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Author Topic: Setting to millimeters  (Read 6105 times)

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Setting to millimeters
« on: December 23, 2017, 02:53:51 AM »
I'm trying to calibrate the stepper motors.  I've set a value of 256/unit on all of the motors to start with (which seems to be close).  I've also set the Machine Setup Units to Metric and the Units Mode to Metric.  When I jog any axis by 1 mm, the current position increments by 25.4mm which tells me its converting to 1 inch.  What setting am I missing?  I never want to use inches/mils and only want to see/use millimeters.  (Mach 4  4.2.0.3481)

Thanx.
- Robert Beaubien
- Drone Plastics
-
“Dear Algebra, Please stop asking us to find your X.  She's never coming back and don't ask Y.”
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2017, 09:52:06 AM »
Another user has suggested that this is a bug in version 3481, and that a resolution is to revert to version 3390. I have not tested this, but have seen intermittent cases of my mill jogging 25.4mm when 1mm was expected, USING 3481. Scarey.

Another thing that you might try if you are into LUA is to execute the following to explicitly set the jog units prior to jogging:

    local inst = mc.mcGetInstance()
    local rc = mc.mcJogSetUnitsMode(inst, mc.X_AXIS, 21)

(Repeat line 2 for all axes.)  You might try placing such code in the jog tab On Enter script and open this tab prior to jogging.

In case it has a bearing, which controller do you use? Mine is CS Labs.

Allan
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2017, 12:31:29 PM »
I had to edit the screen and change those display fields to use metric instead of inch.  I'm sure there is probably a place in the LUA script to set those values, but I haven't dug that far into all this yet.  I am using the PoKeys57CNC .
« Last Edit: December 23, 2017, 12:37:45 PM by RBeaubien »
- Robert Beaubien
- Drone Plastics
-
“Dear Algebra, Please stop asking us to find your X.  She's never coming back and don't ask Y.”
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2017, 04:07:12 AM »
Just a note of what seems like a bug.  If I simply go into MACH settings, I have to exit MACH4 because it sets the jogging back to inches.
- Robert Beaubien
- Drone Plastics
-
“Dear Algebra, Please stop asking us to find your X.  She's never coming back and don't ask Y.”
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2017, 06:29:10 AM »
Hi,
I haven't encountered that bug.

When Mach4 shuts down all its current settings are flushed to the profile file. On starting Mach the profile is read. There are a number of circumstances
where Mach4 will update the profile during a sessiom but the surest way to do so is to shut down and then restart Mach.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2017, 10:22:02 AM »
Another funny thing.  My setup units are all metric, which is all I ordinarily use.

If I home the machine, and assuming G54 offset is zero, the work coordinates DROs read 0. If I issue a G20 MDI command, then jog X 1 unit, then issue G21, the X DRO reads 25.4 afterwards. If, however, I First switch the display to machine coordinates and then follow the above sequence, the DRO reads 1 afterwards. This doesn’t make sense to me. I can understand that Mach4 may, by design, change the jog units to imperial when the current units are so changed by a G20 command, but why would this depend on which coordinates are on display?
Above with 3485 and SIM. Sounds like another bug to me.

Allan
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2017, 11:41:33 AM »
I think I've narrowed the bug down.  If I go to MACH setting and change motor speed on the Motors tab, when I jog 1mm, it goes 24.5mm.  I have to exit and restart after that to fix it.
- Robert Beaubien
- Drone Plastics
-
“Dear Algebra, Please stop asking us to find your X.  She's never coming back and don't ask Y.”
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2017, 11:06:10 AM »
I also find that going to Mach configuration causes the jog units, type, and distance to be reset. The safest practice seems to be to restart Mach4 after configuration changes.

Allan
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2017, 12:29:35 PM »
Hi,
I've encountered something similar before and it concerns when Mach writes new info to the .ini file and also when it re-reads that file.
Look for  smurphs explanation top of page two.

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,33866.0.html

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Setting to millimeters
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2017, 03:57:25 PM »
It would be nice if an event (e.g. a Signal) was raised when this happens so that scripts could react accordingly if required.

Allan