Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: thosj on January 22, 2018, 12:56:03 PM
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Seems I remember this from the past, but.....I have a linear A axis, in my case the knee of my BP clone. I cannot jog A with any keyboard key selection. Is this by design, or perhaps there's something I need to set somewhere to get it to Jog A with keyboard keys? Maybe something with how I have it set in the Keyboard Plugin config? It jogs fine with my VistaCNC P2-S pendant. And in Mach3 it jogs with keyboard keys.
Thanks,
Tom
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Hello Tom,
In Mach4, go to Config>Plugins>Keyboard Inputs and you can Add the keyboard shortcuts to jog your A axis. Name it whatever you'd like in the first column, assign a key, then assign the function from the dropdown in the right-most column. Let me know if this helps!
-Bryanna
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Yep. We use 4th Axis on our mills. We have to setup the Keyboard buttons every time we get a new mill going. Its very easy to do just as Bryanna has said.
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I have it setup like Bryanna said. I must not have something right because I've tried different key combos and nothing makes the A axis job. I'll try adding the A+/A- again. Is there a way to remove one?
I'll be back with a screenshot when I get a chance to get to the machine and check it out and can't get it to work. Actually, I'll be back either way to post what I had wrong or what I had to do to get it working.
Thanks!
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I can't get it to work. I'll attach a screenshot. I've tried several key combos, nothing.
How would one delete one of these entries, so I can try by adding the A again?
Tom
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Hi,
I see that your two keys don't cause any function to run, thus I assume that you have defined A+ and A- to do something
or otherwise connect to the core?
Craig
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If by that you mean is my A axis working, yes. It works and jogs with my pendant.
But, if you mean I don't have anything selected in the rightmost column, notice nothing shows up in X or Y or Z and they jog with the keyboard. So what function do I pick in the right column to get the A to jog like the other 3 axes?
One note, this profile/screen setup has come along with several Mach4 versions, XYZ have jogged all along, but not A.
Tom
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Tom,
I am not sure why you can keyboard jog without a function assigned to the key, but if it's not broke let's not fix it. To fix your A axis not jogging, you can map whatever key you'd like to use and choose A+ Jog and A- Jog from the dropdown, or any of the A-related functions in the list. I've included a screenshot of the settings I have in the keyboard input settings window that allow me to jog my A axis. Try that and let me know if 1.) the DROs for the A axis change when you jog and 2.) if your motor actually moves as it is supposed to.
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I tried exactly that last night. No A movement and no DRO movement, and no flashing LED on my control panel (from PMDX-126) indicating step pulses flowing. The screen does "grey out" same as when pressing other jog keys. I tried different keyboard keys and I tried different selections in the function box, nothing. What I hate is having to restart Mach4 every time I change this keyboard setup before it'll work.
What I did NOT try is a different keyboard!!! I'll try that tonight when I get back to the machine. I have a little Tormach keyboard which SHOULD be nothing more than a USB keyboard, an ASCII key press should be an ASCII key press. I DON'T have a Tormach machine, I have a home CNC'd BP clone.
And, yeah, I, too, have no idea why my X, Y, and Z jog fine with nothing in the function box and I'm afraid to PUT something in the function box for fear those will stop working, too!!!
Like I said, this was brought along from a version last April, now to 3418 or whatever the current version is on the web site. I DO believe I couldn't jog A back then either, but COULD always jog X, Y, and Z with the keyboard. And......I can Gcode command the A and I can jog the A with my VistaCNC P2-S pendant.
**Edit***
Just thinking about this, I tried a Shuttle Pro last year and didn't like it. Removed the plugin, but it almost seems I saw something about Shuttle Pro is Mach settings recently. Could something like that do this?
Tom
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Not the keyboard, tried two different ones. Not the Shuttle thing I saw, which was in MPG and disabled.
Here are two screenshots, the keyboard setup and the Mach Inputs. Are these conflicting somehow, or is this correct?
Otherwise, still stuck, can't jog A with the keyboard. And, still, XYZ jog fine with the keyboard.
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Try enabling the keyboard plugin.
Mike
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Excuse me if I misunderstand, but how could I jog X, Y, and Z, with the keyboard, if the keyboard plugin were disabled?
As an aside, why does the keyboard plugin start disabled anyway? Why doesn't it start in the state it was left in?
And not to distract from my keyboard issue, but in the vein of not starting, why, if I turn of Soft Limits, does it not start ON next time? Or is there some way to have it be active on start?
