The Cartesian Display Core Module

Hobbyists and Makers can save money and construct their own Cartesian Display system using this board. It is exactly the same as the fully built system -except no keypad, enclosure and mounting hardware. A keypad can be easily made using a touch screen display mounted next to the graphics display. Systems such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Nextion, etc. all have touch screen HMI offerings with example code and can all be used to easily build a Front Panel Emulator. Even a Desktop PC could be used.

The Cartesian Display is built upon the 4D Systems platform.

https://4dsystems.com.au/

This platform would also be a good choice for a Front Panel Emulator because the same LCD used in the Cartesian Display also comes with a touch screen option.

The Front Panel Emulator would present graphical buttons and pressing these buttons will result in key-codes being sent to the Core Module over a serial port. All of the key-codes and wiring are provided below. It is very simple.

While it could be a while before Bare Metal Technologies offers a Front Panel Emulator, I do offer a desktop PC and Raspberry Pi solution for free. There is presently one company that is working on a Raspberry Pi touch screen FPE and the details will be available shortly. It is a separate product and not affiliated with Bare Metal.

If you are interested in building your own FPE, do not hesitate to call for assistance.

touch screen Front panel emulator for the core module

While certain people are already working on Front Panel Emulators for use with the Core Module, and will become available at some point, I do offer one of my own built on the same platform as the Cartesian Display Core Module itself.

Here, the Core Module and the Touch Screen Front Panel Emulator are shown together on a Knee Mill with a Sino DRO. Obviously you would want to put these modules into a metal enclosure of some kind. Here I have just mounted it with some crude hardware just to prove it out.

Here is the real Front Panel and keys you are "emulating" and the key codes

#defineZERO 0x30

#defineMENU ZERO

#defineONE 0x31

#defineTWO 0x32

#defineTHREE 0x33

#defineFOUR 0x34

#defineFILES FOUR

#defineFIVE 0x35

#defineSIX 0x36

#defineSEVEN 0x37

#defineTOOLS SEVEN

#defineEIGHT 0x38

#defineMODES EIGHT

#defineNINE 0x39

#defineRADAR NINE

#definePREV 0x40

#defineNEXT 0x41

#define_UP 0x42

#defineLEFT 0x43

#defineOK 0x44

#defineRIGHT 0x45

#define_DOWN 0x46

#defineCLEAR 0x47

#defineEXIT CLEAR

#define_IN 0x48

#define_OUT 0x49

#defineRESET 0x4A

#defineFIND 0x4B

#defineSIGN 0x4C

#defineUSER SIGN

#defineDECIMAL 0x2E

#defineREDRAW DECIMAL

Bare Metal Technologies

Electronics and Software Systems for Machining

The Cartesian Display Core Module

touch screen Front panel emulator for the core module

Here is the real Front Panel and keys you are "emulating" and the key codes