll try to get all the programs zipped up as is, and fix them later.

David

Emc works with the debian brain dead install. At least here in the house.

I have freedos/turbocnc on the shop computer right now. XP pro crashed.
It lost the video. I had two computers come in a couple weeks ago,
they lost the windows video. I had another machine here, it lost the
video. All run on other OS. Linux, mepis, etc.

Might be a virus. I don't know how it transferred machine to machine thou.

I think I am going to buy the powerbasic from The author of turbo
basic...  Stepster cnc would fly, and we could easily modify the code.
I don't like the f-keys he used. IN between every instruction of code
it reads the fkeys. A estop would work and ignore the computer.

I still am having trouble concentrating. I open up visual basic and
lose my abstract train of thought. Maybe it will get better in a day
or two. RIght now, we have a bunch of educational code that does not work.
  A lot of subroutines mostly chained together.

I posted the camera code. I just had trouble zipping up the others. I
zipped the dro, but can't remember what I done with it.

Thank you very much friend.. I set A new moderator up.

  I buried my father today.. I did good till they gave me his military
coffin honor flag. I blubbered like a lil girl then.

  HEY, Loving Emc.. I have still not got it to run on my cnc mill. XP
pro and Mach3 crashed. Black screen start up, no fix. I messed with it
for about twenty hours. My damn shop intel computer, intel board does
not appreciate Linux, this intel computer, cpu here in the house loves
it. I got the shop computer cut in half, rear half welded in next to
the front half so it can sniff it's own butt. Serious..
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/ibewgypsie/cut_welded_computer.jpg[/I\
MG]
I do things a lil unorthodox..


  I will post all the code, I am working on something really good too.
X-basic format for all these programs, can import the polar holes, the
dro, the other programs into linux, dos or windows with minor changes.

  I am running Mepis Linux as a backup OS here. Love it, kinda strange
untarring and ./making things thou. Not got the xbasic to install
yet.. I got it on 98Se..

   Now, I have the polar holes program working to my happiness, the
camera program works, but some people are missing operations files,
Probably vbrun.. SO far the programs are in visual basic 6.

   Welcome, speak up.. Lemme make all this work for all of us.. I could
use some help here and there. Keeping me on track for one thing. I
took a sidetrack to build a ladder logic program for the parallel
ports. It is almost done, then my father passed away.





--- In CheapAss@yahoogroups.com, wanliker@... wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated 3/4/2006 7:50:11 AM Mountain Standard Time,
> CheapAss@yahoogroups.com writes:
>
> Yes, I'd  like your
> help,now I need to figure out how to add you as a  moderator.
>
>
> Go to the CheapAss site, and click on members, then do a search for
his
> name, and when it comes up click on edit membership,  on the next
window  "Change
> to Moderator" is in blue, click on it, and continue as indicated.
>
> By the way it is also a very good idea to have a co owner, so the
group can
> live on if you leave this vail of tears.
>
> Several good groups have been sriven to madness when a owner
disappears, as
> there was no one to stop the spam, or appoint extra moderators.
>
> And no, I don't want the job, I have enough on the CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO
group to
> keep up with.
> bill
> CCED
>

Okay..

   I just got back home from the funeral home. Yes, I'd like your
help,now I need to figure out how to add you as a moderator. I looked
on three screens, can't find it yet, but you are it... Kinda light
headed at the moment. I'm off to bed here in a second.

   I got about half the codebase wrote for a simulated plc to run on a
pc.. you enter ladder rung logic onto the screen in contact picture
format, the output pins on the port come on and off with response to
internal timers or bit logic or inputs.. Or a sequence of all of the
above. This is for a friends toy train set, he is deadly serious about
it, spent some big bucks on this. I have set it up for two parallel
cards, 1440 rungs of logic have to be written. I am going to do a
sequential program write loop and have it output the rungs,
sequentially numbered to a file, then cut and paste it in.  Less typos
that way anyways. Declarations of variables will be a joy too. This
will be completed and out the door while I am thinking on a solution
for the camera program bug.. The Plc program can run in the
background, OR the perfect christmas light program to give a timed and
sequenced display. I thought up a Drum timer to put in, just not
figured out the logic yet, other than a scroll index box that shifts
bits to the port at coil shifts.. then you can put contacts logic in
to shift each switch. cnc tool changer?

