Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: mtripoli on February 20, 2009, 05:48:55 PM

Title: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: mtripoli on February 20, 2009, 05:48:55 PM
Out of nowhere I'm getting this error when generating a path; "Radius to end of arc differs from radius to start line xx". The same files were working yesterday. Any ideas?

Second question; it is possible to seperate M3 and M4 so that they are not mutually exclusive? I'd like to use them as general I/O.

Thanks.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: RICH on February 20, 2009, 06:12:01 PM
Can you post one of the files.
RICH
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: HimyKabibble on February 20, 2009, 06:17:32 PM
Out of nowhere I'm getting this error when generating a path; "Radius to end of arc differs from radius to start line xx". The same files were working yesterday. Any ideas?

Second question; it is possible to seperate M3 and M4 so that they are not mutually exclusive? I'd like to use them as general I/O.

Thanks.

Ha!  I've gotten that several times, never figured out why.  Restart Mach and all is fine.

M3, M4, M5 are just macros, in the macros directory for your configuration (mill/turn/etc.).  You can define them to do whatever you want.  You can also define your own M-codes, by simply adding appropriately named macro files to the appropriate macros directory.

Regards,
Ray L.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: Chip on February 20, 2009, 06:44:04 PM
Hi, Mtripoli

On the MDI line enter a G91.1 or G90.1, Probably some other G-code you were running set the "IJ's" from INC to ABS Mode, Try G91.1 first.

A good habit to get into is, In the top of your G-code files, Insert Pre-Amble code to set Mach to a default State to load your G-code Files.

G-code can set mach in to many states, It for the most part remaines that way till set back again.

G20 G90 ; G20 set's Inch mode G90 set's ABS Dist. mode.
G91.1 ; set's IJ's to inc. mode, need's to be on it's own line.

Might be IT, Chip 
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: mtripoli on February 23, 2009, 03:29:24 PM
Thanks very mcuh; I'll give that a try.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: BClemens on February 23, 2009, 05:43:53 PM
Hi, Mtripoli

On the MDI line enter a G91.1 or G90.1, Probably some other G-code you were running set the "IJ's" from INC to ABS Mode, Try G91.1 first.

A good habit to get into is, In the top of your G-code files, Insert Pre-Amble code to set Mach to a default State to load your G-code Files.

G-code can set mach in to many states, It for the most part remaines that way till set back again.

G20 G90 ; G20 set's Inch mode G90 set's ABS Dist. mode.
G91.1 ; set's IJ's to inc. mode, need's to be on it's own line.

Might be IT, Chip 

Chip, when this happens, wouldn't Mach flash the amber "abnormal" sign? I noticed this when a post processor posted I&J in inclusive so changed Mach to interpret it that way. But the "abnormal" led was flashing...? It flashed until the setting was returned to absolute. Just wondering....?

Bill C.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: Hood on February 23, 2009, 05:57:16 PM
Bill you can click on the Abnormal LED and it will allow you to accept it as a normal condition if you wish.
Hood
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: BClemens on February 23, 2009, 06:37:52 PM
Thanks, Good info.

Bill C.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: jimpinder on February 24, 2009, 02:36:58 AM
To go back to the M3 and M4 - they are mutually exclusive, because on most spindle controllers they must be, or a fault occurs.

They are not general Input/Output commands, they are output only. On the spindle page, you will see in the top left hand corner, that you have to allocate M3 and M4 to outputs, and then allocate the outputs to pins on te Port and Pins/Outputs page. If you do not need M3 and M4, do not allocate them.

You do not say what additional outputs you require, but if they are for your limit switches/home switches, they are already catered for, just allocate them to the pins. If the are general outputs for tiurning something on, then allocate an #output to a pin and turn that on, either by using a button, which you can add to your screen set, or a macro.

When you write the GCode, write M*** in the code and it will turn on the output, you will need an off command as well.

You can limit M3 and M4 by ony using one of them, e.g. do not allocate M4, and use M3 and M5 for on and off, or you could use the coolant commands in a similar way, but I think it is better to write you own command specifically for what you want to do, rather than alter something that is there for a specific purpose.

