Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

Perfect... I wasn't aware that we could use the encoder port for purposes other than feedback for a spindle, etc. I still have not had a time to read through the manuals completely. But from what you are saying, it seems like I can use a combination of VCP and the encoder port so that I can hard wire a traditional pendant into the system that way. That is good news.... Is there a way that I can push positional data to an external system? I have an XHC wired pendant (identical to the wireless you have, except for wired) from my LinuxCNC days that I would love to use.

I would still encourage Centroid to consider opening up the interface so that people could use the XHC WHB04B pendant. The overall cost of a full conversion has been a pain point. Centroid seems like it has a lot of nice features and a simplified installation over LinuxCNC, for instance, but it does this with a pain point of a fairly steep increase in price. I'm edging closer to Centroid now, but it isn't in the bag yet.

two camps here.
1.) if you value your time at 0 or just like to tinker with CNC controls hacking together your own control pendant is just fine.
2.) others want to make parts so spending a few hundred bucks for a turn key control pendant is nothing in the grand scheme of things and can be made back on the first day of operation.

Acorn has a foot in each world, you are welcome to roll your own or purchase ready to go the choice is yours.
and Centroid CNC12 parameters, PLC programming and Macro Programming, API is free and open source with instructions so you can customize the way you want.

I use a wireless XHC phb04b-6 pendant from my previous ctrl on the centroid acorn6.
Most buttons are working: reset/start/pauze, selection buttons/jog wheel. (With the exception of the macro buttons, not yet played with these)