Über LinuxCNC

One a machine is set up, its operator will only use one of the many graphical user interfaces that LinuxCNC and external groups are providing. The requirements for the operator are determined by how the integrator has set up the machine. The integrator has the option of setting up the machine so that the operator only presses one button to start the machining process, or leaves the GUI in its default state and the operator will fully control the CNC machine using the GUI functionality and G,M,O-codes. The integrator may or may not create a physical or virtual panel for the operator with various buttons and various indicators.

It is on an integrator (machine builder) to ensure that the LinuxCNC configuration matches the hardware setup both in the wiring and the protocols spoken on those wires. The integrator can choose whether to set up the machine using the Wizard or to configure it manually. If the Wizard is used, the integrator’s knowledge of LinuxCNC is minimal. It is enough to understand the machine hardware. If the integrator wants to use the maximum potential of LinuxCNC, he must be able to create or edit configuration files manually. To do this, it is enough to have knowledge of HAL, INI configuration and ideally the creation of custom HAL components or embedded panels. This knowledge will allow the connection of various hardware combinations with LCNC. Using INI, the integrator selects the GUI (Gmoccapy, Axis, Qt, …), kinematics, number of axes, parameters (velocities, acceleration, distance, …). Using HAL, the integrator selects the hardware control method (velocity mode / position mode, on-off control / analog control, without / with feedback, …). Using a suitable HAL module, various components can be controlled via various buses (PCI, USB, Ethernet, EtherCAT, Modbus RTU/TCP, Parallel port, …)

The LinuxCNC developers may be coming up with drivers for new hardware or other new features in the GUI and anything in between a mouse click and a motor turning. For testing, monitoring or possibly also the communication between multiple machines, also a text-based interface to LinuxCNC is available. Since LinuxCNC is an Open-source project, you can modify it in any way you like, provided you meet the very benevolent license conditions. You can create these modifications for the official LinuxCNC community, or for your own needs. Both paths have their advantages and disadvantages. If you offer your modification or improvement to the official developers, if they are interested, they can help you improve it even more and you will receive feedback. If you keep your modification to yourself, you do not have to worry about whether it will interest the official developers, but it may be a problem in the future if someone unfamiliar with these modifications were to maintain the machine you built (modifications, updates, fixes, …). Of course, the developers modify all the code that is part of LinuxCNC, but the diagram only shows the links for which the developer’s skills are necessary (C, C++, Python, Bash, GTK, Glade, QT, Linux OS, GitHub, PC hardware, …)

Wizards are standalone programs that LinuxCNC and external groups are providing. They can work without other LinuxCNC components. The main output of Wizards are configuration files (*.ini, *.hal and others). Therefore, it is possible to do your first machine setup using the Wizard and only later, after a deeper study of the LCNC configuration, can you edit the files generated by the Wizard.