G83 to grbl Conversion

[deltatango]

This weekend I needed to peck drill several holes with my Xcarve. Since grbl cannot interpret G83 peck instructions I wrote a quick script that converts the G83 to grlbl accepted commands. I successfully used it with my Xcarve to drill >50 0.09" holes into 5/8 Aluminum. I've placed it on github https://github.com/deltatango2/G83_to_grbl_Peck_Drill_Converter, please pass along any comments or suggestions.

I suggest using something like OpenSCAM to simulate your code before trying it on your machine. 

I plan to add this as a post processing step to my CamBam output so it's all taken care of automatically.  I hope it helps other CamBam + grbl users.

[lloydsp]

DT,
Around here, when WE write something useful to other users, we post it here, rather than on some outside site.  And when we add it into a post-processor or post-build processor, we also post that here.

Thanks,
LLoyd

[deltatango]

Lloyd,  thanks for the info.  I'm used to github being a defacto code repo so I posted there first.  Happy to add code as seen below.  I didn't see a method to upload file, so I'm not sure what the preferred method for code sharing is. Its short so I hope a direct paste is OK.

The python script is below. It uses tkinter to provide a gui for file selection.  If Tkinter isn't available hardcode the path to the NC you want to convert into the variable "file_path" and comment out all code above.

Code: [Select]

"""
Created on Sun Nov 13 12:54:25 2016

@author: DTalaiver

This script converts G83 instructions to grbl accepted G-code.
"""

#drill parser

import Tkinter as tk
import tkFileDialog

root = tk.Tk()
root.withdraw()
root.deiconify()
root.lift()
root.focus_force()
root.withdraw()
file_path = tkFileDialog.askopenfilename(parent=root)

outfile = open(file_path[:-3]+'4grbl.nc', 'w')
retractFeed = 'F20'
clearHeight = '0.25'
with open(file_path) as f:
    for line in f:
        content = line
        elements = content.split(" ")
        if elements[0] != "G83": #if its not G83 just pass it out
            outfile.write(content)
        else:
            #extract elements from command
            for q in range(0,len(elements)):
                if "X" in elements[q]:
                    xCmd = elements[q]
                elif "Y" in elements[q]:
                    yCmd = elements[q]
                elif "Z" in elements[q]:
                    bottom = float(elements[q][1:])
                elif "Q" in elements[q]:
                    increment = float(elements[q][1:])
                elif "R" in elements[q]:
                    retract = (elements[q][1:])
                elif "F" in elements[q]:
                    plunge = elements[q]
            #begin pecking
            #go to position
            outfile.write('G0'+xCmd+yCmd+"\n")
            curDepth=0
            outfile.write('G0Z0'+"\n")
            while (curDepth>bottom):
                curDepth=curDepth-increment
                if curDepth<=bottom:
                    curDepth=bottom
                #plunge
                outfile.write('G1'+'Z'+str(curDepth)+plunge)
                #retract
                outfile.write('G1'+'Z'+retract+retractFeed+"\n")
            #pecking done
            outfile.write('G0Z'+clearHeight+"\n")
          
                
        


outfile.close()

[EddyCurrent]

 I didn't see a method to upload file, so I'm not sure what the preferred method for code sharing is. Its short so I hope a direct paste is OK.

That's fine for something short, use Zip files for anything larger, attach as shown in picture.

[lloydsp]

DT,
When you get ready to "fully integrate" that, we'll guide you through implementing it as a post-build process (if you haven't already figured that out).

That way, the conversion will be entirely automatic, and transparent to the operator.

LLoyd