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--- tutorials:knittingmachine:index.html [2010/10/27 02:53]
ladyada
+++ tutorials:knittingmachine:index.html [2016/01/28 18:05] (current)
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====== Brother KH-930e knitting machine ======
+{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:brother.jpg  |}}
-Adventures in communicating with the Brother KH-930e knitting machine!
+{{vimeo>16532649}}
-===== Make your own cable =====
+This tutorial covers how to talk to a knitting machine! Once the interface cable is made, we can create cool custom patterns and load them from a computer!
-The kh930e is designed to work with a Tandy PDD1 floppy drive. We don't need it! Make your own cable to communicate between your computer and the machine. You will need:
-  * [[http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=70&zenid=08edecd591934eebcc4993c01b0259d6|FTDI cable]]
-  * 2x4 connector part number [[http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?vendor=0&keywords=WM8036-ND|WM8036-ND on Digikey]]
-You will need to make some minor mods to get the cable talking to your knitting machine. Follow the tutorials to get your knitting cable going
-==== Change 'polarity' of the FTDI cable ====
+{{:tutorials:knittingmachine:adazoomed.gif?300|}} to {{:tutorials:knittingmachine:adafabric.jpg?300|}}
-FTDI cables have standard 'inverted' TTL (zero is 3-5V and one is 0v) but the KH930E requires the opposite. Luckily its very easy to fix this by reprogramming the software.
-You will need a copy of [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Utilities.htm|FTDI MProg ]] (windows only) and your FTDI cable. Plug in the FTDI cable into your windows computer and [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm|install the driver that matches your computer best]]
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/arduino/foundft232ruart.jpg?nolink&256x129  |}}
+====== Brother KH-930e knitting machine ======
-[[http://www.ladyada.net/learn/breakoutplus/ftdifriend.html#installing_ftdi_drivers|Please read our detailed tutorial on installing the driver here]] then come back when the driver is installed
+Adventures in communicating with the Brother KH-930e knitting machine!
-Now download [[http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Utilities.htm|FTDI MProg]] and run the program
-{{   :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprog.gif   |}}
-Select **Scan...** from the menu
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogscan.gif  |}}
-The message window should say it found a cable
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogscanned.gif  |}}
-Now select **Read and Parse** to read in the cable programming
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogread.gif  |}}
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogparsed.gif  |}}
-Click the buttons that say to **Invert TX and RX**
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogsignals.gif  |}}
-Here is the wierd thing, you have to **Save as...** the settings so just save it anywhere
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogsave.gif  |}}
-Now you can click the **Program** button (lightening bolt)
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogprog.gif  |}}
-The message window will say it programmed
-{{   :tutorials:knittingmachine:mprogged.gif  |}}
-You're done! Quit Mprog
-==== Rewire the connector ====
-Next we need to rewire the FTDI cable to match the pinout of the knitter. The cable comes with a 1x5 connector, but we need a 2x4 connector
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcablestart.jpg?500  |http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcablestart.jpg}}
-Use tweezers to lift up the black connector tabs
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcableremovewire.jpg?500  |http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcableremovewire.jpg}}
-Then gently pull out the wires
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcablepullout.jpg?500  |http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcablepullout.jpg}}
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcableremoved.jpg?500  |http://www.ladyada.net/images/ybox2/propcableremoved.jpg}}
-====== Python code ======
-Now that you have the cable running, its time to download the software. Visit the Adafruit [[http://github.com/adafruit/knitting_machine|github]] repository and click on **Download** to download the source code.
-//This code is based on [[http://www.antitronics.com/wiki/index.php?title=Electroknit_Technical_Information|Steve Conklin's knitting machine code]] which is totally awesome but doesn't support pattern insertion. Still, check out his site for a lot of detailed information.//
-Download the file and unzip it into a directory that is easy for you to get to. For windows, we're going to stick the folder in **My Documents** in a folder called **brother** but if you are comfortable with command lines put it where-ever you'd like!
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:brotherfolder.gif  |}}
-You will need Python installed to run the code. To see if you have Python installed, open up a command line and type in **python**. If you're running Windows you probably don't have it, so download it from [[http://www.python.org/download/|the official Python site]]
-Open up a command line (windows) or Terminal (mac) or xterm (linux) and **cd** to the **brother** directory and then type in **ls** (or **dir** if **ls** doesnt work) to list all the files
-{{  :tutorials:knittingmachine:brothercmd.gif  |}}
-===== Determining the serial port =====
-Now we need to figure out what the name of the FTDI cable is. This process differs a little for Mac, Linux and Windows people.
