Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: chad on July 06, 2007, 05:50:17 PM
-
Hi All:
Version 2.01 is online and is the new lockdown (Mach3 Suite). It incorporates all bug fixes to date, add the tool length comp to the
toolpath display and has the new lazycam . It also has a new Mach3 flash screen which can be loaded
from the /Flash folder. Flash screens may now be stretched to any size, with the full screen being used.
Oh, and I more than doubled Mach3's speed since we're near done with the printer driver.
You may now select 25K, 35K, 45K, 60K, 65K, 75K or 100Khz as your base frequencies. A few notes..
This does not mean you should be the "cool" guy and use 100khz because you can. :) , remember at all times the rule,
if your velocity slider is maxed out in one kernal and you know you can go faster, then you may bump to the next level. It
takes a fair amount of cpu to run 100khz. My 1.2Ghz single core just manages it. Remember that windows slows as mach3
increases in kernal speed, so keeping it as low as possible makes the gui work better and such. I wont have much
sympathy for the guy reporting jitter or lost steps at 100khz when switching window screens. Specially if his motor maxes
out at 8khz. Keep the kernal as low as you need, but if you need 100khz, then fine, go fer it. It seems to work here fine
and even 200khz was pretty stable for me. ( And no, I wont send you a 200khz version, youll just have to trust me. :-) )
That having been said, over the last 2 years, CPU's have sped up, not to moores law's dictates, but quite a bit. Those with
dual core cpu's and such deserve to get as much as they can, so in thet vein I have increased mach3 to 100khz.
For those curious about such things, I have run successfully at 230khz, but barely, any my computer locks up at 300khz output,
the theoretical limit is about 333Khz with no pulse stretching, but I doubt Ill ever see it. I have locked it to 100khz
because I like to have it half the speed I can run, thus meaning most could run at that speed if they had to. Expect a 4 second
frequency lock in time at very high kernal frequencies when starting the program.
The new download is 20megs approx. My appologies for that, but Mach3 has grown quite a bit over time, so this lockdown
was bound to be much larger than Mach2. However, I am moving to an update system that will only contain the files needed,
and will then make updateing much faster. This means in future that updates may only be made to a system already running the
latest lockdown version. The lockdown version will rarely change. It is quite stable, and will be only periodically updated to
take into accoutn the files that will appear in the development update installer. I have only a couple minor bugs Im chasing
in areas most dont use.
Have fun, experiences at higher speeds are welcome, Id like to know how the higher kernals affect you, dont blame me for
having to reboot if you push for the moon.. Id recommend a 1.3Ghz fast machien for 100khz, and thats a dead minimum...
Thanks,
Art
www.artofcnc.ca
-
I appreciate the update info, but can you tell me the practical advantages of running at a faster kernel speed. I have a ShopBot PRT/Acension Box and am running at 35K now. And, when you say retuning the motors, you mean velocity/acceleration. No difference in Steps per, right?
Thanks,
Donn
-
Donn, on my mill I run 2000 count encoders for a resolution of <.00004" per step. that works out to about 45,000 steps per inch. roughly. That limits the top speed to about 40 iPM topped out the new kernal speeds will give the ones with high count encoders a new speed limit and the same resolution. If you don't need the speed you need to stay as low as possible on the kernal speed to take the load off of the computer. Or spring for a new high end putor. That the beauty of Mach you can have it YOUR way.(;-) TP
-
Vmax is totally correct. I had the same problem with my bp clone running ac servos 2500 per rev encoders. I had to get a grex to be able to get any speed out of it. Now ith the faster kernel speed those with a higher encoder count don't have to use a external box.
If you are running fine as is, don't change anything.
Chad
-
Thanks for the update Chad, this will make many very happy. ;D
Brett
-
Donn, Your comments are true for those who use steppers but for us servo motor heads, the new progression is a god send, well done Art, brilliant.
Dave
-
Hi,
I have downloaded twice the version 2.01.000, one in 7/7 and one in 7/8. Now the first download has 23.475 M and the second one has 21.846, but same version. Which one is the correct one?
Thank you,
Zoltan
-
Newer = better :)
Art didn't put in the newest Lcam and had to update the install, Sorry for the trouble... it is a B#)$h to get all the stuff into the build folder when you are working fast :( (I have done the same thing int he past ;) )
-
Hi, Brian
the new LazyCam download is mis named as LazyCam2.01".1EXE", I renamed the exe and it seemed to load fine, OooPss.
Thanks, Chip
-
Art & Chad,
I installed the new version and the higher kernel speeds produce a much smoother mill operation for me. However the velocity displays are not correct. Example if I use a kernel speed of 60,000 and my feed rate is set to 1000 in motor tuning, jogging at that speed shows about 2500 feed rate on the velocity DRO although it is actually moving at 1000. When I run a file with a feed rate of 1000 the velocity reads 1000 but it actually runs much slower, about 400. Do I need to set something else to adjust for the higher kernel speed?
Leo
-
Leo:
Always check the Pulse frequency on the diags page, if it isnt close to the kernal selection, dont use that kernal selection..
Art
-
Thanks Art,
Pulse rate shows about 26k when set at 25K, 34k when set at 35k and about 23.5k when set at higher kernel speeds. My mill seems to run and sound best with 35k kernel and 1/2 pulse mode. Is there a way to increase the pulse frequency on the computer?
Leo
-
H Art/Brian,
How do you like that new name? ;D
I tested the config and tuning on my home pc, which of course is not hooked to a machine. My machine steps are 3772.5 per inch. In my current xml setup of Mach 2 and 3 using 25k, my rapids are 348ipm. Before I moved over to Mach software, I was using a full or half step system and have seen this machine run at 1000ipm. The ramp up anddown was way long, but it did get there and was impressive to this country boy.
With that said, I have noticed that whatever kernal speed I use my home pc seems to work fine but I also noticed that the rapids are always real close to what the velocity is set at. Forgive my ignorance but is this what determines the rapid speeds within Mach? If so, will using a faster kernal speed actually translate to faster rapids or will I be limited to my 348 ipm now used in Mach2/3 ?
In other words, since my my machine is currently about tapped out at the 25k rapid of 348, when or if I change to a higher k say 60, will I be able to retune to a higher velocity without loosing steps, or will I still be limited to the 348 even in the higher kernal? BTW I am using steppers.
Mike
-
Art,
I am trying to check my other computers to see what pulse frequency they can produce but one of them shows "simulated" in the pulse frequency DRO. Can I find out if this computer is suitable without hooking it up to my mill or does this indicate that it won't work with Mach3?
Leo
-
bump :-*
-
Hi:
If your velocity slider is maxed out, then going up in kernal speed will allow higher tuning. If it isnt, then its unlikely to help. Try widening the pulse time in the motor tuning. It sometimes helps if the
opto's in your system are a bit slow..
Art