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Subject: RE: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Produce Quick & Cheap PCBs with a CNC paper cutter

From: "Tony Smith" <ajsmith1968@...>
Date: 2012-06-22

> LinuxCNC (or anything else for that matter) won't talk to the CriCut,
you'd have
> to add your drivers and bypass all the electronics. Most of these things
use some
> form of HPGL, or mangled a bit to provide security (presumably that's how
it
> was reverse engineered).
>
> not necessarily true some printers run a simpl l293, 278 or 298 that will
directly
> communicate with lcnc, i know ive built them, however if your machine is
> operated via microprocessor without the source code it will not work as
you
> say. This is why i said the pinout was necessary as if it has enable input
, or bus
> line it probably will not work, if it has simple step and direction inputs
as per the
> ic mebtioned above I could make it work. I say try it the only thing he
has to lose
> is some time.


Well, what I meant was there will be some electronics before the stepper
drivers (293 etc), that converts the HPGL (or whatever) to Step & Direction.
Some use weird driver chips simply replacing the lot is easier than figuring
it out.

You can't just plug it in as it and expect it to work.

Tony