Re: OPCON and USB-BOB
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:50 pm
ok great, post a link to a photo album of your machine and let us know what you would do with the usb-bobBM_Machining wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:50 am I'm so excited about the USB-BOB! I've wanted something like this since I first bought my Acorn!
I would definitely not be upset at being a beta tester... lol
Gladly, here's a link to my machine in the Facebook group. I have a handfull of posts in there and I'm well versed on wiring: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4vnFiWRFWhxy18ke/cnckeith wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 2:59 pmok great, post a link to a photo album of your machine and let us know what you would do with the usb-bobBM_Machining wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:50 am I'm so excited about the USB-BOB! I've wanted something like this since I first bought my Acorn!
I would definitely not be upset at being a beta tester... lol
right on, nice little machine. where are you located?BM_Machining wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:28 pmGladly, here's a link to my machine in the Facebook group. I have a handfull of posts in there and I'm well versed on wiring: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4vnFiWRFWhxy18ke/cnckeith wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 2:59 pmok great, post a link to a photo album of your machine and let us know what you would do with the usb-bobBM_Machining wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 12:50 am I'm so excited about the USB-BOB! I've wanted something like this since I first bought my Acorn!
I would definitely not be upset at being a beta tester... lol
Ultimately, I want to build a custom push button control panel with as many functions as I can fit. As a work around, I've been using joystick encoders and arduino macro pads to allow this, but they have left a lot to be desired as far as resemblance to a professional machine. Spent weeks trying to get an incremental encoder to translate over into 1x per click with an Arduino micro when I was building my controls, but eventually scrapped that because it was too unpredictable. It would be incredible to be able to get everything set up like I originally imagined control wise and no longer have to use keyboard bindings.
What kind of functions are you looking for? USBBOB will give you 12 PLC configurable inputs for various kinds of switch; 12 outputs to control indicators associated with the switches; 3 incremental encoders for feedrate, spindle, and rapid feedrate overrides; and 3 more ports for handwheel encoders.BM_Machining wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:28 pm Ultimately, I want to build a custom push button control panel with as many functions as I can fit. As a work around, I've been using joystick encoders and arduino macro pads to allow this, but they have left a lot to be desired as far as resemblance to a professional machine. Spent weeks trying to get an incremental encoder to translate over into 1x per click with an Arduino micro when I was building my controls, but eventually scrapped that because it was too unpredictable. It would be incredible to be able to get everything set up like I originally imagined control wise and no longer have to use keyboard bindings.
That seems like it will be more than enough for what I want to do. I want to make a panel similar to those you see on professional machines. Mpg, start, stop, feed hold, axis select, feed, spindle, rapid, various shortcuts and macros, etc. There are only so many things that can be emulated with a joystick input.centroid467 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:00 amWhat kind of functions are you looking for? USBBOB will give you 12 PLC configurable inputs for various kinds of switch; 12 outputs to control indicators associated with the switches; 3 incremental encoders for feedrate, spindle, and rapid feedrate overrides; and 3 more ports for handwheel encoders.BM_Machining wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:28 pm Ultimately, I want to build a custom push button control panel with as many functions as I can fit. As a work around, I've been using joystick encoders and arduino macro pads to allow this, but they have left a lot to be desired as far as resemblance to a professional machine. Spent weeks trying to get an incremental encoder to translate over into 1x per click with an Arduino micro when I was building my controls, but eventually scrapped that because it was too unpredictable. It would be incredible to be able to get everything set up like I originally imagined control wise and no longer have to use keyboard bindings.
It sounds like you made a valiant effort with the Arduino Micro but as you found out, they really are not the best for reading encoders. Any of the ATMega328 or 32U4 based Arduinos will struggle with that and you'd really only be able to get one to work reliably. Arduino stuff wants to use interrupts to read encoders and the 8 bit devices really only have two external interrupts. You might have better results with an ARM based Arduino.
Of course, you would bypass all of that work by using USBBOB