README

These sim configurations demonstrate use of an XHC-HB04 wireless MPG pendant in LinuxCNC using a HAL module created by Frederic Rible (frible@teaser.fr) (Copyright (C) 2013).  Ref:

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Using_A_XHC-HB04_Wireless_MPG_Pendant

The HAL module is designed for the XHC-HB04 V3.0 identified as USB device 10CE:EB70.
Most of the pendant features are handled:
- buttons converted to hal pins
- jog wheel with variable scale (use stepsize-up or stepsize-down pin to change in sequence)
- sequences provided include:
     (0.001,0.010,0.100,1.000)  typ for mm-base machine
     (0.001,0.005,0.010,0.020)  typ for inch-base machine
- LCD screen displays machine and relative positions

Sim configurations are provided for two known button configurations:

layout1 -- 16 buttons
layout2 -- 18 buttons (more common)

The button names are defined in the files LIB:xhc-hb04-layout*.cfg in a stanza labeled XHC-HB04 with definitions as BUTTON=XX:name where XX is a hexadecimal code used by the device.

Example:
   [XHC-HB04]
   BUTTON=01:button-stop
   BUTTON=03:button-rewind
   ...

A hal pin (Type=bit, Dir=OUT) is created for each button, for example:
   xhc-hb04.button-stop
   xhc-hb04.button-rewind
   ...

If the configuration file includes buttons named:
  button-zero
  button-goto-zero
  button-half
then the driver creates additional buttons for these that are active only if the joint is selected by the rotary switch.  These synthesized buttons are:
  button-zero-x
  button-zero-y
  button-zero-z
  button-zero-a
  button-goto-zero-x
  button-goto-zero-y
  button-goto-zero-z
  button-goto-zero-a
  button-half-x
  button-half-y
  button-half-z
  button-half-a
As with real buttons, the synthesized buttons have hal pins named:
  xhc-hb04.button-zero-x
  xhc-hb04.button-zero-y
  etc.


Additional hal pins are created by the xhc-hb04 driver and connected as required by the halfile included for the demo configurations.

A working and connected xhc-hb04 device is required for the demonstration configurations.  If not connected, the sim configs will start without pendant functionality.

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A udev rules file is needed to give correct permissions for USB access.  With a deb install, the rules file is installed as /lib/udev/rules.d/99-xhc.rules

If using a Run-In-Place (RIP) build, create a file in the location for user-installed rules: /etc/udev/rules.d/99-xhc.rules and include a rule to specify the applicable product and vendor codes and allows both read and write access to the user.

Example udev rule:
ATTR{idProduct}=="eb70", ATTR{idVendor}=="10ce", MODE="0666", OWNER="root", GROUP="plugdev"

This rule uses mode 0666 to provide read and write access to owner,group,world -- e.g., everyone.

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The sim configurations use a single halfile: LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl.  This halfile uses a custom comp file (xhc_hb04_util.comp) and can be added to existing configurations by adding an ini file entry for:
  [HAL]HALFILE = LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl

This HALFILE entry should follow other HALFILE entries.

Optional configuration ini file items and the defaults values are:

[XHC_HB04_CONFIG]
threadname = servo-thread (optional, default: servo-thread)
layout     = 2            (optional, 1: 16 buttons | 2: 18 buttons, default: 2)
coords     = x y z a      (optional, 4 max, default: x y z a)
coefs      = 1 1 1 1      (optional, filter coefs 0 < coef < 1, default: 1 1 1 1)
mpg_accels = 1 2 2 200    (optional: reduced accelerations for jogging)
                          (in machine_units/sec/sec like:)
                          ( [AXIS_L]MAX_ACCELERATION,[JOINT_n]MAX_ACCELERATION)
scales     = 1 1 1 1      (optional, plus/minus factors, default: 1 1 1 1)
require_pendant = yes     (optional, yes | no, default: yes)
inch_or_mm = in           (optional, in | mm for display icon, default: mm)
jogmode    = normal       (optional, normal | vnormal default: normal)
sequence   = 1            (optional, 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5, default: 1)
                           1: 0.001,0.010,0.100,1.000 (typ for mm machine)
                           2: 0.001,0.005,0.010,0.020 (typ for inch machine)
                           3: 0.001,0.010,0.100
                           4: 0.001,0.005,0.010,0.020,0.050,0.100
                           5: 0.001,0.010,0.050,0.100,1.000

The filter coefs can be used to slow the response to wheel steps but are usually not needed since the xhc-hb04 component implements smoothing.

The movement per wheel increment is normally controlled by connecting the STEP button to the hal pin xhc-hb04.stepsize-up (or xhc-hb04.stepsize-down). Each press of the STEP button will cause the wheel increment to increase according to the sequence specified.  The sequence starts over after the maximum value is reached.

The scale factor for each joint can be set with the scales item.

When require_pendant = no, the xhc-hb04 hal pins will be created even if the pendant is not connected at startup.  A new connection, a disconnect, and a reconnect are supported.
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jogmodes:
  normal: position mode, the joint will move exactly regardless of how long it takes.  Beware: the machine may keep moving after you stop rotating the jog wheel.

  vnormal: velocity mode, the joint will stop when the wheel stops.  Beware: the amount moved per wheel detent may be less than specified if the machine velocity and acceleration cannot accomplish the move in time.

