Re: EMC Cookbook

[Karl Klemm <kklemm-at-WPI.EDU>]

I am a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  I'm doing a project on
EMC, and this is one of our main focuses.  We are going to put together an
installation manual for emc, probably rtlinux too.  One of the things that
we were thinking of doing as part of our project was to have a webpage
dedicated to EMC.  I have started one already,
http://rockon.res.wpi.net/EMC/   
I have a little bit of basic information post, just stuff that I was told
at the onset of this project and which many people on the CAD CAM... list
have told me is wrong.  One of the things I want to include on the webpage
is a section, and I've started this, that has different
programs/patches/tools that users post and available for anyone to
download.  I'm not sure what exactly to call these, I've only just set up
the computer.  But something like someone has a file that makes a door
latch and it's posted on the web.  Now all another person who needs a door
latch has to do is download the file and cut it on his machine.  I'm
willing to host the website.  So anyone who wants to can send info or emc
expirences or the like and I'll post them for all to view.

				Karl Klemm
				kklemm-at-wpi.edu

On Thu, 16 Dec 1999, Ray Henry wrote:

> EMC list
> 
> I trust that this (emc-at-nist.gov) is the appropriate forum for this.  If we
> see light in what I'm suggesting, then we should post an invitation on
> CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO and rec.crafts.metalworking and perhaps other places. 
> 
> The recent cutter-comp posts point to a significant problem that we users,
> have as we move EMC from experimental shops to HSM and Production shops.  I
> suspect that all of us struggle with EMC, from Linux, to rt, to install, to
> connection, to making tools move the way we want.  We need a comprehensive,
> setup, operating, and program cookbook. 
> 
> We need it for occasional reference when we forget how to write a variable
> from .var into some part-program code or how sqrt() can be used to find an
> x location rather than a calculator.  We need it when we try to remember
> which parallel port pin carries the step pulse for the 4th axis.  And those
> of us who retrofit and want to sell machines that use EMC will need to
> provide a complete reference to the capabilities of it that we have built
> into our machine. 
> 
> I'm going to be candid here so I should expect some trashing.  My core
> assumption is that: 
> 
> 	Making their work/product comprehensible to the average
>        EMC user is not the best use of the folk at NIST. 
> 
> I took up one of Fred's mornings last spring.  I was at the point of either
> buying into a proprietary machine control system or committing to making
> EMC work for me.  I learned more in that half day than I could have in
> months of reading.  I'm jealous of Matt's proximity to EMC Mecca.  NIST is
> awesome!  The work that they have done in intelligent machines reads like
> someone put together the best ideas of Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury and other
> si fi writers and said, "Okay let's make ‘em work. (I still wonder if Tom's
> RS274VGER is a Star Trek reference.) 
> 
> I think it was Arne who referred to EMC as this "gift."  Sure NIST gets
> some feedback from our use of it and they make changes at the code level
> based on some of what we find, but I don't think that's central to their
> mission or their vision.  
> 
> So?  Let's take on the task of writing, drawing, and photographing a
> comprehensive cookbook to EMC.  EMC will always be ahead of our manual
> but... let's pull together everything we know about it and put it in one
> place.  I'm going to suggest that we start on-line so that we can all get
> at the drafts and contribute.  I suggest that we stick with an unreasonably
> low level of html for initial format.  Then as we get sections complete we
> can set them for print, xml, database ... whatever.
> 
> Anybody got free space to warehouse this monster?  Anybody willing to help?
>  Anybody got material or suggestions to go into it?  I'd try to keep track
> of it, till we get it launched.  Or should I go back to the basement, shut
> up, and do my motor thing?
> 
> Ray
> 
> 
>