1. The Software
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EMC2 (the Enhanced Machine Control) is a software system for computer control of machine tools such as milling machines and lathes.
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EMC2 is free software with open source code. Current versions of EMC are entirely licensed under the GNU General Public License and Lesser GNU General Public License (GPL and LGPL)
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EMC2 provides:
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a graphical user interface (actually several interfaces to choose from)
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an interpreter for "G-code" (the RS-274 machine tool programming language)
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a realtime motion planning system with look-ahead
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operation of low-level machine electronics such as sensors and motor drives
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an easy to use "breadboard" layer for quickly creating a unique configuration for your machine
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a software PLC programmable with ladder diagrams
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easy installation with a Live-CD
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It does not provide drawing (CAD - Computer Aided Design) or G-code generation from the drawing (CAM - Computer Automated Manufacturing) functions.
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It can simultaneously move up to 9 axes and supports a variety of interfaces.
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The control can operate true servos (analog or PWM) with the feedback loop closed by the EMC software at the computer, or open loop with "step-servos" or stepper motors.
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Motion control features include: cutter radius and length compensation, path deviation limited to a specified tolerance, lathe threading, synchronized axis motion, adaptive feedrate, operator feed override, and constant velocity control.
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Support for non-Cartesian motion systems is provided via custom kinematics modules. Available architectures include hexapods (Stewart platforms and similar concepts) and systems with rotary joints to provide motion such as PUMA or SCARA robots.
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EMC2 runs on Linux using real time extensions.
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2. The Operating System
Ubuntu has been chosen because it fits perfectly into the Open Source views of EMC2:
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Ubuntu will always be free of charge, and there is no extra fee for the "enterprise edition", we make our very best work available to everyone on the same Free terms.
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EMC2 is paired with the LTS versions of Ubuntu which provide support and security fixes from the Ubuntu team for 3 - 5 years.
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Ubuntu uses the very best in translations and accessibility infrastructure that the Free Software community has to offer, to make Ubuntu usable for as many people as possible.
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The Ubuntu community is entirely committed to the principles of free software development; we encourage people to use open source software, improve it and pass it on.
Getting Help
1. IRC
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. It is a live connection to other EMC users. The EMC IRC channel is #emc on freenode.
The simplest way to get on the IRC is to use the embedded java client on this page:
Some IRC etiquette:
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Ask specific questions… Avoid "Can someone help me?", "It won’t run" type of questions.
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If you’re really new to all this, think a bit about your question before typing it. Make sure you give enough information so someone can solve your question.
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Have some patience when waiting for an answer, sometimes it takes a while to formulate an answer or everyone might be busy working or something.
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Set up your IRC account with your unique name so people will know who you are. If you use the java client, use the same name every time you log in. This helps people remember who you are and if you have been on before many will remember the past discussions which saves time on both ends.
1.1. Sharing Files
The most common way to share files on the IRC is to upload the file to one of the following or a similar service and paste the link:
- For text
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http://pastebin.com/ , http://pastie.org/, https://gist.github.com/
- For pictures
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http://imagebin.org/ , http://imgur.com/ , http://bayimg.com/
- For files
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http://filedropper.com/ , http://filefactory.com/ , http://1fichier.com/
2. Mailing List
An Internet Mailing List is a way to put questions out for everyone on that list to see and answer at their convenience. You get better exposure to your questions on a mailing list than on the IRC but answers take longer. In a nutshell you e-mail a message to the list and either get daily digests or individual replies back depending on how you set up your account.
Information about the EMC Users Mailing List at:
3. EMC2 Wiki
A Wiki site is a user maintained web site that anyone can add to or edit.
The user maintained EMC Wiki site contains a wealth of information and tips at:
Getting EMC2
1. Normal Download
2. Multi-session Download
If the file is too large to download in one session because of a bad or slow Internet connection, use wget (or bittorrent) to allow resuming after an interrupted download.
2.1. Wget Linux
Open a terminal window. In Ubuntu it is Applications/Accessories/Terminal. Use cd to change to the directory where you would like to store the ISO. Use mkdir to create a new directory if needed.
Note that actual file names may change so you might have to go to http://www.linuxcnc.org/ and follow the Download link to get the actual file name. In most browsers you can right click on the link and select Copy Link Location or similar, then paste the link into the terminal window with a right mouse click and select Paste.
To continue a partial download that was interrupted add the -c option to wget:
To stop a download use Ctrl-C or close the terminal window.
After the download is complete you will find the ISO file in the directory that you selected. Next we will burn the CD.