The various commands and OEM codes are shown in Hoods post at the top of the main forum page, and also in the Wikki.


Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: BClemens on February 24, 2009, 05:30:49 AM
But, only utilizing M3 for the spindle (with M5) and controlling spindle direction with an external switch or controller, why could you NOT utilize M4 for another totally different function? Ray L. eludes to the ability to change M4's function in the main directory and writing another macro to perform a function that includes M4. Looks like a fault would occur only if the established function were not modified. The same for flood and mist M codes. Why waste an output for mist when you only use a flood coolant system? This would require some diving into the workings of Mach but can't it be done? You can always reload Mach if it gets too crazy.

Thanks,
Bill C.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: Hood on February 24, 2009, 05:59:47 AM
Previously you could do that but not sure if you can now if you need G95, I cant remember exactly but I know when I was testing a new revision I had problems. After a lot of investigation it turned out that it was because my M3 and M4 macros (they were custom macros to suit my lathe) didnt have DoSpin(CW), DoSpin(CCW) in them. Now whether its still the same I dont know as I now have a servo on the spindle so the macros have changed to standard ones.
 Wont do any harm giving it a try.
 As for M7, M8  then you could write your own macros for them to do what you want, I did and still do on the lathe, just have to make sure you dont have the flood/mist relays enabled on Ports and Pins, Spindle setup.
 Then again if you are only using the M3 then why would you need to use the M4 just so you could use the OutPut, it would be easy enogh just to make up a custom macro to use that output and call it in your code, I presume you would have to manually edit your PP or code to put in M4 when you wanted to do whatever you want M4 to do, so why not just call your macro M104 (or whatever you want) and name your custom macro as M104.m1s.

Hood
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: BClemens on February 24, 2009, 06:59:18 AM
I assumed that M3 and M4 would have anti-coincidence built into the code to fault but didn't check that out. I see what you mean though. I had a need for M7 (M107), a sort-of harmless M code, so have used it elsewhere. I was afraid of messing with M4 so went ahead and used it as Mach intends.

Bill C.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: HimyKabibble on February 24, 2009, 12:28:02 PM
But, only utilizing M3 for the spindle (with M5) and controlling spindle direction with an external switch or controller, why could you NOT utilize M4 for another totally different function? Ray L. eludes to the ability to change M4's function in the main directory and writing another macro to perform a function that includes M4. Looks like a fault would occur only if the established function were not modified. The same for flood and mist M codes. Why waste an output for mist when you only use a flood coolant system? This would require some diving into the workings of Mach but can't it be done? You can always reload Mach if it gets too crazy.

Thanks,
Bill C.

Since you can define the functionality of M3, M4, M5, M7,M8 & M9 through the corresponding macros, I think you can make them do whatever you like, but I don't think it's a great idea.  If nothing else, it will be completely confusing to anyone looking at your code, or using your machine.  You'd have on-screen buttons whose functions are quite different from their labels.  I would instead define completely new M-codes, and use those instead.  The resulting functionality will be the same, the effort will be the same, and it'll make sense to others, so you might as well follow established standards. 

Regards,
Ray L.
Title: Re: New error message: "Radius to end of arc"...
Post by: BClemens on February 24, 2009, 03:08:03 PM
This is toward another use for Mach3 and I should probably start another thread on this. This Electron Beam Welder is presently using a Visual Basic written operating system which is cumbersome on a perfect day. I've used Mach enough at home that I see so much more sophistication than is even remotely possible with this present system. Mach would be changed enough that it would not be similar to a milling machine or lathe - etc. This welder has no spindle or coolant but has beam current and beam focus. The G-code programs are very similar otherwise and I have written a couple of pp's to work with it using KeyCreator.  Anyhow, when the time is right (and I understand Mach to a much greater degree) maybe can start another thread on this. These were questions pertaining to this situation but still toward my home use of Mach as well.

Thanks very much,
Bill C.