   My family thinks I am nuts enough anyway. They call me the black
sheep. Everything seems normal now. Except I feel like crap.

My father passed away. I am gone for a few days.

I am working on coding in a dos/turbobasic exe version too. THis
should be downwardly compatible to any dos machine, handheld pda, etc..

THE new DRO is looking good. I have a new bug, windows sees the
streaming data scales as a ps2 mouse, Ps2 mouses use the same serial
connection scenario as the serial port. Not sure how to address that
bug yet. I have a scale running here on the bench.

I have a decent communications driver that throws clean messages to
the robot board I have here. I like it.. it needs a steady stream too.
Sits there squawking like a jaybird. It also has a decent interupt for
polling the scales, it will not however work with more than one port.

  I'll post the present raw code sometime today to give YOU "quiet"
programmers something to look at..

   Somebody throw a rock, something. Critisism? something..

ANYONE wanting to Program a Palm or junk computer to read chinese
scales? this is the logic and communication protocol in visual basic,
you just convert the logic to your programming language.

'The logic for the polar hole calculator is just as simple:



Private sub ConfigureX_port()
'This is the port configuration:
  MSComm1.CommPort = 1
  MSComm1.Settings = "4800,N,8,1" ' 9600 baud, no parity, 8 data, and 1
stop bit.
  MSComm1.InputLen = 48   'two 24 bit streams on reply.
end sub


Private sub Exit_to_readX()
'this is the exit line to read the scale:
Read_X_scale               'send to subroutine to read the chinese scale
   X_pos_txt.Text = X_pos    'set the returned value to reflect scale value
end sub

'This is the sub that reads the scale each loop:
Private Sub Read_X_scale()
  Dim a$
  MSComm1.PortOpen = True ' open the port using MSCOMM
    a$ = MSComm1.Input
  If a$ <> "" Then
  X_pos = Val(a$) / 25.4
  'ProgressBar1.Value = Val(a$)
  End If
  MSComm1.PortOpen = False ' close the port using MSCOMM so buffer does
not overflow.

End Sub

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/ibewgypsie/CheapAss_dro_006.jpg[/IMG]

Hey.. I got it working with two chinese scales.. two ports..

Fixing to clean the code up and comment it and post it here in a bit.

Them usb-ttl convertors from acroname, they address just exactly as a
serial port. You disable the actual serial ports, manually address the
drivers on the control panel, system devices, driver details.

The lil moto board is kickin my butt. I got it reading two transaction
packets.. Mscomm (visual basic serial port driver) screws up the ascii
transmissions with negociation protocol. I was reading garbage out
mixed in with my commands to the pic.

  I gotta get the drivers converted to visual basic format to call. It
is about ten lines.. but I am learning C++ and the C compiler errors
really confuse me at the moment. I could use some C++ help..

  I am going to post all the code on Sourceforge.net also. Calling for
backup.

David

Since I opened the Yahoo group:

Everything I have is simple, I am no genius, I am giving away this
project source code and all. Some people have nothing better to do.

  RE: I run removeable hard drives. My programming software, I have
thousands of dollars in it. My camera being turned on by a yokel was a
joke. He had already been up in my file sharing system and gotten what
he wanted. He wanted a look at my shop, surprise I am sitting in a
bathrobe in fuzzy slippers, a 300lb man with grey-beard. NO magic shop
online. Shop is out back and unheated. Most my shop tools are home
made and made from JUNK.

SO? it makes sharing the code that much harder. I plan on using a USB
key and cdroms for all my subroutines Meaning I will have to catalog
them. VISUAL basic is not forever, I have now learned ten+ codebases.
Since C++ is staying around, I loaded Linux w/C++ editors and
compilers to learn with.

  MY robotics source code subroutines will be ebay-forsale by cdrom,
THIS code for CheapAss is Free. You will not connect through my server
to my programming computer, or hard drive. AS this machine connects
now strictly through a removeable hard drive. SO it is either
connected or programming, not both.

Documentation needed. I am no author of perfectly formulated and
translatable manuals that anyone can read and understand.

