Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: uuccimi on August 14, 2008, 05:47:09 PM

Title: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 14, 2008, 05:47:09 PM
I'm in the middle of a 4"x8" Plasma table project,
I did download Mach R1.84.000 demo version
But I can't get the right configuration to make the torch to go on/off as I been seen in some youtube videos
Can anyone help me to go the right direction?

Some times the torch stays on even when is not cutting, other times move likes is cutting but no flame from the torch

regards,
uu
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 14, 2008, 07:19:31 PM
Need a lot more info such as how your torch is connected, how you are trying to switch it on/off, what hardware do you have and basically anything else you think may be helpful.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 14, 2008, 08:44:44 PM
Need a lot more info such as how your torch is connected, how you are trying to switch it on/off, what hardware do you have and basically anything else you think may be helpful.
Hood

Relay to connect torch
Mach config: Enable1 = Enabled, Port1, Pin 17, Active Low: checked
3 step motor
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 15, 2008, 02:18:13 AM
How are you switching the torch on and off? I would think the best way is to use the spindle control so if you set up the relay to work on Output 1 and then set that up on the Mill options page. Then when you command M3 from the code it would switch on and M5 it would switch off.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 15, 2008, 06:19:19 PM
How are you switching the torch on and off? I would think the best way is to use the spindle control so if you set up the relay to work on Output 1 and then set that up on the Mill options page. Then when you command M3 from the code it would switch on and M5 it would switch off.
Hood

I did every thing as above, even in the Mill Options tab I did check the THC options: Allow THC UP/DOWN Control...
But I keep getting the same results, any othr hint, please

regards,

uu
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 15, 2008, 06:29:43 PM
If you have done as above and type M3 into the MDI line does your torch switch on? If you type M5 does it switch off?
 If not please attach the xml file for the profile you are using, if its a standard plasma profile you will need to copy the xml to the desktop and then rename to uu.xml.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 15, 2008, 09:46:51 PM
If you have done as above and type M3 into the MDI line does your torch switch on? If you type M5 does it switch off?
 If not please attach the xml file for the profile you are using, if its a standard plasma profile you will need to copy the xml to the desktop and then rename to uu.xml.
Hood

I just open the "profile" and for some reason the file are completly empty!!!
Please advise me what could wrong?
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 05:40:01 AM
Not sure what you are meaning,
are you opening Mach from the same shortcut that you have always used? 
If so, you are saying there are now no settings there in ports and pins etc?
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 10:56:36 AM
Not sure what you are meaning,
are you opening Mach from the same shortcut that you have always used?
If so, you are saying there are now no settings there in ports and pins etc?
Hood
I just open a file that have no name with xml formatĀ  and think that the one you want
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 10:58:30 AM
Use the full reply page and then use the additional options button. You can then browse your hard drive and choose it.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 11:03:56 AM
Use the full reply page and then use the additional options button. You can then browse your hard drive and choose it.
Hood

I used modify and find the way to attach the file as you can see above!
Thanks
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 11:08:26 AM
Ok in that profile you have Output 1 set for port17 pin 0, I would imagine it should be set to Port 1 Pin 17

Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 11:35:53 AM
Ok in that profile you have Output 1 set for port17 pin 0, I would imagine it should be set to Port 1 Pin 17

Hood

Sorry my bad

Now the Mach3 doesn't want to work.
I hit the arrow in the keyboard as usually but the number in the DRO doesn't move!
You think that I should unistall and installed again?
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 11:37:36 AM
It may be that you have the Jog control button off, check there is green surrounding it.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 11:52:42 AM
When I first load Mach3 al the 4 DRO are red but I click Ref All Home and all 4 went to green
Also click Jog Follow to green
hit the arrows in the keyboard and nothing happen

Let me picture what green botton are:
The 4 DRO X, Y, Z, A
M1 Optional Stop
CV Mode
Reset
That's it
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 12:10:33 PM
OK on the main screen bottom middle area you should see Jog On/off button
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 12:18:49 PM
OK on the main screen bottom middle area you should see Jog On/off button
Hood
Yes, I did click on it! (green on or green off)
Click the keyboard arrows... and nothing happend
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 12:27:06 PM
Hi Hood,

Can we chat over Skype - if you have the kind and time?
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 12:41:28 PM
sorry dont have skype phone here :(

Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 12:44:45 PM
Skype are chat like "hotmail messenger"

or chat with hotmail

Any way do you think, that should unistalled?
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 01:31:16 PM
I will have another look at your xml in 1/2 hour, just got to get back to the workshop.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 02:49:01 PM
Ok your xml here seems to be working fine, I have changed the Output Port and pin to the correct ones and attached it. Download then rename to whatever the name it originally was and paste it to your Mach3 folder and see if you can get things goi9ng.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 05:16:56 PM
Ok your xml here seems to be working fine, I have changed the Output Port and pin to the correct ones and attached it. Download then rename to whatever the name it originally was and paste it to your Mach3 folder and see if you can get things goi9ng.
Hood

Hood thanks for you support & I hope you don't give up on me!
Always something else, now is requesting for external E-Stop???

Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 16, 2008, 05:45:59 PM
sorry been testing stuff here fro Brian and Greg, now I need to go home. That message is either your e-stop is set wrong or your limits are set wrong, both in ports and pins , inputs. Have a look on the diagnostics page and see if either the limits or e-stop LED are lit.
OK off home now getting late here but will log on when I get home.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 08:04:45 PM
sorry been testing stuff here fro Brian and Greg, now I need to go home. That message is either your e-stop is set wrong or your limits are set wrong, both in ports and pins , inputs. Have a look on the diagnostics page and see if either the limits or e-stop LED are lit.
OK off home now getting late here but will log on when I get home.
Hood
Diagnostics: Yes, emergency are blinking ! but don't how to correct this
...Ports & Pins ---> Input Signals---> EStop Enabled, Port 1, Pin 10
But Fiscally I don't have a EStop botton in the machine

Wait a second, If I open mach3 for the first time and closed and open again and closed, the computer died, so I have to hold on/off botton to be able to shut down and turn on again
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Chaoticone on August 16, 2008, 09:59:10 PM
Quote
Ports & Pins ---> Input Signals---> EStop Enabled, Port 1, Pin 10

Change its active state from active low to active High or visa-versa and see if that fixes you up.

Brett
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 16, 2008, 10:19:22 PM
Quote
Ports & Pins ---> Input Signals---> EStop Enabled, Port 1, Pin 10

Change its active state from active low to active High or visa-versa and see if that fixes you up.

Brett

That don't do any thing good, to prevent the PC from died!
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 17, 2008, 05:20:09 AM
You are not using the xml I posted, the one I posted is an exact copy of the one you originally posted withthe exception of OutPut 1 being set correctly to port 1 instead of port 17.  In the xml I posted  the E-Stop is set to port 0 pin 0 .
Is this definitely the correct xml that you posted? Have a look at the shortcut you use to start Mach from, what is it called? If it is Mach3Mill or Mach3Plasma then right click on the icon and choose properties and look at the target, note the name of the target file and that is the xml you want to attach to the forum.
 Do you have limits on your plasma?
Do you have an physical E-Stop button on your plasma?
Is it a home made machine or just one you have bought or are converting? If its the latter two then please provide a link to the manufacturers website so that we can get an idea of how it is set up. If you can attach pics of your machine if it is home made then that may also help us to provide info.

Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 17, 2008, 10:49:31 AM
You are not using the xml I posted, the one I posted is an exact copy of the one you originally posted withthe exception of OutPut 1 being set correctly to port 1 instead of port 17. In the xml I posted the E-Stop is set to port 0 pin 0 .
Is this definitely the correct xml that you posted? Have a look at the shortcut you use to start Mach from, what is it called? If it is Mach3Mill or Mach3Plasma then right click on the icon and choose properties and look at the target, note the name of the target file and that is the xml you want to attach to the forum.
 Do you have limits on your plasma?
Do you have an physical E-Stop button on your plasma?
Is it a home made machine or just one you have bought or are converting? If its the latter two then please provide a link to the manufacturers website so that we can get an idea of how it is set up. If you can attach pics of your machine if it is home made then that may also help us to provide info.

Hood
Yes I did use the xml you posted!
Yes is a Mach3Mill XML!
NO I don't have a limits switchs yet!
I don't have a physical E-Stop yet!
YES is a home made machine

But the funny part is that the PC died with the machine unhook from the parallel port
xml file again... here
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Chip on August 17, 2008, 11:47:13 AM
Hi, Uuccimi

Just looked at your xml, There are several issues.

Give me a call on Skype if you like, Maybe we can sort this out.

Chipl
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 17, 2008, 01:18:23 PM
Afraid that is a totally different xml from the last one you posted, hopefully Chip can get things sorted via a skype, if not please come back again and list what hardware you have, how it is connected (Pin and port numbers) and we should be able to get things going.
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Chip on August 17, 2008, 02:14:15 PM
Hi, Hood

Spent some time on the phone, Think we have things "sorta" sorted out, First few step's on the ladder are pretty far apart, As you now.

Should be seeing more questions soon.

Thanks, Chip
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 17, 2008, 02:22:14 PM
excellent Chip :)
Hood
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 17, 2008, 08:37:54 PM
I wnat to thanks Chip again for the great lesson that help me a lot!

Right now I experienced with 2.63 special with the plasma 2.0 and just notices that 2.63 are not allowed to import HPLG/BMP/JPG also DXF!!

The other think is when a import a g-code into Mach plasma y I click Edit G-Code button don't open the notepad with the code!

But so far so good, don't know what else I'll find in the path of learning Mach

Thanks again!
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: uuccimi on August 17, 2008, 08:39:53 PM
Afraid that is a totally different xml from the last one you posted, hopefully Chip can get things sorted via a skype, if not please come back again and list what hardware you have, how it is connected (Pin and port numbers) and we should be able to get things going.
Hood

The reason are because I did re-installed WindowsXP again and also Mach3...!!!
Title: Re: cnc plasma table...
Post by: Hood on August 18, 2008, 02:06:59 AM
Right now I experienced with 2.63 special with the plasma 2.0 and just notices that 2.63 are not allowed to import HPLG/BMP/JPG also DXF!!

Later versions use LazyCAM for the importing and converting.

Quote
The other think is when a import a g-code into Mach plasma y I click Edit G-Code button don't open the notepad with the code!

Config, General Config and then you will see the pathe of the editor, should be \Windows\Notepad.exe   but you can browse to any editor you like.
Hood