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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: dangerous malfunction of a machine driven by Mach4
« on: February 20, 2022, 03:30:31 PM »
Hi,
your machine is loosing steps, or one of the steppers is stalling.
Mach4 IS NOT A FEEDBACK controller, that is to say if Mach issues pulses for a stepper to go to a certain location it assumes the stepper does so because there
is no way for Mach to tell otherwise, it does not get feedback from the stepper.
Many Mach users prefer closed loop steppers or servos because the the stepper/servo drive uses feedback from the stepper/servo to determine whether its in agreement with
Machs commands. In fact if it differs from where Mach has commanded it be then the drive will issue pulses to try to correct the error. If the stepper/servo cannot for whatever
reason keep up with Machs commands and it slips behind it will fault out, produce an alarm and usually Estop Mach rather than carry on machining when its well out of correct
location. Note that Mach is still not a feedback controller in this circumstance, but the stepper/servo drive is smart enough to know when its stepper/servo is out of position.
Craig
your machine is loosing steps, or one of the steppers is stalling.
Mach4 IS NOT A FEEDBACK controller, that is to say if Mach issues pulses for a stepper to go to a certain location it assumes the stepper does so because there
is no way for Mach to tell otherwise, it does not get feedback from the stepper.
Many Mach users prefer closed loop steppers or servos because the the stepper/servo drive uses feedback from the stepper/servo to determine whether its in agreement with
Machs commands. In fact if it differs from where Mach has commanded it be then the drive will issue pulses to try to correct the error. If the stepper/servo cannot for whatever
reason keep up with Machs commands and it slips behind it will fault out, produce an alarm and usually Estop Mach rather than carry on machining when its well out of correct
location. Note that Mach is still not a feedback controller in this circumstance, but the stepper/servo drive is smart enough to know when its stepper/servo is out of position.
Craig