Arduino GCode Interpreter

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Software Interfacing
1

hey all,

over at the RepRap project, we've got a gcode interpreter for the arduino up and running. its still in the early stages, but we've implemented the major commands. basically, it is capable of doing the vast majority of cnc operations you'd need.

more software info here: http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/Arduino_GCode_Interpreter
and on the driver electronics here: http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/Generation2Electronics

there are 2 system components that are currently missing:

  • a gcode generator, although there are many generators out there that are nice.
  • a host software to open a serial connection, and spit the commands out to the Arduino and/or parse the results back. we have a rough one setup already that is made in processing, but its very hacked together and barely gets the job done. the major problem is that processing isnt designed to make full apps... you cant create menus, buttons, file dialogs, or any of the nice things like that.

i'm thinking about taking a fork of the arduino software, ripping out the arduino guts and turning it into a gcode host for interfacing with an arduino. good/bad idea? similar to the processing -> arduino fork. i love the interface and it would be really rad to have that sort of shared genealogy.

2

You might want to start with Processing directly, rather than using the Arduino code base. Keeping in sync with one external project is hard enough, going through two might be even worse. Depends on whether or not you'd use any of the functionality of the Arduino software that's not in Processing.

In any case, maybe once there are enough people using the Processing editor, we can get together and make it modular enough to do so nicely.

3

Very nice work! Can you use 3 axis at the same time with this setup? So, do a real 3D movement? Not that it would be of any use for the reprap. But it might be nice if you could use it for a normal milling machine.

I should really start building a reprap. All these different, but very interesting, disciplines come together with it.