Code reference
Difference Between CNC and VMC Machine Codes, Untangled
CNC is the control technology and VMC is one machine type that uses it, so there is no CNC-versus-VMC code split: the real split is mill codes versus lathe.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
HAL vs G-Code Pins in LinuxCNC: Two Layers, Not One
HAL wires the machine's hardware; G-code commands its motion. They meet at named signals, and confusing the two layers is the classic LinuxCNC beginner trap.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Guides
Is G-Code Just an X Y Coordinate Graph? Almost, But No
The graph intuition is half right: G-code positions live on Cartesian axes. What the graph picture misses is time, force, state, and the third dimension.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
Parametric Programming vs Standard G-Code: When to Use Each
Standard G-code states fixed coordinates; parametric programming computes them from variables. One is a recipe with exact amounts, the other a recipe with formulas.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Practice
Is G-Code a Real Programming Language? An Honest Answer
G-code is a real domain-specific language: imperative commands, modal state, and with macro extensions, variables and control flow. What it is and is not.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Code reference
Modal vs Non-Modal G-Codes: What Beginners Get Wrong
Modal G-codes stay active until you change them; non-modal codes act only on their own line. Here is why that distinction trips up beginners.
Lawrence Arya··5 min