Tormach PCNC 1100

Hey John,

This probably isn't the thread for this.

It is what it is. I try to keep track of what is going on with both sides. I see a lot of people switching from mach to linuxcnc. (for many of the reasons pointed out to in the tormach video) People keep comparing mach and linuxcnc as if they should behave exactly the same. They are 2 different programs with totally different architectures. People only focus on the negatives. (but with the new trajectory planner - one less negative)

So it seems to be down to -

-No jog while paused.

-Crap user interfaces. (there are quite a few more and editable using Glade - but probably not as easy as machs screen editor.) http://www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/forum/41-guis Plus you can add panels to existing guis to expand them.

-Linux OH NO! it isn't as bad as it used to be. And no - you don't have to be a programmer to use it.

For me - the positives out-weigh the negatives.

-Realtime os

-True close loop right back to linuxcnc

-Gcode with subs and conditionals (extensive and remappable)

-Open source

-Motion control in the computer (some see that as a negative - I see it as a positive)

-Integrated ladder logic

-Ability to write realtime hal components

-Inexpensive industrial grade interface hardware

-Trajectory planner is realtime in the computer - feed hold, FO, MV, and such instant instant.

-Active project with bug fixes and improvements.

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Released_2.6.X

pre-release 2.7

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Released_2.7.X

sam

Edited By sam sokolik on 30/03/2015 20:18:42

"Do you know the real (probably unpublished) reason? I certainly don't."

It may be that Tormach prefer to rely on an open source code project that they can at least maintain themselves if the worst comes to the worst, rather than an, admittedly very good, proprietary package controlled by a small commercial private (I believe) company. And Mach depends in turn to some extent on an OS controlled by a large commercial concern who's priorities are unlikely to include supporting small companies making machine control programmes. It's no wonder that NFS are wanting to include iOS and Linux support in their products, but supporting 3 operating systems needs a lot of resource.

I wonder if Tormach will change its trading name too to remove Mach from that as well

Run from line works well with linuxcnc