Machsupport Forum
Third party software and hardware support forums. => SmoothStepper USB => Topic started by: Garyv on July 18, 2009, 10:17:16 PM
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Seems like I have to shut down Mach 3 before re-loading a program because If I do any jogging to get to a position or change to run a different program Mach OR Smoothstepper wants to keep offsets loaded then all hell breaks loose when I run a different program.
Also when I use the auto zero tool to set Z zero (it does fine) then it wants ??? to drop into the part over an inch then come back up unless I re-start mach after I use the auto zero tool..
For some reason it wants to keep the ofsets in the program and I cant zero it out unless I re-start Mach..
Not sure if it smoothstepper or mach , but I never had the problem until I added the smoothstepper..
It hard to explain exactly what it does but to run a program I need to zero everything with the part THEN re-start mach , do not save the fixture then, start mach to run a program correctly..
It might be something stupid that I am doing but I am going to have to go back to the videos again to see if its me or the program... ???
Gary
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Sounds like maybe the auto zero script is hanging or something to me.
First thing I would try is to set up a new xml from scratch. Instead of copying an old one and renameing it, do a new one and tell us how it does.
Brett
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Gary,
Is this for the mill or lathe?
You can always use the MDI line to reset some of the "switches and offsets " by typing in
G40 G49 G50 G80.
If it's the lathe, Zero World X & Z will cancel any offsets.
RICH
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Thanks Guys.
I might just take notes on setting and set up a new XML ,,This is for a router and I did copy from my other mill and reset to fit but it does the same on both machines..
After I make a new profile I will see what happens .. Then work on the other one..
Thanks for the help.
Gary
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Good idea Gary. Some (most) have had strange problems when setting up a SS if they copied or altered an existing XML for the SS. May not be your problem but I would suggest setting up a new XML anytime a ss is being installed then go from there.
Brett
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Some (most) have had strange problems when setting up a SS if they copied or altered an existing XML for the SS.
Why? I would have to guess that there was an underlying problem with their profile anyhow which had nothing to do with the SS. About half the folks I have sold SmoothStepper to have cloned their existing profile with Mach Loader and I have not had a single report of a problem.
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Jeff,
that seemed to be a problem for some of the Beta testers and thats probably what Brett is basing his reply on, personally I have never had that problem but I do know of a few that have.
Hood
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I always clone my XML for the mill, lathe, and engraving machine and make changes as required for the SS.
Never had a problem.
RICH
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I totally have this problem... but only from time to time. The best way to coax the machine to spaz out in this fashion is to stick down two panels on the machine... Zero it to the first panel and run the program. THEN, I go ahead and jog over and zero it to the next panel. Upon pressing "START" the machine jerks, as if just a pile of pulses get sent out to one or more of the axes, then, even though the DROs are reading right, the machine screams over to the first panel, or at least somewhat, and starts mutilating it. Usually, since I have a slow to spin up spindle, I can catch it before any major damage happens, but I'm always on my toes. The smoothstepper is great and all, but I use my machine to make money, and when I maul a $200 sheet of plyboo because my controller goes haywire...well it just makes my day a whole lot less fun. The real sucky part is that I can't reproduce this problem in any reliable way, but I'm taking notes on when it happens, and it almost always happens after a run and a re-zero, and not when I press start, but when I press start the second time (after the tool change notice) Also, I've never run this machien with any other config files. it's been smoothstepper since day 1.
Anyway, my feedback. I know this thread is old, but I'm kind of at the end of my rope with this.
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So do I take it you are setting a new zero point in mid program run?
Graham
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Thanks Graham - I really wish the problem was simply me being a complete idiot, but it isn't. NO I'm not setting a new zero in mid program. I don't even think you can do that, though I've never tried. I'm running a program twice. Running it once in one work offset, letting it finish completely, jogging over to the next position that I want to run the program at, setting zero there, and running it again there. Never have a problem on the first run, usually don't have a problem on the second, but many times I do. I don't know what happens on the third time I try it, since after the first screw up, I just shut everything down and start back up again. Anyway, the behavior sounds like its the same thing as described earlier in the thread, I'm trying to shed some light on when I think it's occurring most, so maybe Warp9 can have a little light go on that says "Snap! Of course! I have to clear that buffer and send those new values to the registers every time the program is started!" Or at least wishful thinking.
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What if you set up the offset in G55 and just MDI G55 for the second part?
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Setting all the offsets beforehand might not be a bad thing to try. From a Smoothstepper hardware / firmware point of view, I wonder what that might prove? Perhaps I'll try it.