TinyG coupled with PIC32MZ uC for stand-alone CNC

From the original Synthetos forum (2011–2025)

Started by Ultron on in TinyG Support. 1 reply, last activity Dec 9, 2014.

#

Hello guys, i search suggestions for my project.

My intentions are make a board with a PIC32MZ series for to pair with TinyG board. This is for to avoid the use a PC and make a stand-alone CNC machine.

The PIC32 board manages a 7" TFT touch display, a little keyboard, and a SDcard holder.

Simply the user open a file in the SDcard with G-Code text, and sends this at TinyG board.

The communication is made with a complete UART protocol.

TX
RX
RTS
CTS

Code abstraction: (in short)

#define RTS LATBbits.LATB1 // definitions PORTB1 and PORTB2 output pin
#define CTS LATBbits.LATB2

RTS = 1; // The PIC wont start a serial communication with TinyG

while (!CTS); // wait for signal ok from TinyG serial --> CTS = 1 (Buffer empty)

for (i = 0; i= numline; i++) // numline = number of lines in G-code file
{
read.Line(file, line); // reading of one line in the file on SDcard
serial.Print(line); // send line to TinyG
line++; // next line
if(CTS == 0) // check buffer
{
RTS = 0; // if CTS signal = 0 (Buffer almost full),
break; // reset the RTS signal, then exit
}
}
while(!CTS) { // wait for emptying of buffer...
continue....

----------------------

Do you have suggestions?

#

My suggestion?

Buy a Smoothieboard - similar idea to the TinyG, executed much better. I haven't benchmarked them yet - mySmoothie hasn't arrived - but they ported from the same place and have similar ideas as to how to handle acceleration, etc.

It already has all the functions you are looking for - SD Card, etc. and is cheaper.

I have a couple of TinyG's, but have rapidly come to understand and be disappointed in the limitations. The Smoothie has everything the TinyG has, and more, and is a lot more friendly to use.

http://smoothieware.org

I'm done with TinyG and their poor documentation, flaky software options, lack of features and relatively expensive price. I will probably use the ones I have in a 3D printer and get another Smoothie 4XC for my CNC router.

This topic is from the original forum (December 2014). Your reply starts a new discussion linked to it.

Reply

Different problem? Ask a new question

Back to TinyG Support or latest activity.