-Under Mac, in the Terminal window, type in **ls /dev/cu.* ** which should give the following responses or so
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/arduino/lscu.jpg  }}
-The name we are looking for is **/dev/cu.usbserial-XXXX** where the X's are going to be unique for each cable. Copy and paste the name into a text file so you'll remember it for later.
-For Linux/Unix type **ls /dev/ttyUSB*** into a terminal window, you should see a device file called something like **ttyUSB0**
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/arduino/lstty.png  }}
-If you are using Windows, go to the **Device Manager** (From the **Start Menu**, select **Settings->Control Panel**. Double click on **System** and select the **Hardware** tab. Then click on the **Device Manager** button)
-{{  http://www.ladyada.net/images/arduino/devicemanager.jpg  }}
-===== Setting the right port in software =====
-Open up **PDDemulate-1.0.py** with some text editor (any will do, such as SimpleText, or IDLE or Word) and search for **def open(self** its about halfway through the file.
-Change the line that says **def open(self, cport='/dev/ttyUSB0'):** so that the part after **cport** has the right port number. For example:
-  * Under windows it should say something like **def open(self, cport='COM4'):**
-  * Under mac it might be **def open(self, cport='/dev/cu.usbserial-A4001nrf'):**
-  * Under linux it might stay as **def open(self, cport='/dev/ttyUSB0'):** or it might be slightly different
-Save the file
+    * [[ftdicable.html|Make the FTDI interface cable]]
+    * [[pythonstart.html|Prepare the computer by downloading the software]]
+    * [[backup.html|Backup your Brother Knitting Machine's memory to your computer]]
+    * [[dumppatt.html|View patterns from the machine's memory]]
+    * [[insertpatt.html|Adding a new pattern from an image]]
+    * [[loadmemory.html|Load your new file back to the knitting machine]]
-===== Backing up patterns/dumping memory from kh930e to computer =====
+Much of this tutorial is directly adapted from [[http://www.antitronics.com/wiki/index.php?title=Electroknit_Technical_Information|Steve Conklin's totally awesome knitting machine wiki page]]!
-  * Start up the disk drive emulator in the command line.
-  * When "ready" lamp is lit, clear display with CE key, then prepare to save pattern data to "disk" by typing 552, then STEP.
-  * Display will go blank and then "ready" and "pattern no" lamps will light up with the "track" number 1 in the display. Press STEP.
-  * Machine will beep when finished, and the track data will now be in the "img" folder along with your emulator and other scripts.
-  * The emulator also makes a handy file-01.dat file to make it easy to preview the patterns using dumppattern.py.
-===== Creating new patterns =====
+[[http://sternlab.org/|Becky "Lady Becky" Stern and her Electroknit did the knitting machine tutorial part - go Becky!]]
-===== Putting new patterns on the machine =====
+Becky made the above video (for [[http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/11/hack_your_knitting_machine.html|CRAFT]]) which walks through the process.
-  * Start up the disk drive emulator in the command line.
-  * When "ready" lamp is lit, perform a memory reset by pressing CE key, then type in 888, then press STEP key.
-  * Clear display with CE key, then prepare to load new data into memory by typing 551, then STEP.
-  * Display should go blank, then "ready" and "pattern no" lamps should illuminate. Press 1 to indicate which "track" to load from the disk drive emulator, then press STEP.
-  * Machine will beep when finished. pick a pattern and knit as normal.
-===== Troubleshooting =====
+====== Troubleshooting ======
   * If the RAM data has been corrupted, the screen will flash "888" and the machine will seem unresponsive. Hold down INPUT and STEP at the same time, and when the display should change. Perform a memory reset by hitting CE, 888, STEP.
-===== Outside resources =====
+====== Outside resources ======
   * [[http://www.devicemanuals.com/guide/Knitting%20Machine/Brother/Brother-KH-930-Knitting-Machine-Owner%27s-Manual-T0RJNU9UUT.html|KH-930e manual]] - fill out a CAPTCHA to download the PDF manual
   * [[http://zephyrfalcon.org/labs/python_pitfalls.html|Python pitfalls]] - helped spot a bug

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