FABMO Status

[tlempicke]

The Oriental Motors are getting to be old technology. Newer motors that provide a whole lot more OOmph in the same size package make the machine faster and more accurate. If you look at the pix that I posted earlier you will be able to see my new Clearpath motors. Those little guys can provide up to one horsepower in short bursts. They are completely computer controlled, have internal computers in each motor and I have them set up for 3200 pulses per revolution versus the 800 pulses that is baked in to the old ones. Not as important, but kind of nice, is that they are also silent in operation.
The Acorn operation program and interface is another nifty thing. I now have a touch screen and far more flexibility than I ever had with the Shopbot control setup. The picture I am attaching shows the interface on my 27 inch touch screen. NO ONE needs glasses to read this thing!

[ken_rychlik]

The "lost comm" screen drove me to another brand long ago, but I still wish shopbot the best. I wonder if something like this would work? It would need to work backwards. Use the ethernet output on the pc and plug into the usb port on the bot controller. Anyone ever tried? https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insigni...?skuId=3510527

[bill_l]

Which Clearpath motors did you purchase?

[Chuck Keysor]

Thank you Tom for the added information on the value of the new motors.

As a budgetary estimate, about what does it cost to do the full Acorn upgrade if all the parts (control board, motors, power supply and misc) are purchased individually? And how much programming is involved? (I like putting electronics together, and have lots of experience doing that. But I never got into programming, even back in college I didn't like it, and over the years I took some computer classes at my community college, and just don't like it.......)

Does Aspire have a post processor made up for running an Acorn, or is custom programming required?

Thank you for your added input, Chuck

[srwtlc]

Chuck, all the info you're looking for as to purchasing a replacement system is here... http://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopi...=2147&start=10

If you are wanting to go the DIY route, there's plenty of information and documentation to be found on the forum and at the main site... https://www.centroidcnc.com/ There are many videos for installation and setup guidance as well.

As far as programming, none is needed unless you want to do some specialized things with macros (Many are built in and easily modified for personal use). The G-code feature set is extensive and you can do so many things with so much less effort. Vectric products include a post specifically for Centroid and it can also be easily modified to your liking or someone can fix you up with one.

[tomhartnett]

It is not often that I am able to check in to this forum. I was alerted to this thread earlier and wanted to clear up some misinformation.

As I've mentioned on this forum before, the "Comm error" issue with the SB3 control has a known resolution, the PC needs to be set up correctly. I've made many documentation references on how to do it including a step-by-step video series.

On top of this, we are selling a pre-set up laptop to control the tools if unable to get your PC set up in the correct fashion. I've already provided about 15 of these to customers in the world and we are using 3 in-house with zero reported issues after about 2 months of testing. Prior to this, we were selling a pre-set up mini-PC that also has had no reported issues aside from a faulty power adapter here and there.


There are two people working essentially full time on FabMo, as well as running it on most all of the machines we use in house and use at our shows. I am not however intimately involved with the development so I cannot speak to a date, but it is always possible to reach out to us for Beta testing.

Link to PC setup playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgsEVSRpJqM

[ron_moorehead]

I have been running a custom built PC with window XP for 3 years with no comm problems with my PRS Alpha, knock on wood, it is a production machine running about 5 hours a day per week. We are selling the company and I would like to get a smaller machine for personal use.

Does the new Desktops come with FabMo or are they still using the old control card?

[tomhartnett]

The Desktops are being sold with SB3 (old card) currently. It is the tool that FabMo will first be released on however and retrofitting an older DT with FabMo should also be a straightforward operation.

[JimmyD]

There are two people working essentially full time on FabMo, as well as running it on most all of the machines we use in house and use at our shows. I am not however intimately involved with the development so I cannot speak to a date, but it is always possible to reach out to us for Beta testing.

Tom,
I am intrigued by the representatives of shopbot continual lack of making any kind of commitment on the schedule for FABMO to be completed.

I am an engineer and have been volved in and led numerous high-tech developments for decades. These have always had a schedule because resources, people, money, etc. have to be allocated between competing needs. There had to be a planned completion date so that the resources and people could be used on other projects AND so that potential customers could be told when the product they wanted would be available.

I want to purchase a functional, fully tested, warrantied solution for communicating with my shopbot. I want to know when this item would be available and what the cost will be so that I can determine whether I should wait or go another route, such as Acorn or others.

If shopbot is, in fact, developing FABMO without a schedule, then I would suggest that it is not a serious effort, but one that happens whenever resources are idle and need something to do.

As you wrote, you are not involved with FABMO, so can you get someone who is involved and has the authority to speak, to give me the information I need?

Pretty simple request.

[tomhartnett]

The development of FabMo was delayed primarily by the discontinuation of the Intel Edison, FabMo was ready for release when the Edison was scrapped by Intel. This set development of the controller back by quite some time.

FabMo is essentially ready to deploy today, but we are in the process of adjusting and coming up with a release date due to this hardware issue. As mentioned, it is being run on most all of the machines we use in house and use at our shows. However, more features and overall ease of use are being worked on before deployment. If someone had to guess, it would be a month from now, but I'd prefer not to guess on a release date and have it come out when appropriate.