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Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 06:54:01 PM

Title: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 06:54:01 PM
I have a Bridgeport milling machine and how can I tell Mach software to invert the spindle direction in Back gear using switch hooked to the lever
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Hood on December 21, 2009, 06:56:51 PM
I am not sure if checking reversed in the pulley setup page will do that or not, if not then you will need custom M3 and M4 macros.
Hood
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 07:09:56 PM
Do the Macros run with in the cw cww button or does the macro run from the m3 m4 code from a program
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Hood on December 21, 2009, 07:26:34 PM
To be honest I am not sure, dont use the button myself as I have external buttons. Will see if I can test it out, just have to think of a way LOl

Hood
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Hood on December 21, 2009, 07:55:30 PM
Looks like the Spindle CW button ignores the M3 macro and does its own thing, nothing stopping you from putting VB buttons on the screen however. Something like
If GetInput (1) Then
Code ("M3")
Else
Code (M4")
End If

Should work for you, the above would be looking at input 1 for your lever switch, if it was seen then it would do a M3 and if it wasnt it would do M4. You would also need another button to do the M5. In fact you could probably integrate it into the same button by looking at the Spindle on LED and doing the M5 if it was on.
Hood
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 08:40:03 PM
I did notice in the spindle pulley set up i can set  pulley 1 for high gear and set up pulley 2 for low gear with reversed box checked but I have to set the pulley number manually
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Hood on December 21, 2009, 08:41:42 PM
You can do it from code if you look at the thread that Overloaded has just posted.  http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,13484.0.html
Hood
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Overloaded on December 21, 2009, 08:47:49 PM
I am not sure if checking reversed in the pulley setup page will do that or not, if not then you will need custom M3 and M4 macros.
Hood

btw...according to TFM the above is absolutely correct. The REVERSED checkbox is there for this very purpose.
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Hood on December 21, 2009, 08:50:01 PM
One day I am going to have to RTFM  then I wont have to keep saying "I am not sure...." or "I think...... "  ;D

Hood
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 09:00:06 PM
does a spindle speed call automatically switch pulley # base on set values in the spindle set up
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: HimyKabibble on December 21, 2009, 09:01:57 PM
I have a Bridgeport milling machine and how can I tell Mach software to invert the spindle direction in Back gear using switch hooked to the lever


The "Reverse" checkboxes in the pulley setup are there for exactly that reason.

Regards,
Ray L.
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Overloaded on December 21, 2009, 09:09:47 PM
QUOTE  "does a spindle speed call automatically switch pulley # base on set values in the spindle set up"
 
NOPE...not here anyway.
Probably could be made to with a fancy macro though.
Rays dept.
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 09:12:19 PM
Ware do I rum a custom macro from cuz I take it there is no way for the pulley number to automatically change baste on spindle rpm
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Overloaded on December 21, 2009, 09:45:33 PM
Once you write your macros, you can call them from gcode or mdi.  EDIT..: or in a button.
Seems there should be a way to stop the program if the commanded speed is out of range of the current pulley so you can change the pulley then restart.....just like the manual tool change.
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: HimyKabibble on December 21, 2009, 10:11:53 PM
QUOTE  "does a spindle speed call automatically switch pulley # base on set values in the spindle set up"
 
NOPE...not here anyway.
Probably could be made to with a fancy macro though.
Rays dept.

I'm not aware of any way to automate pulley selection through macros.  Doesn't mean it can't be done, but I'm not aware of any "hooks" into the spindle control that would allow it.  Possibly through a plug-in?  But one thing I'm learning (painfully) lately is that trying to do things in Mach3 that are not commonly done, you're pretty much guaranteed to end up "fighting city hall".  I've had a real time working around bugs and limitations in Mach3 to make the knee do tool length compensation.  I hate to think of the problems you'd run into trying to make spindle control "smart".

What I do on my machine is run the G-code through a pre-processor that makes "optimum" selections of pulley, motor speed range, and VFD frequency, to minimize the number of pulley changes through an entire program, so I don't have to change pulleys every time I change tools.  In most cases, I can run a whole job with no pulley changes.

Regards,
Ray L.
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Cncman2nv on December 21, 2009, 10:16:52 PM
Yes that is what I am wanting to do so i have been busy looking for tech tips on macros and looking thru the macro folder in Mach Dir for ideas

Thanks and wish me luck
Title: Re: Bridgeport mill and back gear spindle reversal
Post by: Hood on December 22, 2009, 02:11:59 AM
Not as far as I know.
Hood