Machinekit on BBB with CRAMPS benefits over RAMPS 1.4 with Marlin

[ADiab]

Hello All,

    Sorry if this is covered somewhere else. I have tried to find but I am not sure how to ask the question. I am building a mostly 3d printed CNC machine (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:724999) and for electronics it calls for a RAMPS 1.4 board with Marlin firmware. I had wanted to forego the RAMPS and Marlin in lieu of a BBB + CRAMPS and Machinekit combo because that is what I have on my delta 3d printer and I kinda like it but that add near to 100$ to the price of just the electronics and my wife is already yelling at me about all my extrajudicial spending. Long story short I am wondering if there are benefits to running Machinekit that make it a powerful enough argument to justify the extra expense. Thanks.

Aaron Diab

[Michael Brown]

Hi Aaron

Since you do not provide enough background information for anyone to be able to answer your otherwise great question, I will put some other answers to you:

If your motivation is based around using this cnc machine as fast as possible to produce something, at lowest possible cost ?

Then buy a kit. (period)  any kit that contains all parts and build instructions.

(And your wife will not need to nag you about why you never seem to get finished ... :-)..)

If on the other hand part of your motivation is learning how to build such machines, you would have to look into what your former project was and or what your next project will most likely be, and what experiences and new knowledge, you want to carry on from this one to the next.

Michael

[Tom M]

HI Aaron,
I'm also building a MPCNC.   I'm done printing the parts and have the sub-components assembled.  Next step is to figure out this machine kit thing.
 My primary motivation is to have a low cost cnc platform, that I can learn about machinekit.  I have a Cramps board and BBB
Btw  if your printing your own parts, I'd run a reamer down the bolt holes.   I've been having issues cracking when I put the shoulder bolts in.

I'm not interested in making this a printer.. I"m more focused on the cnc side.  The cramps has 6 drivers..   Because MPCNC uses 2 steppers each for the X-Y  I want have one -polullo drive one motor, but have the timing syncd in software.   That should leave me one axis left for a rotary.

I hope you choose the machinekit route, because (mainly out of self interest)

[Ryan Carlyle]

Marlin/RAMPS is a 3D printer controller that happens to have the bare-minimum functionality to control a simple 3- or 4-axis mill or router. MachineKit is a full-featured motion control platform that is hugely flexible/extensible and was built around serious CNC mill control applications. 

This is kind of like asking, "I need to kill a really big spider. Should I grab a flyswatter or hire a tactical mercenary team?"

Marlin will barely get the job done. It's designed for something else. MachineKit is exceptionally capable of doing the job, but is way more than you need for a MPCNC. Where MachineKit will be a really good choice is if you want to do everything with the machine -- mill, 3d print, control coolant spray, run a plasma torch, whatever. (Honestly though, if that's your goal, you ought to be building something a hell of a lot sturdier than a MPCNC.)

If you haven't bought anything yet, and only want to mill, I'd recommend TinyG. That's generally the platform of choice for small mill/router projects. 

[ADiab]

I think I might choose Machinekit anyway in case I want to add functionality later on. At this point I am probably more familiar with Machinekit than with Marlin since my main 3d printer is running Machinekit on the BBB and CRAMPS set up. I also kinda promised the designer of the MPCNC that if I get it up and running with machinekit I would make an image of my BBB card and send it to him.

[ADiab]

I haven't bought electronics but I have already started printing and buying hardware. I like your analogy, I think I will go with the mercenary team. I had been thinking about it anyway and thought that if I add a raspberry pi as a cnc server ( a la Octoprint, not sure if this is possible) then it would be nearly the same cost as the BBB and CRAMPS. 

