Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Sage on May 25, 2012, 08:17:34 PM
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Some time ago I mentioned that I didn't like the way the run timer kept on running even if the process was stopped on an M1 (optional stop) wating for me to tend to the machine. Well, I was shot down by others saying that they thought waiting for the operator was part of the run time and they wanted to know the full time it took for the process (or something like that). I guess if you're charging by the hour for the whole job that's a good reason to keep it running. I guess everyone has their opinion so I just let it go.
I use the timer more to anticipate how long the a piece of the process is going to take by looking at something like how long a passs around a part is taking and then I can multiply by how many passes and figure out when to come back to check progress or change a tool etc...
Well, today I wrote a program with a subroutine and noticed that the timer started over every loop of the routine making the timer pretty useless for anything.
I guess I'm wondering if this simple feature of the program could be improved, perhaps with some operator options in setup or something.
Sage
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You will be better off buying a simple push button timer(;-) and some double sticky tap and sticking it to the mill . I dought much programming time will be applied to the timer in MACH4(;-)
Just a thought, (;-) TP
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I dought much programming time will be applied to the timer in MACH4(;-)
Do you mean in Mach3? I'm sure it's not a trivial thing to fix in Mach3.
However, with Mach4 being a total re-write, I think a lot of people are expecting all the features to actually work like they are supposed to. If not, what's the point of the re-write?
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Think Happy Happy thoughts :)
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With ALL the things they have to work on to get the "CNC functions working" as they should I would hope that the timer is the last thing on their mind.
Really what good does a run timer do???.
(;-) TP
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Well, sometimes it's all the little things that don't work that make a program a failure (and dictate a complete re-write). Sound familiar? And certainly the timer is pretty tiny feature.
As for what the timer is good for - I explained above. Sometimes I just want to bugger off while the machine works, and, being able to figure out how long the the rest of the 50 passes (of say a pocket) are going to take based on the one pass that just completed is handy.
I guess nobody uses the timer?
It was just a suggestion.
I'll just add it to the list of small things that bug me about Mach.
Sage
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Sorry I was not picking on you(;-).
I guess in almost 40 years of doing this I have never worried about a run timer. I just seemed odd to me that is all. I don't even remember if any of the older controllers even had such a feature.
IF it is important to you then please carry on.
Sorry (;-) TP
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I think its a case of what is important to one is not even a concern to another, there are many things you wish for Terry that I say to myself why the hell would anyone want that ;D I am sure there are things that I would like fixed that many will say , why? or Low Priority!!!
Hood
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Exactly.
But the bottom line, is that if the feature is in the program, it should work.
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OK you have me curious what feature would I have asked for that is not a normal CNC machine function? ???
(;-) TP
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With ALL the things they have to work on to get the "CNC functions working" as they should I would hope that the timer is the last thing on their mind.
Really what good does a run timer do???.
(;-) TP
My buddy who runs a job shop says window dressing for invoices. bah
. just better treading and maybe get a custom output board with better/application specific components