KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
I want to put a computer at every main machine, starting with the CNC machines, in our new shop. It's a lot easier to edit code on a regular computer with a conventional keyboard instread of using the CNC machine console. I also want to make sure that an operator can be tied into the WiFi network so they can access drawings and other data about the job they are running. Right now I can't afford $400 each for a bunch of laptops and quite honestly I don't want the bulk and hassle of having a full computer when 90% of the time all that is needed is a video display. With a touchscreen monitor and the proper software you don't even need a keyboard or mouse.
When I saw my son (a coder and project manager for a business software firm) at Thanksgiving and told him what I wanted to accomplish he told me to "buy a Raspberry Pi and set it up. Tape it to the back of your monitor." Ok, I checked out Raspberry Pi and ended up buying one.
RPi was developed in England as a kit computer for hobbyists and students. All the basic computer functions on one board. It is now up to the Version 4 model B and it's a honey. It has a 1.5Ghz processor, 2 Gbyte RAM, 4 USB ports, an Ethernet cable port, a power input port, a micro SD card reader, two micro HDMI ports (it can drive two monitors!) built in Bluetooth, built in WiFI, and a 40 pin connector for hobbyists to do custom things with. There is no hard drive, the Linux based operating system is on the micro SD card. Supposedly it boots up in seconds.
I bought the computer ($56), keyboard ($15), mouse ($8), case ($7), 16 Gb micro SD card loaded with all the software($15), and power supply ($8) for about $135 after tax and shipping. I have a flat screen monitor that I plan to use to set it up, tomorrow I have to get a micro HDMI to HDMI cable. Once I set it up I can reuse the mouse and keyboard to set up other machines.
In the future, if I can get the touchscreen software to work properly there would normally never be any need to have a keyboard and mouse at a machine.
Here is a picture of all the hardware:
For a size comparison my new Raspberry Pi 4 mod B compared to my HP11C calculator laying on 5 squares to the inch engineering graph paper.:
When I saw my son (a coder and project manager for a business software firm) at Thanksgiving and told him what I wanted to accomplish he told me to "buy a Raspberry Pi and set it up. Tape it to the back of your monitor." Ok, I checked out Raspberry Pi and ended up buying one.
RPi was developed in England as a kit computer for hobbyists and students. All the basic computer functions on one board. It is now up to the Version 4 model B and it's a honey. It has a 1.5Ghz processor, 2 Gbyte RAM, 4 USB ports, an Ethernet cable port, a power input port, a micro SD card reader, two micro HDMI ports (it can drive two monitors!) built in Bluetooth, built in WiFI, and a 40 pin connector for hobbyists to do custom things with. There is no hard drive, the Linux based operating system is on the micro SD card. Supposedly it boots up in seconds.
I bought the computer ($56), keyboard ($15), mouse ($8), case ($7), 16 Gb micro SD card loaded with all the software($15), and power supply ($8) for about $135 after tax and shipping. I have a flat screen monitor that I plan to use to set it up, tomorrow I have to get a micro HDMI to HDMI cable. Once I set it up I can reuse the mouse and keyboard to set up other machines.
In the future, if I can get the touchscreen software to work properly there would normally never be any need to have a keyboard and mouse at a machine.
Here is a picture of all the hardware:
For a size comparison my new Raspberry Pi 4 mod B compared to my HP11C calculator laying on 5 squares to the inch engineering graph paper.: