Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: markg on February 05, 2012, 06:36:58 PM
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Gentlemen,
I have been using Mach 2 with Geckos on a Bridgeport Series 1 machine for about two years now with nary a hiccup. Excellent results. Very happy.
I am now in the process of building a 4 motor (three axis, A slaved to X) plasma table and I am hoping to use the same controller to run these motors with MACH3 and a torch height controller. MACH3 is ver. 3.043.022. BOB is a CNC4PC C11G, it is running on 55 VDC through Gecko 203V's.
Of course, I am building a new machine configuration in MACH3 to run the plasma table. I am only in the process of bench testing the motors with this same controller used for the Bridgeport and I am having a heck of a time getting the plasma table motors to run on the assigned pins/keyboard jog buttons.
I have been methodically cross checking my ports and pins assignements as I go, comparing them with my MACH2 plasma test configuration but even with identical pins assignment in Mach 2 and Mach 3, different motors run on jog tests. All of them run mind you, the correct ones run in MACH2, but not in MACH3.
I have been careful to save the setup, shut down the controller and Mach3 between config changes and jog tests but I am obviously doing something wrong. I'm kind of at wit's end at this point.
I have attached some screenshots. Can anybody perhaps suggest some things I should check? Thanks in advance.
Mark in Montreal
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Cant see how that can happen if I am understanding what you are saying correctly. You are saying you can open Mach2 and jog each axis then close it and open Mach3 but when you jog each axis its a different motor that moves? So exactly the same hardware and only difference is Mach3 and Mach2?
Hood
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Yes. Same hardware. Kind of weird I know. Different xml's though.
In MACH2 I use the Bridgeport's xml modified to include slaving of the A axis to the x axis. Works fine.
In MACH3 it's a scratch built xml.
Can I cross open xml's between M2 and M3? try each xml in the other MACH?
I looked at the jog hotkey designations and they looked ok except for the slaved A axis, does it matter?
thanks!
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No you cant use a Mach2 xml with Mach 3 I am afraid.
Can you attach both xml's and I will have a look and see if there is an issue.
Hood
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Thanks Hood.
Attached are the two XML's I have been using.
The one in MACH2 that does exactly what i want it to do in MACH2. 'A' axis is slaved to 'X" axis and jogs with the proper keyboard keys, as do the 'Y' and 'Z' axis.
The MACH3 XML in MACH3 on the other hand, does not. With the same pin designations as in the above MACH2 XML I get this result:
- 'Y' axis jogs with the correct arrow up/arrow down keyboard keys,
- the 'A' axis motor now jogs with the PgUp/PgDn keyboard keys
- the 'X' and 'Z' axis motors run together on the 'X' axis jog keyboard keys
nothing hardware wise has changed between the MACH2 and MACH3 benchtests.
It's as though MACH3 is ignoring the pin designations I have given it.
thanks again for your time.
Mark
Montreal
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Seems fine from first looks so not sure whats going on, will see if I can scope things later on (hope I remember ;D ) to see if I get similar results.
What version of Mach3 are you using?
Hood
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I just did a fresh download on the weekend, MACH3 is ver. 3.043.022
THX!
Mark
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Sorry forgot to bring the scope home with me, hopefully I will remember tomorrow :(
Hood
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OK. Thanks. I'm sure it's something dumb that I have overlooked, something obvious...I hope.
Mark
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Doesnt seem to be from your xml but a scope will tell me for sure, actually thinking about it I have a volt meter here, I will see if I can find a PP cable and hack that up and measure the voltage on the Dir pins, that would tell me.
Hood
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Why is it when hacking a cable up and metering to find out which wires belong to which pins it is always the last ones out of all that are the ones you need ;D
Ok there is definitely something weird with it as I tested here and with the Mach2 xml it was fine but the Mach3 one it was as you said.
What I would suggest is you set up a new xml from scratch and see if that helps, if it doesnt then I will investigate a bit more and see if I can find the issue but as its well past midnight here it will be tomorrow evening before I can.
Hood
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Thanks.
It's 8pm here now so it will probably go to tomorrow eve here too.
The shop is about 100' from the house, it's -8 deg C with about 60cm of snow on the ground, going to take the evening off. ;)
Mark
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What it looks like, jogging in MACH2 environment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQg1QKdwzI&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
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Just reporting in. I have been working on the mechanicals of the table and have put the MACH config problem on the back burner for now.
I will be back on configuring MACH3 shortly.
It looks like this so far:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peGzswFp7cw&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw42H-y6_iQ&feature=channel
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Latest update. I finished up the mechanicals and created a new profile in MACH3 this past weekend and all is good. Homing and limits working too. Relieved.
Thanks HOOD for your help!
Additional vid clips of the build progress here. (Testing was done in MACH2) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwRt-gzxcJo&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU7LXEmfKbU&feature=relmfu
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Good to hear, looks like its working well :)
Hood