2.2. Wget Windows
The wget program is also available for Windows from:
Follow the instructions on the web page for downloading and installing the windows version of the wget program.
To run wget open a command prompt window.
In most Windows it is Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt
First you have to change to the directory where wget is installed in.
Typically it is in C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin so in the Command Prompt window type:
cd C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin
and the prompt should change to: C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin>
Type the wget command into the window and press enter as above.
2.3. Bittorrent
Bittorrent is a downloading method that is easy and reliable.
At this time, EMC2 users are setting up a bittorrent link, ask in IRC or search the wiki for the latest information.
For info on bittorrent clients for Ubuntu, see:
(Ubuntu may have "Transmission" already installed.)
For info on bittorrent clients for Windows, see:
3. Burning the CD
EMC2 is distributed as CD image files, called ISOs. To install EMC2, you first need to burn the ISO file onto a CD. You need a working CD/DVD burner and an 80 minute (700 Mb) CD for this. If the CD writing fails, try writing at a slower burn speed.
3.1. Burn with Linux
Before burning a CD, it is highly recommended that you verify the md5sum (hash) of the .iso file.
Open a terminal window. In Ubuntu it is Applications/Accessories/Terminal.
Change to the directory where the ISO was downloaded to.
cd download_directory
Then run the md5sum command with the file name you saved.
md5sum -b ubuntu-10.04-linuxcnc1-i386.iso
The md5sum should print out a single line after calculating the hash. On slower computers this might take a minute or two.
5283b33b7e23e79da1ee561ad476b05f *ubuntu-10.04-linuxcnc1-i386.iso
Now compare it to the md5sum value that it should be.
If you downloaded the md5sum as well as the iso, you can ask the md5sum program to do the checking for you. In the same directory:
md5sum -c ubuntu-10.04-linuxcnc1-i386.iso.md5
If all is well, after a short delay the terminal will print:
ubuntu-10.04-linuxcnc1-i386.iso: OK
3.1.1. Burning the ISO to a CD
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Insert a blank CD into your burner. A "CD/DVD Creator" or "Choose Disc Type" window will pop up. Close this, as we will not be using it.
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Browse to the downloaded ISO image in the file browser.
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Right click on the ISO image file and choose Write to Disc.
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Select the write speed. If you are burning a Ubuntu Live CD, it is recommended that you write at the lowest possible speed.
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Start the burning process.
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If a "choose a file name for the disc image" window pops up, just pick OK.
3.2. Burn with Windows
Before burning a CD, it is highly recommended that you verify the md5 sum (hash) of the .iso file, to ensure that you got a good download.
Windows does not come with a md5sum program. You will have to download and install one to check the md5sum. More information can be found at:
3.2.1. Burning the ISO to a CD
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Download and install Infra Recorder, a free and open source image burning program: http://infrarecorder.org/
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Insert a blank CD in the drive and select Do nothing or Cancel if an auto-run dialog pops up.
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Open Infra Recorder, and select the Actions menu, then Burn image.
4. Testing EMC2
With the Live CD in the CD/DVD drive shut down the computer then turn the computer back on. This will boot the computer from the Live CD. Once the computer has booted up you can try out EMC2 without installing it. You can not create custom configurations or modify most system settings like screen resolution unless you install EMC2.
To try out EMC2 from the Applications/CNC menu pick EMC2. Then select a sim configuration to try out.
To see if your computer is suitable for software step pulse generation run the Latency Test as outlined in Section ([sec:Latency-Test])
5. Installing EMC2
If you like what you see, just click the Install icon on the desktop, answer a few questions (your name, timezone, password) and the install completes in a few minutes. Make sure you write down the name you used and the password. Once the install process is complete and you go on line the update manager will pop up and allow you to upgrade to the latest stable version of EMC2.
6. Axis Interface
The AXIS interface is one of the interfaces to choose from. It can be configured to add a Virtual Control Panel to customize the interface to suit your needs. AXIS is the default user interface and is actively being developed.
7. Updates to EMC2
With the normal install the Update Manager will notify you of updates to EMC2 when you go on line and allow you to easily upgrade with no Linux knowledge needed. If you want to upgrade to 10.04 from 8.04 a clean install from the Live-CD is recommended. It is OK to upgrade EMC when asked to.
Warning: Do not upgrade Ubuntu to a new but non-LTS version (like 8.04 to 8.10) as it will prevent EMC from running.
8. Install Problems
In rare cases you might have to reset the BIOS to default settings if during the Live CD install it cannot recognize the hard drive during the boot up.