Machsupport Forum
Third party software and hardware support forums. => Galil => Topic started by: smurph on January 08, 2014, 05:54:30 PM
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There is a new Galil plugin available on the plugin download section of http://www.machsupport.com (http://www.machsupport.com).
Two plugins... One for Smart Term and one that will work with Galil Tools (and possibly Galil Suite) PCI drivers and Ethernet controllers. Pick the one you want. You don't want both plugins in the plugin directory at the same time!
Steve
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This brings up a good question for me.
I am setting up a system With a Optima 18x3 with steppers.
Do I install Smartterm or the new Suite.
Also I am confused on another Topic which I guess should be posted elsewhere, but here I go.
I am building a machine using Parker Daedal Cross Roller stages/ actuators.
These come with optical limits attached and linear encoders.
Does anyone Know how to hook these up?
My bridgeport that I have and used for many years ( now in storage ) I had the limits disable the enable on the Amp ( stepper driver)
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Hi Steve.
Mate wondering if you have a changelog for the v.4.6 of the plugin. I remmember in the past you said there were some things to fix wiith the slave axis routine... Also, let me ask you... what happens to motion if I play with the Vector Deceleration variable, with linear interpolation. I I'd like to achieve is to increase the deceleration time prior to direction changes on the Gcode.. I suppose I'd ultimately like to create a scurve accell/decel curve... Is that possible?
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No, I do not keep such a log. Most of the work was to provide plugin that would work with Smart Term. And then also one that works with the newer software from Galil. I have not done anything with slaving. I don't have a gantry machine.
Mach is the trajectory planner. The Galil just follows the ball. So Mach is outputting a trapezoidal profile and you will not change that. In the plugin, we set VA and VD to the same value. This value is pretty high as we usually want the Galil to follow what Mach is giving it as closely as possible. You can try it, but your mileage may vary. It is not something ANY of it was designed to do.
Steve
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When I try to load Mach 3 after installing the Galil ST 4.6 plugin. I get a message saying that the plugin .DLL is not valid. I have downloaded and installed a few times with no change. I have also tried this on 2 separate computers, one with Win 7 and the other with XP.
However, if I install the Galil plugin for the older Galil software then Mach 3 accepts it.
Is there a known issue with the ST plugin? If so is there a workaround?
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Hi Tony,
You want the attached file this has been updated by Smurph/Steve.
It only works in XP.
The only way I have been able to change plugins is to wipe Mach3 and reinstall.
I also suggest to install some sort of registry cleaner. I use PC Tools performance toolkit, but there are others.
If Steve/Smurph sees your post maybe he will have some further advice. He is pretty much the GURU around here!
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Many thanks. I am off to test that now. Fortunately XP is what I have installed on the computer that I have dedicated to Mach 3. I'll run a regcleaner first
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That didn't work any better.
I uninstalled Mach 3, ran a reg cleaner which deleted several Mach 3 keys, reinstalled Mach 3, installed the ST plugin and started Mach 3.
i got the same error messages as before. It tells me that the Galil ST DLL is defective. I am running a new installation of XP with no internet connection and I have disabled all unnecessary features that I can think of, such as the firewall, auto-updating etc..
The only other software that I have installed is Galil suite and the reg cleaner.
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Am I correct in reading between the lines here that the plugin only works with XP? Is there a version that works with Windows7?
Thanks,
Alan
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i think that the plugin works with W7. It turns out that my problem was that I wrongly thought that the plug-in with the ST suffix was for the latest Galil drivers. It works fine for me when I use the plug-in without that suffix.
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If I delete the galil-st.dll file in the plugin folder, it will work?
Or is there some registry cleaning that needs to be done also?
Thanks,
Alan
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Read the very first post.
The ST plugin is for Galil Smart a Terminal. I was told this will only work with windows XP.
The other plugin is to be used with Galil suite.
I think what you really need to know is which Galil software you need to use for your controller. Then you choose the plugin.
I use the older PCI slot card and it is not supported by Galil Suite, so I am forced to use Smart terminal which means I must use the ST plugin and Windows XP.
Make sense?
Maybe Steve Smurph will chime in.
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If I delete the galil-st.dll file in the plugin folder, it will work?
Or is there some registry cleaning that needs to be done also?
Thanks,
Alan
I had to uninstall Mach3 to get it to work correctly. I also ran a registry cleaner.
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I have a question about this. Do both plug-ins work equally well with ethernet? (Do both work equally well with serial?)
