Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: zarsss on December 18, 2018, 06:29:01 AM
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Hello. I made a big mistake, and looking for your help to solve it.
So we had this diy chc machine made about a year or so ago. Wiring and controller was done by myself and that was my third cnc conversion. I don`t have much knowledge about all this, but the machine was working fine all the time, until i did software updates without doing backups. I know, silly. Anyway, after updates when doing bore probing, it just not going it correctly. Attaching youtube links to the probing videos below, and also log file. Tried to speak to machsupport, they kept asking a lot of questions and only suggestion was to contact controller manufacturer as "error shows that is their error". The controllers manufacturer is not responding at all. Today i took another laptop with Mach4 and another controller to replace existing, it is doing absolutely same thing. Tried two different versions, all the same. But apparently probing script on both Mach4 versions are the same. So really i am out of ideas, how to get this machine back up and running. Any idea or suggestion is much appreciated. Thank you.
Hardware used:
windows 10 laptop x 2
CSMIO-M x2
Step/dir servos on all axis
simple touch probe
Software tested:
Mach4Hobby_Installer-4.2.0.3964.exe
Mach4Hobby_Installer-4.2.0.3485.exe
CSMIO plugin V3
Youtube links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ-ipo7ATvk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQQJ3MP6h6A
log file:
attached.
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Something seems to go wrong here following a G1 move:
2018-12-06 16:23:03.908 - Signal id 161, (Probe), changed from HIGH to LOW.
2018-12-06 16:23:07.498 - Signal id 161, (Probe), changed from LOW to HIGH.
The probe signal is cleared and then set again. This causes the following probing operation to be aborted and the system to be disabled.
Allan
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I see what you mean, but that iis probably caused by last probing steps being done in far right corner. Just crashing in side of the object being measured.
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Here is a summary of your log file:
Nominal bore diameter 85
probe Y to 13.6
move to -29.8
Probe Y to -73.3
move to 3.1 (but nominal centre is -30)
Probe X to 23.0
backoff to -22.97
Probe X to 23.0 (still at 500 for slow rate)
Move to -20.5
Probe X to -64.0
Backoff to -3.7
Probe X to -64
Move to -6.3 (but nominal centre is -21)
Probe hits side as X and Y are way off centre.
I cannot make any sense of these figures. The probe does not find the centre of the hole, but ends way off to one corner, causing the unwanted strike. Also your backoff distance and slow speed don't seem to be properly set. . I know the original probing module contained errors, but cannot remember if these affected the bore routine. I can say that using my corrected probing module and CSMIO plugin 3.16 the bore routine works perfectly, so I do not bleive this to be a CSMIO issue unless you are using an old plugin. Be sure to use the latest 3.16. If you already have this, I would check over the LUA code within the bore routine, as it seems likely to contain errors.
Allan
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So what to do now? I have no clue about lua scripting, also i wonder, is that probing script the same across all of the versions? As i tried oldest version, newest version and random version of Mach4 from their ftp server. What is the solution?
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The probing module has not been changed in recent times. I had a quick eyeball over the Bore script last night and nothing untoward jumps out at me.
So are you using plugin 3.16?In terms of Mach4, I tend to use one of the development versions. I am currently using 3882. My controller is the IP-A, and I cannot say if there are subtle differences in the plugin for the IP-M.
I am tending to think that the plugin is returning the wrong positions, as neither the backoff position nor the centre are coming out sensibly. Presumeably you have set backoff to a small value, e.g. 0.3mm, yet your probe is backing off some 45mm, which makes no sense.
Ultimately, you may need to add messages to the probing script to see just what values are being returned by the probe, but before that, have you tried a simpler probing operation, such as probing the X position of a part at a known position. Does this give a credible result?
You'd do well to start reading up on LUA scripting.
Allan
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Had a bit of spare time today so fired up the mill and re-configured it to use the standard Mach4Mill WX4 screen set and standard probing module. Mach4 v3882, CSMIO-IP/A with plugin 3.16, probing module dated July 2017.
