I’ve finally been able to make a little time to work on my CNC mill/router project.
I have a dedicated controller PC built from three old PCs. Older desktops are best as they don’t have all the power saving features that interfere with real-time processing and control. It runs Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS from LinuxCNC.org. The OS comes as a live CD that you can try out to make sure it will work with your hardware before you commit to installing it. It installs a basic system that has everything you need to run a CNC machine with EMC2 (control software). It’s also free, which is pretty great!
The controller hardware and motors are from Xylotex. I have a 3-axs controller and 425 oz. motors. I tested the software and hardware out today. Below are the results:
The next step is to build the actual mill table. This will probably wait until warmer weather arrives.