I have been using SmartTerm as it seems simpler to understand right now. But if both SmartTerm and Galil Suite are installed on the PC but not running when Mach3 is opened does that cause a problem? (I have both installed)
I'm just trying to get a configuration that works. I've already removed and reinstalled Mach3 once. I've tried both the 4.6 Standard and the 4.6-ST plug-ins.
I have communication between Galil (DMC2160) and SmartTerm over serial.
I have both serial and Ethernet registered for the same controller in SmartTerm.
I do not yet have ethernet communication. Still trying to figure that one out but plan to use it once it works.
Jim
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Jim,
I can only relate my experience. I had similar issues in the beginning, un installing and reinstalling Mach 3 and registry cleaning made ZERO difference for me using XP an ethernet.
Normally you would not have Smart Term. and the galil suite working together but I see on the Galil site that current downloads of ST have the latest drivers so they may coexist together if your ST was downloaded since the latest drivers were included.
My suggestion would be to manually delete whatever Galil plugin DLL that you have in the Mach 3\plugin directory. Uninstall all Galil stuff and run a reg cleaner. Then install ONLY the Galil Suite and the non ST plugin. That worked for me. Galil Suite has everything that Smart Term did.
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Thanks Tony, I just tried a variant. Uninstalled Mach3, deleted the directory, deleted the desktop shortcuts but didn't go into the registry. I've used regedit before but it helps to have some idea what you are looking for and where. Anyway you said that didn't help?
So I verified good communication to the DMC-2160 with ST, set IP addresses and such and got the ethernet link working. I have commanded motion, encoder counts and limit switch indications so good there I think. The ENET link is registered.
Reinstalled Mach3 and the Galil plug-in (That's just a .dll file with the .m3p extension added on right? Probably contains an installer?)
So Mach3 starts and the bottom message bar says something about Galil now being connected, with the reset flashing. That may be after opening the config window, configuring and choosing the galil. That message goes away when I push the reset button. Then I've got nothing. No limit switch changes, no encoder counts, no motion, no port or pin numbers.
I keep thinking there's something very minor that I'm missing here.
Jim
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Jim,
Did you go into "Plugin configuration" in the "configuration" drop down menu. After all the installation tasks are done you have some config tasks to do, one time only. You need to map galil axis to Mach axis to start with.
There are still several setup features that I have not got done yet because I have so far been unable to get appropriate info. but I have at least got the system up and running.
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Sure did Tony, right now I see 3 potential causes:
1) I have the serial and the ENET connection both registered in ST. Could that create a conflict when Mach3 opens? I can test that.
2)In the general tab of the plug-in configurator I have only Linear Interpolation checked. Is something required here for communications to work?
3) Can the operation of the plug-in be corrupted by adding .m3p to the Galil.dll filename (Galil.dll.m3p) and clicking it to install? (It seems to work other than communication which fails upon closing of the configuration window.)
That may be a clue. Apparently I have communication before opening the configuration window (though no data) and lose it on closing same.
Jim
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Options 1 and 2 above made no change.
Guess that leaves something in the configuration.
Jim
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Sure did Tony, right now I see 3 potential causes:
....
3) Can the operation of the plug-in be corrupted by adding .m3p to the Galil.dll filename (Galil.dll.m3p) and clicking it to install?
Jim,
I have no idea on that but it sounds like a bad idea. Why not just keep a copy of Galil.mp3 somewhere and install from a correctly named copy of that, when necessary. galil.mp3 is not the specific Smart Term plugin. Why not replace Smart term with Galil Suite. It is the later version and I imagine that the terminal is the same or close to it. In any case it is dead easy to use. Why are you staying with the old software?
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Just because it is installed and I've figured out how to make moves with it. Not a real big deal. According to Steve (Smurph) the standard dll does not need TS or Galil Suite either one. I had GS loaded and played with it a bit. I'll be trying it again.
But about missing something minor? Yeah, I sort of feel like an idiot here. Forgot to select the controller in the config plug-in window. It works now.
On to learning to use it now and setting parameters and such.
Oh, and thanks for the help btw.
Jim
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I can't get either 4.6 Plugin to work with my DMC-1425. Both will allow the table to jog in Mach3 with the arrow keys but neither will cause the Galil to move when executing a program.
This special version of 4.5 is the only plugin I can get to reliably work, but 4.5 has some quirks too: http://www.smcomp.com/~smurph/galil/Galil.zip
Any suggestions?