[ADiab]

I am not sure what background information I could provide. I am building a CNC machine. It's the "Mostly Printed CNC Machine" that can be found on Thingiverse. I have already started building it so I won't be buying a kit. I have a fair amount of experience 3D printing experience (I print like a fiend) with Machinekit on a BBB with a CRAMPS cape but I don't know much about the milling so this build is more of a learning adventure than a plan to open my own machine shop. I have a tendency to be tenacious when I set my mind to it so I anticipate this project will be done in 2 ~ 3 months. I am well under way with the printed parts, my printer has been going non-stop for a week. :)

[Charles Steinkuehler]

On 4/16/2016 5:35 PM, ADiab wrote:
> I am not sure what background information I could provide. I am building a CNC
> machine. It's the "Mostly Printed CNC Machine" that can be found on Thingiverse.
> I have already started building it so I won't be buying a kit. I have a fair
> amount of experience 3D printing experience (I print like a fiend) with
> Machinekit on a BBB with a CRAMPS cape but I don't know much about the milling
> so this build is more of a learning adventure than a plan to open my own machine
> shop.

Machinekit (and LinuxCNC) are much more suited to milling than 3D
printing, since that's the background the software came from. You get
lots of advanced features to make machining easier (like touch-off,
multiple coordinate systems, tool-changer support, etc) that are
missing or limited on the AVR/Cortex-M controllers currently available.

Holler if you need any help setting up your configuration.

--
Charles Steinkuehler
cha...@steinkuehler.net

[ADiab]

Thank you. I will certainly let you know if I run into trouble. BTW great work on the CRAMPS board. I have one on my delta 3D printer. If I might ask you though I have this issue with my 3d printer and Machinekit. Apparently Machinekit does not recognize the M2 instruction to turn off the motors. I wrote a custom M106 instruction to turn my extruder fan on and I was wondering if there was a way to do the same with the motors. Like hitting the estop in software.

[ADiab]

Hello Again Tom, 

     So I did end up choosing the BBB CRAMPS route. I just got my CRAMPS board today and a buddy of mine is giving me his spare BBB in trade for milling work when I get this thing up. I started assembling already as well. I have a wood platform done and I have cut the leg conduit and the frame conduit. It is coming together, however slowly. I am interested to hear how far you've come along. 

Aaron

On Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 11:56:02 AM UTC-7, Tom M wrote:

[ADiab]

I have posted a 3D printable case for the BBB with a CRAMPS cape to Thingiverse if anyone is interested.

[schoo...@btinternet.com]

And here is the link Aaron forgot

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1532808

[Tom M]

Darn it... I keep forgetting to do a reply all..

Anyway... I started a thread on the MPCNC on this.   http://www.vicious1.com/forum/topic/using-machinekit-linuxcnc-on-a-bbb-beaglebone-black-cramps-board-with-mpcnc/

----

I've been needing a enclosure for the cramps board. I've been rushing to get the project done for the mini-maker next week.

Almost what I was looking for.  I wanted to get some DIN connectors (aircraft connectors)  to mount to the enclosure to hook the motors up.  I suspect that I'm going to moving this thing around a bit and I wanted to make easy/mistake proof to reconnect.

@Adiab I saw you're into freecad(an application I'm rather found of myself)  Have you played with the Path workbench yet?

Btw..  I recorded a short video should be posted shortly showing the movements using gantrykins 

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[Tom M]

Here a video of a test were I get gantrykins working.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHRRnfyrpV8&feature=youtu.be

Darn it... I keep forgetting to do a reply all..

Anyway... I started a thread on the MPCNC on this.   http://www.vicious1.com/forum/topic/using-machinekit-linuxcnc-on-a-bbb-beaglebone-black-cramps-board-with-mpcnc/

----

I've been needing a enclosure for the cramps board. I've been rushing to get the project done for the mini-maker next week.

Almost what I was looking for.  I wanted to get some DIN connectors (aircraft connectors)  to mount to the enclosure to hook the motors up.  I suspect that I'm going to moving this thing around a bit and I wanted to make easy/mistake proof to reconnect.

@Adiab I saw you're into freecad(an application I'm rather found of myself)  Have you played with the Path workbench yet?

Btw..  I recorded a short video should be posted shortly showing the movements using gantrykins 

On Sun, May 1, 2016 at 4:11 AM,

And here is the link Aaron forgot