I'll save this and post it in the files section under mods..
For the past week, the lil robot board kicked my butt, I got two
commands working right off the bat, simple, toggled in Chr$(numbers)
and it works. Except all the other commands. Nothing else works except
the two commands. Using "thier" small console programmer where you
enter hex addresses and it works.
  For a week I have been here, 15-20 hours a day. Last night it hit me,
I don't really know what "windows" is sending. I know I have 'text"
transfer selected and not binary. But I don't know. I first got out
the high dollar laptop to connect to the serial line in series with
the desktop. Then thought, gee, I don't need to do this to see. I got
out a lil 232 lcd I bought to communicate with stamps. Hooked it up to
the output line, reduced the baud rate to match.

   Windows throws garbage out the port. NO handshaking, No excuse.
Mscomm will now work talking to a micro controller. That explains a
lot of results in the past where things "almost" worked.


How things work as Planned:
  Got a friend breaking the dlls down to determine the calls needed to
access the machine level calls I need to do in visual basic.
   Dro will not work without a bit level communicator, not to a pic,
not to this board.

  1) DRO, main program..  It has a communicator where you select the
chinese scales or "moto" board, or "other" transmit and recieve
formats. It will be driven at bit level. I can not, nor ever have
written dll's.. I have used them, other peoples.
     YOu can once completed, load gcode onto this system and it will
load line by line and let you hand-machine a 3d object. Tool offsets
are a one button deal, as is calibration and loading of G90's format
where you have a program Real location, and a incremental location to
run a program at the "present" physical offset. THIS works, Later it
will be changed to include a movement for "table feed" not a cnc. BUT
a one plane interpolated drive. OR fancy ass table feed.

2) Machinists camera, scanner.. THIS will work with DRO setup above to
read in table locations. With the camera, it only allows you to
position table by crosshairs, or the adjustable circle to bores and
holes.  WITH the laser trig-scanner.. It works by throwing a flat red
line of known color (you pick with mouse) and it scans the pixels on
screen for that color, since angle is known (camera and pixel
offset=angle) and the distance from camera to laser emitter is known,
simple trig can determine shape of the "line" throwed across object. I
did not invent this, it is used in all kinds of scanners. I am going
to make it cheap thou. Reading the scales,encoders, pic you can either
move the table, or set up a "sendkey" list to the working software,
plan is for it to "grab" snapshots as it travels down the table. NO
contact needed. It, the laser scanner write the HUGE point cloud data
back to the "included editor" like wordstar.
   OKAY, I also, have a chinese scale hooked to a small 1/2" diameter
air cylinder. It strokes and reads the scale after a time period. Same
program, but it can read points in that do not intersect.

3) gcode graphical editor, a cad system where you can draw, select
points on a screen and it will do "gcode back to the editor. You can
draw lines on a grid, layout angles on screen, do all kinds of small
operations, include text comments into the gcode file. Slides or input
boxes can set Z-height. ON this setup, I am thinking, of incorporating
a " tracing system where you can pop a picture in from the camera, and
overlay holes or cut-lines on it. BEWARE the curvature of the lens
will not allow this to work 100 percent. A fact of geometry.

4) text editor, for gcode modifying or translation. Right now, it is
kinda a background deal for the gcode-graphical screen.

Epic: Right now, this is all a junk of dissassociated programs, they
have not been linked or included together yet. THEY are under mods
daily. I have added and cut out subroutines trying to determine
direction of program flow and associations of logic.

I need to think out how to publish the code. Since it is changing so
much, posting what I have is no good, yet I can not accept help.
Posting bit's of the program is not good for other programmers.. so
ideas on that is needed on HOW to do it.

I got the lil rascal of a robot controller working..

Trying to figure out what is going on.. DO you program? if so I can
email you the current code (comment to ezvidcap). I stopped posting
all the raw code cause it is changing so rapidly. I have been doing
versions now. V16 got wrote over by v10 on the motoboard communicator.

Gimme a day or so here then pull my chain again. I am on the linux box
here.

I got a bug in the motoboard here too.. it kills the trackball. I am
using a usb-232 adapter. Frustrated so I backed up for a bit. I may go
back to the normal 232 port.