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Electronic Leadscrew for the New Lathe
beeshed:
Congratulations - had to go back a few years to catch up. Are you still using Forth? Must be the last person to use it. Look up Jupiter Ace from 1981 - the only computer made with Forth rather than Basic as its native language.
vtsteam:
Well Art, sounds interesting -- I hope you'll keep us posted on those projects! :beer:
vtsteam:
--- Quote from: beeshed on February 24, 2026, 04:12:49 PM ---Congratulations - had to go back a few years to catch up. Are you still using Forth? Must be the last person to use it. Look up Jupiter Ace from 1981 - the only computer made with Forth rather than Basic as its native language.
--- End quote ---
Hi beeshed, thanks kindly! :beer:
Yup still using FORTH. For me it's particularly well suited as a control language in an embedded system -- which is how it started out, controlling radio telescopes. Invented by Charles Moore. As far as I know, I'm not the only one still using it:
https://www.forth.com/resources/forth-apps/
But if I am, I'm glad to be keeping it alive! :lol:
My mind just works that way for programming. I like the fact that FORTH let's you make up your own language, and I like the fact that it is very compact and very fast (necessary for this application), and I like the fact that it is both an interpreter and compiler, making debugging and trying changes super easy. And I like the fact that you can write in assembler in it if you really need fast and compact operations.
I wouldn't want to write a word processor in it, or a video editor, but for control programs, I can't think of anything that I'd rather use. Arduino's native Wiring language, was hundreds of times slower -- in fact impractical for this usage.
Viva FORTH!
vtsteam:
It took a long time and a lot of tries to sort out, but I finally was able to etch a brass thread table for the ELS.
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It was then painted to fill in the hollows.
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And mounted on the body of the change box housing I had made, which was in turn mounted on the lathe. Very happy with the result! :dremel:
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