Messages

4371

Mach3 and G-Rex / Re: Can't Get Soft Limits To Work Without "Soft Limits Out Of Range Error"

« on: June 05, 2018, 11:41:31 AM »

Hi,
that's correct, when you hit RefAll the machine references itself. In absence of home switches it 'homes in place'. That is to say that the current location is home. Thereafter all
your soft limits refer to limits relative to this location. It is entirely likely that your reference location is different to what it was in the last session or whenever it was that you
populated the Soft Limits table, therefore the table data is rubbish and likely to cause SoftLimit faults such as you've seen.

Soft Limits ONLY works if your machine is referenced to EXACTLY the same location EVERY session of Mach. That requires you manually jog to some identifiable and repeatable
location and 'home in place' OR have home switches. Home switches are preferred.

Craig

4372

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ESS + Mach4 + Clearpath = Motor error input goes where?

« on: June 05, 2018, 11:22:05 AM »

Hi,
try this code, it goes in the Sig Library Table at the top of the screen load script:

Code: [Select]

[mc.ISIG_INPUT3]=function(state)
if (state==1) then
mc.mcCntlEStop(inst)
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,'X axis HLFB asserted')
else
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,'X axis HLFB de-asserted')
end
end

[mc.ISIG_INPUT4]=function(state)
if (state==1)then
mc.mcCntlEStop(inst)
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,'Y axis HLFB asserted')
else
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,'Y axis HLFB de-asserted')
end
end
[mc.ISIG_INPUT5]=function(state)
if (state==1)then
mc.mcCntlEStop(inst)
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,'Z axis HLFB asserted')
else
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,'Z axis HLFB de-asserted')
end
end
Note I haven't tested it. Note also I just caused an HLFB to cause an Estop. Is this what you want.... you could have it CycleStop instead. You
might also want to include code to record the current Gcode line number so once you fix the cock-up you can restart your code. I used the
Status Line to tell whats happening, you could in addition, or instead of, add it to the log. Really the possibilities are endless.

Craig

4373

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ESS + Mach4 + Clearpath = Motor error input goes where?

« on: June 05, 2018, 10:49:36 AM »

Hi,
on  Machs machine diagnostics page you should see in the Inputs Panel LEDs corresponding to INPUT3, INPUT4, and INPUT5.
If you cause each HLFB line to activate you should see the LEDs change state. This confirms the PMDX-108/126, the ESS and Machs input assigments.
My suggestion is to use the Active High/Low setting in the ESS Pins Config page such that the input LEDs are ON when the HLFB is in fault mode.

Craig

4374

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ESS + Mach4 + Clearpath = Motor error input goes where?

« on: June 05, 2018, 10:38:39 AM »

Hi,
'In Position Range' is Clearpaths equivalent of 'following error' so is the required fault monitoring mode.
A simple transistor/resistor inverter or even an IC inverter would work. I'll post a circuit diagram later.

If you have spare inputs in the ESS by virtue of the PMDX-108 then may I suggest using those, at least as an experiment. It will cost
nothing other than some time to code it.

The procedure is:
1) Hook the HLFB line of each motor to its own input pin
2) In the ESS plugin Pins Config assign three input pins, maybe HLFB_X, HLFB_Y, HLFB_Z
3) In the ESS plugin Input Signals page assign the three input pins to three gen purpose inputs say INPUT3, INPUT4 and INPUT5
4) In the Signal Library put code to monitor the three inputs.

I'll post some code shortly.

Craig

4375

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ESS + Mach4 + Clearpath = Motor error input goes where?

« on: June 05, 2018, 04:31:47 AM »

Hi,
I've been reading both the Clearpath manual and the PMDX-126 manual.

I imagine you wish to have HLFB assigned as 'In Position Range', in which case it is active when the servo is within position range
whereas the PMDX-126 would regard this state as a fault, exactly as Steve has said. A single transistor and a couple of resistors could invert the signal.
How's your electronic skills? This is certainly not hard to do but you would end up with a small piece of veroboard with the dozen or so components
on it. Perfectly doable but a bit messy.

My training/job is electronics so if you wish to do something along those lines I could help.

Another alternative is to use spare inputs. The PMDX-126 can access a second port, I believe with a PMDX-108 expansion board. While PMDX gear has an unsurpassed
reputation for functionality I find myself becoming confused while reading it all. I'm sure I would pick it up if I had the hardware in front of me and I could experiment with it.

My suggestion is however to get another BoB, probably a C10 at $23.00. There is another thread running at the moment where gaining some more inputs with an ESS is the
topic of conversation:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,37395.msg256291.html#msg256291

Any of those boards, the C10 is a cost effective one, could be plugged into port3 of the ESS and you can have an extra 13 inputs and five outputs, without in any way disturbing
or restricting future expansion of the PMDX-126.

It is sheer luxury to have spare inputs without having to concern yourself with combining signals and risk one signal swamping another and all of that. You could comfortably attach each HLFB
to its own input. If you want to invert the signal you can do so programmatically within the ESS plugin which is rather more elegant than having a little homemade circuit board dangling from your BoB.
Mach could very easily monitor the inputs and react in what you deem a suitable manner. Further if you have one input for each axis you'd know which axis had faulted and could post and/or log the
error. If you had three or four axes that would still leave 9-10 inputs free available for other purposes. All that for $23.00, pretty good value addition I would have thought.

Craig

4376

FAQs / Re: Windows 10 issue

« on: June 04, 2018, 10:48:14 PM »

Hi,
provide details on ballscrew pitch, belt reduction and microstepping regime and we will
recalculate the steps per unit value and compare with what you have.

Just as a matter of interest would you check Mach's native units.

Craig

4377

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH 4 M6 NOT WORKING, i have tried 5 scripts an 2 weeks fighting this

« on: June 04, 2018, 10:08:48 PM »

Hi,
Mach4 like ANY new software solution takes time to master. Mach4 seem to have a little
more 'frustration factor' than others but is still 'just another software solution'.

Keep plugging away and use the forum, the documentation is patchy.

Craig

4378

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH 4 M6 NOT WORKING, i have tried 5 scripts an 2 weeks fighting this

« on: June 04, 2018, 09:55:51 PM »

Hi,
that little wrinkle has caught a few out!

Craig

4379

Mach3 and G-Rex / Re: Can't Get Soft Limits To Work Without "Soft Limits Out Of Range Error"

« on: June 04, 2018, 09:16:38 PM »

Hi,
if you don't have home switches then you are NOT referencing.

I suspect you are zeroing your axes but that's not the same.

Craig

4380

General Mach Discussion / Re: Name of this controller? Manqls for it?

« on: June 04, 2018, 08:56:37 PM »

Hi,

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,37461.msg256275.html#msg256275

Craig