Beta release: emc 2.3.0beta2

I'm pleased to announce the second beta release of the emc 2.3, emc 2.3.0beta2.

The new packages are now available for Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron".

This is a beta release, and should not be installed on production systems.

For more information and installation/upgrade instructions, please see http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?UpdatingTo2.3

CVS users can get this release by checking out the RELEASE_2_3_0_BETA2 tag (or follow development on v2_3_branch). Source tarballs are available from the package repository:
http://linuxcnc.org/hardy/dists/hardy/emc2.3/source

Many thanks to all the developers who have been working over the course of many months to deliver the new features in this release.

Changes since emc 2.2.8 (includes changes in beta1 and beta2):

• install sample configurations to /usr/share/doc/emc2/examples/sample-configs
• fix halui - MDI number limited to 10 (SF#2607450)
• halvcp has been removed, use pyvcp instead
• change motion.* and axis.* HAL parameters to pins
• M62/M63 P<xx> now work as intended
• add M61 Qxx - allows to change the number of the currently loaded tool
• add driver to control Automation Direct GS2 VFDs via serial MODBUS
• fix G33 moves without feedrate (SF#2011311)
• minor improvements for teach-in.py
• G38.x extensions allow for smart & fast probing
• probe protection: abort homing or jogging if the probe trips
• (debug,...) (print,...) comments for debugging gcode
• (logopen), (log), (logclose) for flexible logging of probed points and probably lots of other uses
• PID component's parameters changed to pins, for tuning with a panel
• M66 now reads analog inputs as well
• new simulated machines: 5 axis machines of various configurations
• new sample kinematics modules for several 5 axis machine configurations
• allow colors in vismach
• G73 drill cycle, like G83 but with short chip breaking motion instead of full retraction
• new O words: repeat/endrepeat for repeating some lines a specified number of times
• added drivers for Mesa Electronics' HostMot2 firmware on the 5i20 and 7i43 boards
• added a driver for Mesa Electronics' 7i43 FPGA I/O board
• AXIS: ability to zero G92 offset from the menu
• G28.1, G30.1 set the corresponding reference point to the current position
• increase the maximum number of axes (8) and buttons (32) in hal_joystick
• keystick: retry if emcsvr is not ready yet
• AXIS: fix very small tool display when the radius was very small
• user-configurable number of digital/analog I/O at insmod time
• semicolon now denotes a comment in gcode. the rest of the line after the semicolon is the comment. no closing character is needed.
• rising and falling edge detection in M66
• tool length can be along the W axis instead of Z. This is especially useful for 5-axis machines and XYZW machines (moving quill and table)
• update Classic Ladder to version 7.124
• new ability to unhome a joint
• named "O" words
• permit calling subroutines from MDI
• fix "sample every Nth time" function of halscope
• put RS274NGC_STARTUP_CODE in [RS274NGC]
• build against hardy package
• new HOME_FINAL_VEL setting can be used to slow down the last homing rapid
• eliminate requirement for unnecessary endpoint respecification for full circles (G2/G3 with only I/J/K words will give full circles)
• index-only homing for machines with no home switches
• new "mux8" eight-way multiplexor component
• halui now supports all nine axes

  
  
  

