I wanted a simple command-line g-code sender, but was unable to find one that worked on my machine (send.py fails after just a couple commands). The only solution I could find was create one: send-gcode for Windows.

Example use:

send-gcode.exe -p COM4 -b 64000 -f whistle.gc

It normally generates no output, but can show the communications traffic if used with the -v option.

C:\Users\Todd\Desktop\Rapid\>send-gcode.exe -p COM4 -b 64000 -f g2.gcode -v
send: N1 M110*34
recv: DEBUG:LineNr set
recv: ok
send: N2 G28 Y0 F4500.0*33
recv: ok
send: N3 G28 X0 F4500.0*33
recv: ok
send: N4 G1 X140 Y0 F4500.0*81
recv: ok
...

Current limitations:

* Only accepts g-code from a file, not from the command line
* No timeouts; if the "ok" message isn't received then it will hang
* It doesn't reset the motherboard (personal preference, but I'm open to adding an -r option)

This has been tested with:

* RepRap 5D firmware on Gen 3 electronics, 64000 bps
* RepRap 5D firmware on Gen 3 electronics, 128000 bps (stress test - this frequently overfills the firmware's buffer, causing send-gcode to resend lines)
* Windows 7 (64 bit)

It's compiled with:

* Visual C++ Express 2010 (will not build on older versions)

It should run on:

* Windows XP (32 bit or 64 bit)
* Windows Vista (32 bit or 64 bit)
* Windows 7 (32 bit or 64 bit)

Todd

Sounds interesting, I'd like to try it out. But am I missing a .exe file at git?

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

github buries binaries in hard-to-spot places





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/2010 08:41PM by tbfleming.

Thanks, didn't see that one
But, is there really a compiled send-gcode.exe in there somewhere? Because I still can't find one

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

It's in that zip file. It's possible that an overly-agressive browser or security package strips it out

Yeah, something must've happened.


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2010 09:24AM by Nudel.

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

Ah! d38c995 is the source zip. You clicked the "download .zip" button instead of the link I circled (send-gcode-2010-09-27.zip)

Sorry
That was terribly stupid of me, I found it.
I'll go and hide in a corner now.

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-Nudel
Blog with RepRap Comic

It's not you; github just makes it more confusing than it needs to be. Maybe I'll mirror on the Wiki after I get home tonight.

In case you use a firmware which can do XON/XOFF flow control, there's no need for a specific sending application. Just use your favourite serial terminal app or even "cat xxx.gcode >/dev/arduino" on Unixy systems. Implementing flow control isn't terribly difficult, FiveD on Arduino has it already.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

I can't wait to try FiveD on Arduino once it supports non-integer steps-per-mm; rounding that to an integer on my machine would cause holes that are 100mm apart to be off by around 1.5mm.

Quote

I can't wait to try FiveD on Arduino once it supports non-integer steps-per-mm

I took the freedom to write down this feature request in GitHub: [github.com]

Clearly we won't introduce floating point operations just for this, but moving the decimal point three digits to the left should work equally well.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Great! I suspect 5D on Arduino is well on its way toward becoming the most-favored firmware.

The STEPS_PER_MM_{X|Y|Z|E} value was just raised by factor 1000 in precision. Please test, as I haven't hardware to measure this kind of stuff.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

I'm a bit confused which Gen3 branch I should use.

Yes, Gen3 in the RepRap-recommended setup (i.e. with a secondary controller) is still in the works. Several people are working on this, you probably want to try on one of the "gen3... labeld branches.

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Generation 7 Electronics	Teacup Firmware	RepRap DIY

Hello,
nice tool. Is it possible to port it to Linux or are you using crap like .NET?

It's native C++, but uses the Windows API for serial.

OK then it would be possible to port it to Linux. I have here somehwere a serial port class written with boost library.

I tried to use this, but when i click on the .exe file it opens up for a split second then is gone.... im running windows xp. Any thoughts on why it does this?

Quote
daufhammer
I tried to use this, but when i click on the .exe file it opens up for a split second then is gone.... im running windows xp. Any thoughts on why it does this?

It is a command line program! You can't just double click on it!!

Example usage:

send-gcode.exe -p COM4 -b 64000 -f whistle.gc

If you had at least opened a dos shell i.e. Windows key - R "cmd" [ENTER] "send-gcode" [ENTER]

then you would have seen:

PARSE ERROR:
             Required argument missing: file

Brief USAGE:
   send-gcode.exe  -f  [-p ] [-b ] [-v] [--] [--version]
                   [-h]

For complete USAGE and HELP type:
   send-gcode.exe --help

You must specify the COM port, baudrate and gcode file.

If you type "send-gcode --help" [ENTER] on the command line then you will see:

C:\temp\send-gcode-2010-09-27>send-gcode.exe --help

USAGE:

   send-gcode.exe  -f  [-p ] [-b ] [-v] [--] [--version]
                   [-h]


Where:

   -f ,  --file 
     (required)  File to send

   -p ,  --port 
     Serial port to use; defaults to COM4

   -b ,  --bps 
     Serial port speed; defaults to 19200

   -v,  --verbose
     Print communications traffic

   --,  --ignore_rest
     Ignores the rest of the labeled arguments following this flag.

   --version
     Displays version information and exits.

   -h,  --help
     Displays usage information and exits.


   send-gcode - sends gcode commands to RepRap 5D firmware


C:\temp\send-gcode-2010-09-27>

Now in Windows you can create a desktop shortcut that would allow you to drop a gcode file on it and then invoke the send-gcode.exe with the appropriate parameters if you want but they must be specified. Normally such a program has defaults for common parameters such as the COM port (COM4) and baudrate (19200) BUT you will always have to specify the gcode file to send!

If you need help creating such a shortcut on the desktop so you can drag & drop gcode files onto it let me know.

You could define two such shortcuts e.g. one for COM3 and one for COM4 (assuming you have two machines).
Also you could define that the file extension .gcode automatically invokes the send-gcode with the proper parameters.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2011 11:13AM by rhmorrison.

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

we can also use send.py from skeinforge?

Hi,

I have Arduino.
Gcode program doesn´t work.

addressed to someone?

thank

@hintss: Yes, you can.
@janickaaa1919:

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Bob Morrison
Wörth am Rhein, Germany
"Luke, use the source!"
BLOG - PHOTOS - Thingiverse

Hello!

I'm trying to access and use send-gcode, but the download button on github is gone. Do you know any newer ways, or is send-gcode still the best way to do it? I'm trying to create a 3D-copying machine, and I don't know how to automate the printing once the gcode has been created.
Thank you in advance!

I wrote script for Windows.

just:

C:\Python25\python c:\RepRap\printcore.py COM3 c:\RepRap\Predmety\1mmsquare.gcode

first is path for python, second is path for script in python, third is use port, fourth is path for gcode.

Script printcore is in annex.

How do you run it? From the command prompt? How do you start and monitor the print?

Thanks

I cant find the .exe to download it... :/

Can some one upload these File?

It is not .exe file. You must use comand line for Windows and you must have install python.

send-gcode is out of date and I no longer maintain it, compile it, or use it. Github wiped the .exe during a site reorg.