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sequence: Typically use 1 for mm-based machine, 2 for inch-based machine

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Pendant buttons are connected to hal pins with ini file items.
Examples:
[XHC_HB04_BUTTONS]
stop        = halui.program.stop
goto-zero   = halui.mdi-command-00
step        = xhc-hb04.stepsize-up
rewind      = halui.program.step
macro-1     = halui.mdi-command-01
mode        = ""  (placeholder)

With the above items, connections are made as:
  Signal_name       Source pin                   Destination pin
  ----------------- ---------------------------- ------------------------
  pendant:stop      <== xhc-hb04.button-stop      ==> halui.program.stop
  pendant:goto-zero <== xhc-hb04.button-goto-zero ==> halui.mdi-command-00
  pendant:step      <== xhc-hb04.button-step      ==> xhc-hb04.stepsize-up
  etc ...


Note: halui MDI commands are defined in a [HALUI] stanza:
[HALUI]
MDI_COMMAND = G0 X0 Y0 Z0
MDI_COMMAND = M101

The commands are assigned to pins (Type=bit, Dir=IN) named halui.mdi-command-nn where
nn corresponds to their ordered appearance beginning with nn=00.  (man halui for more information)
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A application named monitor-xhc-hb04 is included to monitor disconnects and reconnects of the pendant.  This script runs in the background and will pop up a message when the pendant is disconnected or reconnected.  Usage is optional; if used it is specified with ini file entry:
  [APPLICATIONS]APP = monitor-xhc-hb04

(Note: when using require_pendant=1, disconnects are detected but reconnects are not supported)
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See the manpage for xhc-hb04 for details on the xhc-hb04 component
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The demo ini files are examples using the axis gui in a simulator configuration.
These files use #INCLUDE directives to include files for the basic machine
and for the pendant layout.

For example, the organization for the xhc-hb04-layout2.ini file is:

   #INCLUDE inch_base.inc     | Conventional items for an inch based sim
   #INCLUDE layout2.inc       | All button items ([XHC_HB04_BUTTONS],[HALUI])

   [EMC]                      | Machine identifier
   MACHINE =                  |

   [HAL]                      | HAL items
   HALFILE =                  |
   ...                        |
   HALFILE =                  |
   HALFILE = LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl | xhc-hb04 configuration script
   HALUI   = halui            | Halui specifier

   [XHC_HB04_CONFIG]          | All config items used by LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl
   layout =                   |
   coords =                   |
   coefs =                    |
   scales =                   |
   jogmode =                  |
   sequence =                 |
   require_pendant =          |
   inch_or_mm =               |
   mpg_accels =               |

   [APPLICATIONS]             | Optional auxiliary scripts
   APP = monitor-xhc-hb04     | Connection monitor script

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Adding an xhc-hb04 to an existing configuration.

Recommended procedure is to create a new configuration based on an existing configuration.

  Copy all files from an existing (working) configuration directory
  to a new directory and edit the configuration ini file to:
    a) add [HAL]HALFILE = LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl
       (this entry should follow other HALFILE entries)
    b) (optional) add [APPLICATIONS]APP = monitor-xhc-hb04
       to monitor disconnects/connects of pendant
    c) add stanza [XHC_HB04_CONFIG] to configure pendant
    d) include stanzas [XHC_HB04_BUTTONS] and [HALUI] to
       define button actions (these may be in a separate
       #INCLUDE file -- see the demo examples)

   The entries in the new or updated stanzas should be customized for your machine.

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Note: For identity kinematics (trivkins), the LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl script connects
axis and joint pins having a one-to-one correspondence to support jogging
in both joint and teleop motion modes.

For unknown kinematics (e.g., non-identity kinematics), the LIB:xhc-hb04
script connects the axis coordinate specified by:
   [XHC_HB04_CONFIG]coords=
for world mode (teleop) jogging.  No connections are made for joint
mode jogging of individual joints.

If wheel jogging for joints in joint motion mode is wanted for configs with
non-identity kinematics, use additional Hal connections to connect the
appropriate joint jog pins.

Example: non-identity kinematics having a rotary axis (c) that has a
one-to-one correspondence to a single joint (3).  The LIB:xhc-hb04.tcl
script makes Hal connections for axis c as:

                  pendant:jog-c <= xhc-hb04.jog.enable-a
                                => axis.c.jog-enable
              pendant:jog-scale <= pendant_util.divide-by-k-out
                                => axis.c.jog-scale
pendant:wheel-counts-c-filtered <= pendant_util.out3
                                => axis.c.jog-counts

To add joint jogging for joint 3 (with scaling identical to world scaling),
add supplemental hal commands:

net                   pendant:jog-c => joint.3.jog-enable
net               pendant:jog-scale => joint.3.jog-scale
net pendant:wheel-counts-c-filtered => joint.3.jog-counts

These connections could be added in an additional [HAL]HALFILE= or
by using [HAL]HALCMD= lines in the ini file

Similar connections could be made for other joints having a one-to-one
correspondence to an axis coordinate.

For joints having no direct correspondence to an axis coordinate, joint jog pin
connections can be made as in the example above but altered connections may be
required for proper scaling.  Make the joint jog pin connections using an axis
coord letter for a position of the pendant rotary axis selector switch.  The
joint jogging will occur for that switch position when LinuxCNC is in joint
motion mode.

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Notes:

 1) In earlier versions of xhc-hb04.tcl, mpg_accels used a helper
    script (xhc-hb04-accels) to multiplex reduced accel values during
    world mode jogging.
    The current implementation uses pins now provided by the motion
    module:
         axis.L.jog-accel-fraction
         joint.N.jog-accel-fraction

 2) Support for spindle override is supported using the
    halui pins: halui.spindle.0.override.* as applicable to
    default single spindle usage.