Welcome to LinuxCNC.org

ClassicLadder will also run on embedded platforms (Arduino, etc.) which could be an alternative if you wish to eliminate the PC from the equation: http://sites.google.com/site/classicladder/

Now that would make a tiny PLC for sure.

John

Hello! Original Poster here; just unifying some accounts.

I like the sound of PLC, this particular system type has been recommended to me in another forum where I have posted a topic about a new machine build if you'd like to see it:

www.cnczone.com/forums/general_electroni...ion_aventure_uk.html

I'm glad to hear that two of you specialise in industrial automation, as it is becoming clear that is the nub of what I'm trying to do.
I hope my absence hasn't caused you to lose interest in my project!

I'm starting to learn that the stepper control may be the simplest part, as you have said Wizard. If you read the other thread, you may get some insight into my application.

To Marzetti: That's good to know, but I hope to run the control PC remotely, so that I can check performance and perhaps take video feeds as well.
Does the Ubuntu version LinuxCNC is on support virtual network computing? And does ClassicLadder have the ability to write logs to files and respond to sensor events?

Thanks for all the help so far chaps, I can't believe how I was stumbling around in the dark before I came here asking for guidance!

Let me see now Zookes your first post is strange and parts of it make no sense and hijacks another persons thread... Your not Elvis in disguise are you?

Pondering if your a spammer or not...

John

Oh? Which bits don't make sense?

I'd log into Smecky just to make things easier, but since I changed the email address I haven't been able to log in.

As to the Elvis comment; I am Elvis, I've been trying to figure out industrial automation this whole time!

Edit: Maybe the mod could see I was the same bloke and just deleted Smecky?

Now you make sense if you used to be Smecky... but how can you be Smecky and Elvis at the same time?

I looked and don't see a user named Smecky in the DB. Could be the reason why you can't log in as Smecky.

Only now does the first line of your post make sense to me...

John

Oh my, what a kerfuffle, I'm so sorry; it's just I made Smecky in a bit of a rush before I decided I was tired of being the man with a thousand logins.

No problem, just glad your not a spammer

John

You and me both! What a wretched existence that must be.

Zookes wrote:Or confusing the natives.I don't have time today to read in depth. However it does sound like an Automation task. Do realize there are numerous ways you can go about automating a device. You don't even need to use electricity if you can get into pnuematic logic. No one way is perfect or the absolute best.

Many of us are likely reccomending PLC type control because it seems like good fit for this project, even if the project hadn't been well detailed. It may be advisable to go the commercial PLC route, depending upon you experience and local support. There are many players in the commercial PLC arena, with Allen Bradley, Omron, Automation Direct and others being common brands. An advantage to local vendors of commercial goods is training and networking. Pulling off this project might be easier with professional help.Without more detail I'm pretty much convinced this is an automation project. However I'm not so certain that LinuxCNC and Classic Ladder are the way to go for a beginner.

As to your project, I'm so busy I just sit down to comment when I can do nothing more constructive.Actually I've gotten no insight at all. I have no idea what you are trying to do and have tried to fill in with best guesses. For example Stepper motor control can be extremely simple or vary involved depending upon your needs. Your needs may also imply that no motors are required at all. The KISS principal often applies in automationOne thing to suggest here, logging can be extremely useful in automation systems. Simple logging can be done via the PLC, given a fairly modern implementation, but if you need finer more verbose logging often a different approach can be useful. That is a control system programmed either in a scripting environment like Python or in a more hard core programming language like C++. Just make sure log data is saved in human readable files.

Having worked on a few machines and instruments that have had excellent diagnostics and logging capabilities and many that haven't had such attention I can say the few are far preferred. Disk space is cheap these days typos not so much.
You still have a ways to go.