• python 2.5 compatibility changes
• new "toggle2nist" component for some pendant button configurations
• tkemc: allow user command file for customization
• extend the "naive cam detector" to handle tiny arcs too
• AXIS: allow display of rapids to be disabled
• UV/VW/WU (G17.1, G18.1, G19.1) plane canned cycles
• AXIS: configurable preview of gcode for multiaxis/rotational machines
• AXIS: honor Block Delete in the preview
• added 'vismach' directory to sample configs, with max5 configuration
• vismach improvements: trianglar plate and triangle mesh primitives, and ability to view model from all angles
• vismach improvement: allow loading of stl models
• added interpolated position to software encoder counter - allows threading with low ppr spindle encoder
• HALUI: new relative position pins show position with active offsets
• new realtime component: gearchange. selects between two scale factors, two min and max speed limits, and optionally reverses direction of spindle
• new realtime component: invert - outputs the inverse of a float (1/x)
• pyvcp: add rectangular LED widgets
• pyvcp: timer widget for things like timing a program run
• vismach; new arc primitive
• new driver for OPTO22 PCI AC5 adapter card
• AXIS: display error messages on the main screen instead of a popup
• PID saturation detector output pins for fault/runaway protection
• halscope: add a menubar for load/save configurations, logging, help
• honor [TRAJ]'s ACCELERATION settings when jogging/homing
• pyvcp: fix bug that required you to hold down buttons for them to work
• AXIS: configurable minimum jog speed value
• tkemc: separate sliders for linear/angular joints
• allow FPR/G95 canned cycles
• AXIS: optional large DRO font
• AXIS: new Polish translation
• new distance-to-go and current-velocity HAL pins
• AXIS: the jog increment now does not wrap with repeated 'i' keypress; using 'i' and 'I' prevents disaster when you press one too many times.
• FPR/G95 now works with the spindle going either direction
• AXIS: right clicking in the gcode window lets you "run from here"
• several new tool change configuration options: TOOL_CHANGE_WITH_SPINDLE_ON, TOOL_CHANGE_QUILL_UP, TOOL_CHANGE_AT_G30
• allow UVW to be specified in the TOOL_CHANGE_POSITION
• improve motion synchronization at the beginning of a threading pass.
• AXIS: continue to show the line where the program was aborted, in order to make it easier to know where to restart.
• allow setting of spindle, coolant, tool, tool length to persist across mode switches, to allow the user to set up the machine properly for a program restart.
• AXIS: do not display initial rapid moves after a tool change or tool length offset change. These were not useful to see and made the preview and extents display less useful.
• disallow MDI commands and program execution on an unhomed machine by default. The old behavior is still available with an INI change.
• improve the "move on line N would exceed limits" messages by telling which limit would be exceeded
• G10 L1 commands to set tool offsets, radius, orientation
• AXIS: "touch off" can now also set offsets in the tool table
• converted many parameters to pins for added flexibility. this does not require any configuration changes because setp works on both.
• new motion.spindle-at-speed pin can be used to cause motion to wait for the spindle to reach a newly-programmed speed at the beginning of feed moves.
• new component "near" which tells whether two values are roughly equal as determined by configurable parameters
• make hal_float a double precision type
• "maximum velocity" that can be changed during a run. This will slow down rapids and cap feed rates (except spindle synchronized motion) for dry runs. Currently only AXIS and halui allow you to set it.
• the Mesa firmware images are now in their own deb package, since they are large and many users don't need them
• several fixes and updates to the STG1 and STG2 drivers, including encoder index support for STG2
• G90.1/G91.1 let you select relative or absolute arc centers
• the save button in classicladder now works
• AXIS: recently-opened files are remembered and available through the File menu
• AXIS: replace the preview window with a tab set that lets the user select the original view or a huge DRO view
• "halcmd alias" lets you give pins alias names
• new cutter compensation algorithm handles inside sharp corners and does not require complicated entry moves
• new count-enable pins in halui allow the use of a MPG for more than one function
• new sample configurations for Sherline 3 and 4 axis mills and lathe
• lathe diameter mode (select with G7; radius mode G8)
• AXIS: block delete and optional stop buttons/indicators on the toolbar
• AXIS: save block delete and optional stop settings across runs
• fix g41/g42 in lathe mode. previously, right/left were swapped.
• fix deviation from commanded velocity due to differences between requested and actual servo-thread period (SF#2478266)
• maintain G92 setting, if any, across gcode runs and EMC restarts
• AXIS: allow the filename ~/.axisrc to be overridden by inifile [DISPLAY]USER_COMMAND_FILE
• AXIS: per-axis DTG readout
• tweak firmware package building: not on sim, arch "all".
• rename sim's emc2-dev to emc2-sim-dev
• documentation improvements
• french translation improvements
• romanian translation improvements
• stepconf: fix limit signals
• stepconf: fix possible following errors on sherline systems (when the 'step length' setting is long)
• stepconf: fix import of emc2.2 stepconf files
• stepconf: fix finding certain files included in the sample configurations directories
• pickconfig: no longer display /etc/emc2/sample-configs as this directory is no longer used for that purpose
• halscope: fix crashing bug
• hostmot2: use same behavior as software stepgen for controlling velocity and acceleration
• freqgen: fix loadrt error for certain step types
• freqgen: note that it is deprecated (use stepgen ctrl_type=v
• smartprobe.ngc: write to a "ngc" file since the output is in the form of an ngc program
• halui: increase the maximum number of mdi commands specified
• configs: new sample config "cooltool"
• configs: remove OUTPUT_SCALE (unused item) from sherline sample configs
• application menu: new entries for "latency test" and "getting started guide"
• mdi: make it possible to use cutter comp in mdi