Messages

2191

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors

« on: August 03, 2019, 01:36:19 AM »

Hi,

I think the 32 microstep settings will be fine enough for the detail required.
Some of the drivers I have used on smaller projects use 256 microsteps and are very smooth, but only good for 1.5A or so.
I will need to be patient...

Regrettably microstepping does not result in increased resolution beyond half step per full step. This is because of the marked
reduction in differential torque at increased microstepping regimes.

What microstepping is good for, and the reason that astronomers developed it in the first place, is smoothness of motion.
Beyond about 8 microsteps per full step you are in to reducing returns. Best overall performance from two phase
steppers occurrs at around 8,10 and 16 microsteps per full step.

Craig

2192

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to make the Mist Coolant button & M07 M09 actually turn on an output?

« on: August 02, 2019, 11:32:45 PM »

Hi,

I just need some code that does "XYismoving....turn on output"....somehow. It could be done with Mach3, so as you said, so can Mach4......I just don't know how yet

I've already given you three ideas, two purely software, one taking advantage of a realtime support provide by the controller
manufacturer requiring a few parts.

Clearly your vision execeeds my own...good luck.

Craig

2193

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to make the Mist Coolant button & M07 M09 actually turn on an output?

« on: August 02, 2019, 11:01:30 PM »

Hi,

It just seems like a lot of extra hardware for something code "should" be able to do

Rubbish.......$3.00 worth of components, not counting the SSR, which you will require with either solution, hardly constitutes
a lot of extra hardware.

Yes code can do it.......its just that while you are learning I know you are heading into deep water, by all means try it out
and you too will learn what dodgy code in the PLC script can do to your day!

Craig

2194

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors

« on: August 02, 2019, 10:54:47 PM »

Hi,
believe me I understand the realities of budget constraints!!!

The stepper drivers can be replaced on an 'as required' basis. You don't need to rush out an buy them all, you could if you blow
one replace it with a more robust one.

The TB6600's are not that bad. The problem is they are sensitive to overvoltage. What happens when you decelerate a motor
it becomes a generator and feeds an elevated voltage back into its driver. That's what kills the TB6600's. If you use modest
acceleration/deceleration rates this problem is minimized. The down side is that for cycle time and toolpath accuracy
you want the highest accelerations you can achieve. There is the trade off.

Leadshine AM882's are 80V and upto to 8.2A capable at about half the price of a Gecko.

Either way you don't really have to spend anything on drivers unless you need to.

You will reap benefits in both performance, realtime supports, and manufacturers back-up by going to an ESS or other
US or European external controller. Save your pennies for that.

Craig

2195

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to make the Mist Coolant button & M07 M09 actually turn on an output?

« on: August 02, 2019, 10:41:04 PM »

Hi,

Hmm, now that is sounding like more work than using code LOL

Two resistors, a capacitor and an op-amp and maybe a relay or SSR to amplify the signal to turn on the pump.
Really, is that more work than learning to code Lua?. Particularly as the code you'll have to write will probably be
(mainly) in the PLC script where all and any code needs to be fast, sleek, efficient and robust. A failing piece of code
in the PLC script can hang or crash Mach and it can be the devils own job to unwind it.

Craig

2196

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to make the Mist Coolant button & M07 M09 actually turn on an output?

« on: August 02, 2019, 10:26:23 PM »

Hi,
I suspect that this output ESS, Feed Rate PWM, is actually meant to be used to control a lasers output.

You could have a  PWM-to-analogue filter followed by a comparator or Schimtt trigger to turn your oiler pump on once the XY federate
exceeds a few inches per minute....easy.

Craig

2197

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to make the Mist Coolant button & M07 M09 actually turn on an output?

« on: August 02, 2019, 10:17:04 PM »

Hi,
just as a side note look at the output several entries below where the Coolant outputs are:
ESS,XY Feed Rate PWM.  Could you use that for the way oiler you were talking about in another thread?

Craig

2198

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to make the Mist Coolant button & M07 M09 actually turn on an output?

« on: August 02, 2019, 10:09:16 PM »

Hi,
yes there is.

In the ESS/Config Pins tab assign a pin or pins of your ESS as output pins and then on the ESS/Outputs attach the pin
or pins to the predefined Mach outputs.

Craig

2199

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach3 and TB6600 under Win7 cant run motors

« on: August 02, 2019, 10:03:13 PM »

Hi Scintilla,
what motion controller are you using?

If you are using a parallel port then I would recommend that you have two ports in operation, the second port with pins 2-9
as inputs as I posted earlier. It gives you so many extra inputs you can do as you please as opposed to 'squezzing' all the
home and limit switches down to a few inputs. This is a common error that many users make.

If you want a second parallel port you'll probably have to get PCI card that has a parallel port on it. Not all, in fact not
many, work as they need to for Mach. I'd recommend getting one from PMDX in the US if you need one. They have experimented
and got one that works as its meant to. A few extra bucks but well worth it.

The result of 'economizing' of inputs is that Mach gets confused between a limit event (which should automatically an instantly
Estop the machine) and a home event. If you have used one input for a limit AND  a home how is Mach supposed to know
what behavior you want? If you think it confuses Mach just wait until you have to diagnose a fault.....it seems that every
single switch is faulty.....its not....its just that you have them all combined.

Note that you will require two breakout boards, normally they have one ports worth of IO on each. I would recommend Peter
Homann in Melbourne....a real clever bugger for an Aussie!!

An alternative to  a parallel port (or two) is an external motion controller like an Ethernet SmoothStepper. Peter Homan will
get one in from the US for you if you want one. Its by no means the only external motion controller, the UC300 and 57CNC
are also worthy contenders and competeitively priced. Don't be tempted to buy any Chinese rubbish.....their controllers
seldom work properly, almost never enact Mach the way its supposed to...so they sell you a modified pirate copy of
Mach....don't go there.

Those TB6600 are pretty modest performer and they tend to blow up. Just as well they are cheap. If you get sick of replacing
them get yourself some Geckos, Peter Homann has them. Way more expensive but they last and the top models
are 80V capable, that will make your steppers sing!!!

Craig

2200

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Feed Hold in MDI Window hangs up mach 4?

« on: August 02, 2019, 09:32:20 PM »

Hi,
I've just been experimenting on my laptop.

The MDI code I posted can be interrupted by a <feedhold> and subsequently be restarted with <cycle start MDI>.

The code you posted, namely the g4 p5000 cannot be interrupted by a <feedhold> on my laptop, the <feedhold> is ignored
and the MDI code continues execution which includes the m5 at the end which turns off the spindle.

Craig