This FAQ is in the process of being updated to be more friendly. New material is being added as time allows. This FAQ is intended to address questions from new EMC users. There is also a living knowledge base maintained as a WiKi with constantly growing content and much greater detail. We have also kept an archive of the older, more technically oriented FAQ.
EMCKnowledgeBase WiKI - click HERE
Archive of old technical FAQ information - click HERE
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What exactly is EMC?
A general description can be found HERE
Where can I find things?
This web site is filled with information resources. Start with our LINKS PAGE.
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION QUESTIONS
How do I get and install the EMC software?
The best way for beginners is to install from a CD Rom called a BDI. There is even a BDI-Live that will allow you to preview by running from CD without installing anything on your hard disk. For more info click HERE.
Can't I run EMC on Windows?
EMC is a program that runs in a "real time" operating system environment. The currently supported EMC software requires Linux with real time extensions.
What are the computer requirements to run EMC?
This varies somewhat with the version of EMC and Linux distribution that you install. The more modern versions are best installed on Pentium-II class (or better) machines running 500 MHz or faster and having 256 MBytes or more RAM. Older versions can run on Pentium-I machines at 100 MHz with 128 MBytes of RAM.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION QUESTIONS
Do I need a special card in my computer to run EMC?
Basic EMC configurations running stepper motors utilize the parallel printer port and need no additional boards.
What if I want to run servo-motors?
Classic servo-motors are analog devices and will require digital to analog converters as well as an interface to read encoders. Examples of cards that do this are cards from Servo-To-Go, Vital Systems, and Vigilant Products. You can find these companies on our LINKS PAGE HERE.
But aren't there servo drivers that do not require a special card?
There are several companies that make servo drivers that are commanded using step and direction signals just like a stepper motor. EMC will run these in the same manner as it runs stepper motors. True feedback from the encoders to the computer is not available in this case and EMC will not know if the motors are truly following the commanded position or not. This approach provides some, but not all of the features of a full servo system.
I have hardware that is not supported by EMC. How can I interface it?
A new driver will have to be written. An effort is under way to make this process easier. For more information read about EMC2 and its HAL (hardware abstraction language).
RUNNING EMC and OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS
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