Tom
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Hi Thosj,
You have your X Y and Z jogging setup as part of the I/O and now you want to setup the A axis a part of the keyboard. I would suggest that you pick one way or the other. In your picture of the Keyboard plugin page you have no action selected for the XY and Z jogging functions which means that you shouldn't be able to jog but in the other picture you have setup the XYZ jogging as keyboard inputs to the I/O.
Clear as MUD???
See the attached pictures
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Thanks, Mike, I'll go try that.
But.......what I don't understand is how am I able to jog X, Y, and Z now? Is the keyboard plugin jogging or are the I/O's jogging. If it's the I/O's, why do I still have to enable the keyboard plugin in the system tray in order to jog X, Y, and Z? Without the tray icon enabled I can't jog XYZ. And why can't I job A no matter what?
I'll disable the I/O stuff and see if I can get it to jog with the keyboard plugin!!!
BTW, we talked at Cabin Fever 4/5 years ago in York, that's how I know you're Mike!!!
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Thanks, Mike, I'll go try that.
But.......what I don't understand is how am I able to jog X, Y, and Z now? Is the keyboard plugin jogging or are the I/O's jogging. If it's the I/O's, why do I still have to enable the keyboard plugin in the system tray in order to jog X, Y, and Z? Without the tray icon enabled I can't jog XYZ. And why can't I job A no matter what?
I'll disable the I/O stuff and see if I can get it to jog with the keyboard plugin!!!
BTW, we talked at Cabin Fever 4/5 years ago in York, that's how I know you're Mike!!!
Let me see if I can explain. Even though you are jogging with the keyboard you are emulating I/Os. Clicking the button on the screen disables all keyboard input regardless of what you are using them for.
I would clear out the I/O keyboard functions and then set it up all in the keyboard plugin.
You can't job the A axis because you don't have it setup up in the I/O and you don't have any function assigned to it in the Keyboard plugin.
I remember you from Cabin Fever. It was very nice to be able to put a face to the screen name.
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Hmmm......didn't work. I cleared out the Inputs, so nothing there for Jog, like your screenshot. Setup the Keyboard plugin with the jogs. Now no axis jogged with the keyboard. I put it back, XYZ jog, A does not.
You said "You can't jog A axis because you don't have it setup in the I/O and you don't have any function assigned to it in the Keyboard plugin." If you look up above at my screenshots, it IS setup in I/O and it is the ONLY one setup in the keyboard plugin. When it's like that, XYZ jog and A does NOT!! I tried every combination I could think of and A will not jog with the keyboard.
Your screenshots show nothing setup in I/O and ONLY setup in the plugin. I tried that and no axes jogged. How does yours jog setup like your screenshots and mine does not. What motion controller do you use? I have an ESS. Maybe that's it?
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Shouldn't make a difference which motion device you use because it even works my way with the PPort plogin/Darwin. If you have the keyboard plugin enabled and a function assigned to every key they should all jog.
Maybe somebody close to you could take a look in person. If you are close enough to me I could stop by. I am in CT.
I will take a better look at one of my machine setups when I get home. If you Skype, PM me your Skype name and I could give you a call. Might be easier to fix this on the phone.
Of course you could always call phone support.
Mike
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Problem solved, lesson learned.
Short story....long.
While trying to figure out the A not jogging with the keyboard, last night my spindle wouldn't run. Start it, it runs 3 seconds, stops 5 seconds, runs 4 seconds, stops 1 second, on and on forever, will NOT stay running. Now I am pissed, go to bed thinking back to Mach3 tomorrow, every time you TOUCH Mach4 it breaks.
So today, armed with a new attitude. I rename Mach4Hobby to Mach4Hobby_3418 and rename Mach4Hobby_3346 (previous version I had working, missed some versions) to Mach4Hobby. Start up, everything runs as expected, even A jogs with the keyboard, spindle starts and runs forever. Aha, hosed profile. Copy profile, plugins, screen from 3346 to 3418. Startup, spindle won't run, A won't jog. Hmmmm. Delete Mach4Hobby, install 3418 from new download, load license file, copy profile/screenset/plugins over from the 3346 install, all runs as expected. I DID NOT create any new profiles from scratch or start with a new screenset or redownload any plugins!!!
So somehow, the Mach4 base installation got something screwed up. It obviously wasn't my profile, my plugins, nor my screenset. Computer and control box were shut down/restarted at every turn, so it ain't that.
Moral of the story, back up your Mach4Hobby folder, especially ANY time you're going to screw around trying ANYTHING new. If it's working NOW, backup the folder.
I MUST get in the mindset that the second something doesn't work, restore a previously working Mach4Hobby folder from the good ol' D:\ drive and try that!! >:D