I set probe 0 to use G31.0, fast feed 500mm/min, slow feed 10mm/min, overshoot 2mm, backoff 0.25mm.
I used the Bore function to probe a 24mm i.d. rin and also performed both offset and radius calibrations using the same ring. All worked perfectly, so what you are getting wrong I don't know.
Allan
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Reply from cs-lab:
we know this issue and it will be solved soon.
There was some small change done in Mach4 and we have to adjust the plugin to it. Please wait.
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Interesting, but I'm not holding my breath for it.
I am currently using build 4109 of Mach4 with the IP/A and plugin 3.16 and have used probing extensively without any problems. I wonder if the issue affects only the step/direction versions of the controller? Otherwise, could it be specific to Win10 (I use Win7 32 bit)?
Allan
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Hi guys,
once upon a time CSLabs had a market leading reputation for support and fixed bugs and added features to
their Mach3 plugin in short order.
Their Mach4 plugin was very slow to arrive and have seen posts where CSMIO/a and CSMIO/m owners report bugs
and months pass without the Mach4 plugin being fixed. Has the situation improved at all?
There seems no doubt about the quality of the hardware but firmware support seems sadly lacking.
Craig
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Craig
As you know, I use the IP/A, and from what we read above, this may behave differently to the IP/S and IP/M, despite using notionally the same plugin release.
To be honest, I have had no issues since the release of version 3.16 of the plugin. Having said this, I do not work at the cutting edge. I have a 3 axis mill with servos, a VFD for spindle control, a touch probe, and a tool height sensor. That's it - it couldn't be much simpler. As faras I can tell, the CSMIO-IP/A behaves faultlessly in running this system. I use combined limit/home switches together with index homing which works admirably. Pertaining to the topic, I use a modified version of the probing module, and have extensively used all but the angular functions over numerous builds of Mach4 (my current build is 4109). Earlier plugings were problematic, but probing seems to have been nailed in 3.16.
In terms of extenders, I don't have the need for I/O or the encoder module and have no idea whether these work fully with Mach4. I do use the CSMIO-MPG in conjunction with a cheap Chinese wired Jog pendant. The plugin should support the pendant without any need for programming, but I have never got this to work properly. Details have varied between plugin releases, but with 3.16 the machine jogs perfectly in one direction, but in the other it moves and and immediately returns to its starting point. I will test this again when we get an update. The pendant is visible as Mach4 registers, however and the values here properly reflect the control actions. So it was a simple matter for me to take the register values for axis and increment and program a couple of functions which I call at 5/second using the PLC. The encoder wheel is handled via MPG #0 in Mach's configuration. This all works 100% reliably, though I am aware of a fraction of a second delay between turning the encoder wheel and the table moving, making it a little less responsive than the plugin's native support but nevertheless eminently usable.
I would like to see Backlash compensation added, despite its limitations (I have added BC to the probing module for more accurate centre and bore measurements). I cannot say whether Spindle orientation or Rigid tapping are available, as they could function via the CSMIO-ENC module. I don't have the luxury of an ATC and have decided that it is easier and cheaper to use thread mills than to fit a spindle encoder.
The hardware is mechanically and electrically robust and noise levels are extremely low. All signal connectors are gold plated. The 2 internal circuit boards appear well designed and free from last minute modifications.
My main frustration is lack of active support. It is 9 months since version 3.16 of the plugin was released, and there is no indication of when (or if) there will be an update and what features or fixes it may contain.
In addition, the main manuals stem from the days of version 2x of the plugin, using Mach3. Though there is the minimum of essential information relating to plugin 3.x and Mach4 in a couple of additional documents, these are quite brief and I feel it it time the core manuals were re-written in an up to date form. I presume that CS Labs, being a small company, have probably had their hands full with the development of their SimCNC software. I have no interest in this. It may be more appropriate to high speed systems with its S curve planner, but I like the adaptability of Mach4 and will continue to use it.
Will CS Labs eventually drop support for Mach4? That's anyone's guess, but I hope not. Perhaps they were anxious about Mach4 take up. One positive indicator is that the plugin is common to both Mach4 and SimCNC.
Allan