For once--for once--we had a chance to break away from the lowest pit of IT hell: printing.
We could have done something beautiful, we could've made the world a better place--and yet, I fear that Microsoft is now just going to extend the failures of 2D printing into the third dimension, quite literally piling on layers of sadness.
The first implementation of high level numerical control programming language was developed at the MIT Servomechanisms Laboratory in the late 1950s. The main standardized version used in the United States was settled by the Electronic Industries Alliance in the early 1960s. During the 1970s through 1990s, many CNC machine tool builders attempted to overcome compatibility difficulties by standardizing on machine tool controllers built by Fanuc. Siemens was another market dominator in CNC controls, especially in Europe.
Numerical control (NC) is the automation of machine tools that are operated by abstractly programmed commands encoded on a storage medium, as opposed to controlled manually via handwheels or levers, or mechanically automated via cams alone. Most NC today is computer numerical control (CNC), in which computers play an integral part of the control. G-code is the common name for the most widely used numerical control (NC) programming language. There are other codes (Letter addresses which span the entire alphabet); the type codes can be thought of like registers in a computer. Some letter addresses are used only in milling or only in turning; most are used in both. Bold below are the letters seen most frequently throughout a program.
A Absolute or incremental position of A axis (rotational axis around X axis)
B Absolute or incremental position of B axis (rotational axis around Y axis)
C Absolute or incremental position of C axis (rotational axis around Z axis)
D Defines diameter or radial offset used for cutter compensation. D is used for depth of cut on lathes.
E Precision feedrate for threading on lathes
F Defines feed rate
G Address for preparatory commands
H Defines tool length offset; Incremental axis corresponding to C axis (e.g., on a turn-mill)
I Defines arc center in X axis for G02 or G03 arc commands. Also used as a parameter within some fixed cycles.
J Defines arc center in Y axis for G02 or G03 arc commands. Also used as a parameter within some fixed cycles.
K Defines arc center in Z axis for G02 or G03 arc commands. Also used as a parameter within some fixed cycles, equal to L address.
L Fixed cycle loop count; Specification of what register to edit using G10
M Miscellaneous function
N Line (block) number in program; System parameter number to be changed using G10
O Program name
P Serves as parameter address for various G and M codes
Q Peck increment in canned cycles
R Defines size of arc radius, or defines retract height in milling canned cycles
S Defines speed, either spindle speed or surface speed depending on mode
T Tool selection
U Incremental axis corresponding to X axis (typically only lathe group A controls) Also defines dwell time on some machines (instead of "P" or "X").
V Incremental axis corresponding to Y axis
W Incremental axis corresponding to Z axis (typically only lathe group A controls)
X Absolute or incremental position of X axis. Also defines dwell time on some machines (instead of "P" or "U").
Y Absolute or incremental position of Y axis
Z Absolute or incremental position of Z axis
N10 G00 Z0.25000
N20 G00 X0.00000 Y0.29975
N30 G01 Z-0.50000 F2.00
N40 G01 X0.00000 Y1.03725 F5.00
N50 G02 X1.12000 Y1.03725 I0.56000 J-0.37323
N60 G01 X1.12000 Y0.29975
N70 G02 X0.00000 Y0.29975 I-0.56000 J0.37323
N80 G00 Z0.25000
N90 G00 X0.00000 Y0.00000
N100 G00 X1.5200 Y0.29975
N110 G01 Z-0.50000 F2.00
N120 G01 X1.5200 Y1.03725 F5.00
N130 G02 X2.64000 Y1.03725 I0.56000 J-0.37323
N140 G01 X2.64000 Y0.29975
N150 G02 X1.5200 Y0.29975 I-0.56000 J0.37323
N160 G00 Z0.25000
N170 G00 X1.32000 Y0.668625
N180 G01 Z-0.50000 F2.00
N190 G00 Z0.25000
N200 G00 X0.00000 Y0.00000
The N field is a line number and is disregarded
The G field describes the motion type. G00 is a rapid line. G01 is a feedrate line. G02 and G03 are arcs, one CW, the other CCW.
The X, Y, and Z fields describe geometry
The F field is the feedrate, or the tool's speed
It describes things like movements of a tool on linear or rotational axis, cutting tool rotational speed, operation of auxiliary equipment (heater on/off), etc.
In general terms, a cnc system must convert high level instructions, like G-code, in to voltage pulses that are fed to either stepper or servo motors.
Some of these calculations are performed on the PC, others are performed on the dedicated hardware. Do steps 1, 2, and 3, send step 3's result over usb to the controller, then perform steps 4 through 10.
Not everyone agrees where to place that barrier.
In the case of GRBL, which is the firmware that runs most of these hobbyist level 3D printers, the entire process happens on an 8 bit microcontroller, from G-code to steps.
Other cnc systems perform almost all of the calculations on the PC, and sends a representation of the timing information to the controller.
Still other systems decode the G-code into vectors and other intermediate representations, and let the controller do most of the heavy lifting.
Some systems transmit their data over USB, a standard ill equipped for industrial environments or cable lengths more than about 10ft. Others use ethernet. I'm sure there are others that use RS-485, or even proprietary protocols.
Is Microsoft accounting for any of these variations, or are they going to standardize everyone to whats popular today, which is usb and 8 bit microcontrollers that can't even create 50,000 steps per second?
If this were the case, how would the clock/time on the OS work?
I'm a bit conflicted. On the one hand, G-code is very compatible with the open source ethos, but on the other it's a very old standard that was originally intended for plotters. I'd love to see something better replace it that can say, use bezier curves.
What sort of startup?
(Solidworks basically)
There are translators (e.g. SolidWorks -> STEP, SolidWorks -> STL) that run on Linux, but the better ones, and the ones that support the proprietary formats (SolidWorks, CATIA, etc.) all cost money and couldn't be included in a Linux distro's software repository.
So even if Linux supported 3D printing out of the box, it wouldn't be as useful as if Windows did, IMO.
/I kid, they won't be real-time reports... Just batches.
