Messages

2481

General Mach Discussion / Re: Plasma doesn't work help

« on: May 20, 2019, 02:48:13 PM »

Hi,
kool, thanks for the pics.

May I suggest in future to preprocess the pics with Paint or similar to reduce the frame size (800 X600 approx.)so you don't have to
scan around the screen with scroll bars to see the whole of the pic. That would also reduce the file size to under
600kB, the conventional agreed max for a file attachment in the Mach forum.

If you run your machine but with the plasma off does the ESS run out of data then?

What model is your plasma? Is it HF start? HF start is a sure source of EMI....so much so that many users have found them
impossible to use or at least very unreliable with CNC hardware/software.

Craig

2482

CS-Lab / Re: Custom script CSMIO/IP-A Mach4

« on: May 20, 2019, 02:37:13 PM »

Hi,

I am an novice at programming with lua but i have experience with c an c++

If you can program in C and C++ then Lua will be a walk in the park. You could write scripts in C but you would
have to compile, edit and debug outside of Mach. Don't waste your time.


Mach4's latest builds have migrated to Lua 5.3 which has a few subtle variations on 5.2:

https://www.lua.org/manual/5.2/

I notice you are using an Io? I assume that the CSMIO plugin has registered the Io you are addressing?
You cannot register an Io object from a script, registering an Io object is done by a plugin and the object is 'owned'
by the plugin. I don't think that your string correctly addresses the object, assuming it exists.

May I suggest you use a regular output. Output #5 for instance.

function m(126)
local inst=mc.mcGetInstance()
local hsig=mc.mcSignalGetHandle(inst,mc.OSIG_OUTPUT5)
mc.mcSignalSetState(hsig,1)
end

Assign a pin of your controller to Mach's output in the controller plugin and your done. This is how I would address an output
of my ESS for instance.

Note the I chose Output5 with malice aforethought because there is an LED for it in the outputs section of the
Machine Diagnostics tab. Allows you to see what you are doing.

Craig

2483

Newfangled Mill Wizard / Re: Does it really work in metric?

« on: May 20, 2019, 02:11:17 PM »

Hi,
I use MillWizard because its so simple, its the closest Mach gets to conversational programming.
I have not found any bugs with it and I use exclusively metric units.

Craig

2484

General Mach Discussion / Re: Plasma doesn't work help

« on: May 20, 2019, 02:03:01 PM »

Hi,
use the 'Attachments and other options'

Craig

2485

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 + ESS Smoothstepper + THC3T-02 + KL-1313 CNC

« on: May 20, 2019, 03:28:59 AM »

Hi,
you have impossibly TOO much going on to diagnose and fix.

You've got home switches, limit switches a probe and other rubbish when you cant even jog one motor let alone three.
Do yourself a favor and disable EVERTHING and start again. Start with an Estop input....and no more. WHEN you get
that working add ONE axis. Once you get that working then add another axis...and so on.

What you have done is try to get everything going at once and now you are hopelessly confused. Why have limit and home
switches if you cant get any motor to move? Its not like it can do any harm UNTIL you can get an axis to move. Why have a probe
input when you can't get your machine to move?

I notice that you don't have an Estop enabled....that is a mistake. That is the first......and as a first...the only input I would be
concerned with. If you configure a pin, enable that pin as an Estop and you can use that Estop button to disable Mach
you have proved that the BoB is successfully communicating with the ESS and the ESS is communicating with Mach4. So in
the simple task of setting up an Estop button you are starting to prove and test some of the major components of
your system.

If I were you I would not have a charge pump running. I never had one when running Mach3 and don't have one in Mach4 either,
all without problems for several years. Once you get some other things...like axes running, then you might come back and decide
whether the complication of a charge pump is justified.

Once you have an Estop working assign the direction pin of one axis only. Don't hook up the driver to the BoB. Just measure
the output with a multimeter. Using MDI (munch more reliable than jogging) can you make the X direction pin set and un-set?
Once you can, THEN try assigning the Step pin and hook up the driver. Can you get that one axis to move back and forth,
again using MDI......don't rely on jogging. You may for instance have to assign an enable pin to enable the driver.

You get the idea, start making very small steps, proving and testing and learning as you go.

Craig

2486

Newfangled Mill Wizard / Re: Does it really work in metric?

« on: May 19, 2019, 02:09:19 PM »

Hi,
I use MillWizard (licensed) in metric and don't have that problem.

This is the code produced by MillWizard:

Code: [Select]

G00 Z20.0000
G81 X 0.0000  Y 0.0000  Z -5.0000  R 2.0000  F 1200.0000
X 35.0000  Y 0.0000
X 70.0000  Y 0.0000
X 105.0000  Y 0.0000
X 140.0000  Y 0.0000
X 140.0000  Y 8.3333
X 140.0000  Y 16.6667
X 140.0000  Y 25.0000
X 105.0000  Y 25.0000
X 70.0000  Y 25.0000
X 35.0000  Y 25.0000
X 0.0000  Y 25.0000
X 0.0000  Y 16.6667
X 0.0000  Y 8.3333
G80
M09
M05
M30 (end of file)
Note that it only produces one line of drill code:
G81 X 0.0000  Y 0.0000  Z -5.0000  R 2.0000  F 1200.0000
but because G81 is modal successive lines of X,Y coordinates drill another hole but with the same depth and peck
parameters as the first.

I rather think your machine or installation is misinterpreting the repeats.

Can you post your faulty code?

Craig

2487

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wittsun 6040Z USB windows7

« on: May 18, 2019, 03:53:15 PM »

Hi,
the manual suggests that the controller uses a genuine USB controller, an XHC USB-Pod, oh joy....yet another
XHC......

You have installed the parallel port driver as evidenced by the DriverTest.exe pic you posted earlier but you don't need it.
You have an external controller.

Look in Mach3/Plugins folder to see if there is a .dll file that pertains to the XHC controller. If so open Mach and select that
device as motion controller.

Once you have got that running......and with a few hundred dollars worth of gut-rot whiskey or other sedative of your choice.....
throw the XHC away and get a genuine Ethernet SmoothStepper or a UC300, THEN you can start to do some decent
CNCing.

Good luck.

Craig

2488

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wittsun 6040Z USB windows7

« on: May 18, 2019, 03:40:55 PM »

Hi,
I downloaded you picture and resized it and reposted it.
Which version is easier to use/see?

Craig

2489

General Mach Discussion / Re: Plasma doesn't work help

« on: May 18, 2019, 03:31:49 PM »

Hi,
plasmas are notorious for producing electrical noise.......in fact when you think about it the plasma arc is just a tightly
controlled 'continuous lightening strike'.....that is electrical noise and nothing but electrical noise!

Can you tell me about your SmoothStepper? What model is it? Can you post a shot of it?

What make is your plasma? In particular does it use HF start or interrupted circuit start? HF starts were the only solution years ago
but Hypertherm lead the way with interrupted circuit start which has lead to much increased electronic reliability and
even greater reduction in electrical noise.

Craig

2490

General Mach Discussion / Re: Wittsun 6040Z USB windows7

« on: May 18, 2019, 03:23:05 PM »

Hi,
by the way its polite to pre-process pictures with 'Paint' or similar and get the file size down to 500-600kB or so,
and a smaller frame size so you don't have to scan around trying to see the picture.

Craig