Messages

2761

General Mach Discussion / Re: We live to learn from small steenky explosions. Now what?

« on: March 30, 2019, 02:54:56 AM »

Hi boydage,
this is the sort of thing I mean:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Allen-Bradley-Line-Reactor-1321-3R12-B-2-5mH-12A-3Ph-600V-50-60Hz-Used/273408795376?epid=16012063544&hash=item3fa86f22f0:g:YRQAAOSwF31bsoTJ

It is installed between the incoming mains supply and the VFD. It vastly reduces the current surges which in turn mean other devices
like your PC and power supplies don't get hammered by wild fluctuations in voltage.

I know this one I second hand but pretty good value at $50.

Craig

2762

General Mach Discussion / Re: Goofy forum layout

« on: March 30, 2019, 02:28:31 AM »

Hi,
Mach4 Lathe supports g32 threading as well, LatheGcodeProgramming.pdf pages 31 and 32
and g34 variable pitch (lead) threading on page 33.

Rather more threading options than I had supposed!

Craig

2763

General Mach Discussion / Re: Goofy forum layout

« on: March 30, 2019, 02:12:39 AM »

Hi,
g76 is covered in the LatheGcodeProgramming.pdf quite extensively, pages 41 through 43

Mach4 does support g76 lathe threading after all.

Craig

2764

General Mach Discussion / Re: Goofy forum layout

« on: March 30, 2019, 01:55:55 AM »

Hi,

You cannot repeat the cycle G code on every line like you could in Mach3.

That is correct, in fact Mach4 adheres closer to ANSI Gcode and requires Gcode which complies. The G83
example is one that I have come across when making circuit boards, I have a macro that recasts
the Gcode on the fly.

M10 and M11 for THC not supported in Mach4

m10 and m11 are deprecated in favour of m162 and m163.

I've never used either. I have used mill toolpaths extensively and the only difference I have found is
the repeated g83 anomaly, and Mach3 is non-compliant whereas Mach4 is, either way it doesn't stop me.

Cannot comment on g76, never used it. I mill threads rather than turn them.

Craig

2765

General Mach Discussion / Re: Goofy forum layout

« on: March 30, 2019, 12:09:58 AM »

Hi,

MACH4 and MACH3 do have some gcodes and mcodes that are different.

What ones? There are a couple (m161 and m162) that get used for laser ops but as far as I know all the rest are the same.

Craig

2766

General Mach Discussion / Re: We live to learn from small steenky explosions. Now what?

« on: March 30, 2019, 12:03:08 AM »

Hi,

Please answer YES in Poll - how you ever blown up your PC?

Come on reuelt, that poll was to establish if a signal backfeed to the BoB not intercepted by an optioslator
caused a PC fault.

In this instance an inductive voltage spike came in on the SUPPLY SIDE and took out the whole shooting match.
Even if the BoB had opto isolators the whole lot would still go bang because of a SUPPLY SIDE VOLTAGE SPIKE.

To OP....if you don't stop your VFD from producing huge voltage spikes you will continue to blow up PC's, power
supplies, drivers and BoBs. Opt-isolators won't stop it.

Craig

2767

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Various Issues I have run across with Mach 4

« on: March 29, 2019, 11:17:38 PM »

Hi,
in my earliest days of Mach (Mach3 and parallel port) I did not have any home switches. It was common for me to 'home
in place' at the center of my table. What I noticed then is I got a small 'blip' each time any axis passed through zero.
It was repeatable.

If the machine were at X=-50mm and I issued an MDI G0 X50 as it passed through zero I could hear it. It did not appear to
lose any steps but I could still hear it.

Not long after when I had fitted home switches and the home now occurs at the lowest lefthand point of my table
I cannot (short of crashing!) pass through X=0 or Y=0 and so have never noticed the problem since.

Could it be that your machine is passing through  its machine home location?

Craig

2768

General Mach Discussion / Re: We live to learn from small steenky explosions. Now what?

« on: March 29, 2019, 11:08:20 PM »

Hi,

Ok so the problem with that, is the huge surge of current, and I may be wrong here so correct me if I am, but once the motor reaches a speed, it no longer needs all that current being delivered so it surges for a small amount of time back into the supply phase

Yes, that is correct. Its called an 'inductive voltage spike', where the voltage can for brief periods shoot up to several times
normal.

If you have three phase power in your workshop you should use a three phase VFD, the current is spread over all three phases
and less likely to cause the fault you have observed. In industrial situations with large VFDs it is necessary to use a line
reactor, they look a bit like large iron transformer coils on each input phase. It vastly tames the input surge and noise
associated with VFD's. Hobbyists don't like them because they cost.....but then hobbyists blow more stuff up to!
I would recommend say 5mH on each (ideally three) phase.

You would be advised to run your PC and BoB power supply at least through a line filter. It may be enough to stop
a recurrence of PC and BoB failure. Ideally you would have a line filter for your stepper power supply as well, but it would
have to be a reasonable size (and therefore cost) to handle the required current.

The bottom line is that if you do not do anything to protect your gear you may have a repeat failure. Despite the cost
a good line reactor will save you money in the long run.

Craig

2769

General Mach Discussion / Re: Goofy forum layout

« on: March 29, 2019, 10:30:06 PM »

Hi,

Even a simple question about "my gcode file cannot run"  in GENERAL MACH DISCUSSIONS may simply be because MACH4 and MACH3 has different sets of Gcode and Mcode.

I've used both Mach3 and Mach4 and they use the same Gcode and Mcodes. Some of my oldest files from when I was using
Mach3 and parallel ports run perfectly under Mach4 and ESS five years later.

Many newcomers fail to provide the information that is required to guess at or otherwise answer their problem,
things like whether they are using a parallel port vs an external controller. That's OK we can ask them.

There have been circumstances where posts have ended up in the wrong board. Tweakie is pretty proactive at shifting
them to the correct location. I'm not aware that its become  such a problem that actions you are talking about
are strictly necessary.

Craig

2770

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Lua for Dummies

« on: March 29, 2019, 09:33:33 PM »

Hi BillO,
I agree, great effort to pull stuff together for newcomers to Mach4.

I have written this about using the Signal Library Table in Mach4 to monitor inputs like switches or buttons.
While it is a very elegant method it relies on several principles which are by no means obvious. Once understood
however it gives a glimpse of the true power and flexibility of Mach4/Lua.

Craig