Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: spatch on November 30, 2008, 11:21:23 PM
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Hello:
new member here. I am looking for some help on setting up Mach3 for plasma cutting. I have X&Y axle working and tuned, but I am having problems with
turning plasma on and off and delay for piercing. Is there a manual or pictures of setting that I can get info from? I assume it is something simple.
I also have phc coming, any info on setting this would also be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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You can use a relay connected to an output pin, then set it up on Config menu, Ports and Pins, Spindle Setup. Set one relay for M3 and M4 to the output number. When your code says M3 or M4 (or type in MDI) it will start and M5 it will stop. You can also set up delays there as well.
Hood
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thanks Hood for the info
I checked my G code and I did not find M3M4M5 but I do have m7 g40 in the beginning and m8 g41 at the end. can I use these codes to turn the plasma on and off?
thanks for any help
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Yes, just set the mist coolant output for your relay.
Hood
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I tryed this and check with a volt meter for output change and can not get output voltage change or any delay time when it goes to peirce location.
I am new at this is there a manual that has a step by step so I can do this?
or does somebody have a picture of the screen so I can compare sttings?
thanks
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There is a manual that covers almost everything in Mach, also there are videos. If you post your xml for the profile you are using we can see what you have for settings and may see something wrong. If you are usinng plasma it will be Mach3Plasma.xml but if you are using a custom profile the xml will be that name. You will need to copy the xml to your desktop and rename it to spatch.xml so that the forum will accept it and to attach use the additional options button on the reply page.
Hood
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What CAM program and post processor are you using?
You need to set up the post processor to suit your machine or vice versa.
It would be helpful if you post a sample of your G-Code.
Regards
KTM
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Thank for the help when I get it going I will never forget it.
Ok . The CAM software I am using is (fast cam)
I hope I attached the xml and g code file
when I attached xml and g code files I could not send them
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Spatch - Nobody seems to have asked what turns your plasma on, and what delay you need - or - indeed, what system you are using.
If you are using the output from a PC - via your printer port, then Mach 3 can put out on/off signals on various pins to turn thngs on and off.
The standard printer port is three ports in one. Pins 2 to 9 are an eight pin output, Pins 1,14,16 and 17 are outputs and Pins 10 - 13, and 15 are inputs. If you are using a different interface, such as a smooth stepper, these will differ, but you should have the documentation for that.
Is is normal (but not necessary) to use the outputs 2 - 9 to control the axis - each axis requiring 2 wires. If you are only using 6 of the wires, you can use the other two for something else. We can consider than you might have pins 8,9,1,14,16 and 17 spare as outputs. These can be allocated on Mach 3 to various functions.
If you go into Config/Ports and Pins/Spindle Setup you will see, on the left hand column reference to M3,M4,M7 and M8. These can be indirectly allocated to pins, so that when GCode M3 is used, the pin for M3 goes high (or low) and similarly for all the others. To turn off M3 and M4, an M5 command is used To turn off M7 and M8 an M9 command is used. These outputs are allocated to outputs #1 to #6.
If you now turn to Config/Ports and Pins/Output signals your outputs can be allocated to pin numbers on your output port.
The signal from this output pin should then drive a relay, which in turn can drive whatever application you want. I have four outputs, all driving 5 volt relays via a Darlington array. From these relays I drive my spindle inverter, and (if I ever get it going) my coolant system.
The use of the M3, M4, M7 and M8 are not compulsory, there are other ways of driving outputs, but they are well know Gcodes - you are merely using then for a different purpose to that intended.
If you can identify from you GCode what signal you CAM program is putting out to turn on your plasma, then you can configure the appropriate output on Mach 3, and wire a relay into the system to turn your plasma on. Bear in mind it is a different Code to turn off.
I don't know if this is what you were wanting.
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thanks Jimpinder
G code has M7 to turn on and M8 to turn off I will try this
and when Iget this working the delay is next.
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Delay should be possible to set up for the mist coolant (M7) and Flood (M8) you will find it from Config menu, Ports and Pins, Spindle Setup.
Hood
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I used pin 5 and 6 for M7 and M8 now the voltage at these terminals stay at 5 volts.
but I do have the delay working
one thing worked.
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M8 will not turn it off, unless you alter the program.
M9 is the turn off for M7 and M8
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thank
but it is on all the time I have 5 volt out put when the program is loaded and not running
I assume the driver board is good beacuse terminal 4&5 to drive a motor but moved the wire to different terminals
so I could use 5&6 for onoff
am I missing a setting some where else?
I check to make sure these pin are not used anywhere else
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To see if you have the thing configured correctly, turn your computer off and then run it back up. Check the voltage on the two pins. This is the signal at rest. Now switch the signal using the MDI line - just a single command M7.
Your M7 pin should alter status - if it was 0v it should be 5v - if it was 5v it should be 0v. If it has not moved, then your configuration is wrong.
Allocate M7 to an Output say #3, (Ports and Pins/Spindle setup) then allocate the output to a pin.(Ports and Pins/Output signals)
Do the same with M8 using #4
M7 should turn one on, M8 should turn the other on and M9 should turn both off.
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thanks jimpinder
I have go it working if I enter M9 to turn it off.
But the cam program does not have M9
what is a reasonable cad\cam or just cam program that I can use so I can uses the Mach3 to control torch auto and manual torch on off and not have to edit g code everytime I want to do something?
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You could probably use M8 to shut things off by writing a macro. Have a look in your macro folder (for the profile you use) and see if there is a M7 and M8 macro there, if not then tell me what pins you want to use for M7 and M8 and I will write a couple of macros that should work for you.
Hood
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Thanks everyone for all the help !!
I learned allot
i found a different cam program that is more user friendly and have no problems right now.
will be installing a thc soon and see what kind of trouble I will get into then.
Thanks again!
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Hello guys,
Is it possible to add a feedrate on a custom M Command?
I have a stepper motor connected to an Output Pin.
I want to make it turn on (Constantly Rotating) with M122 Command and turn off (Stop Rotating) with M123 Command.
But I also need to add a Feedrate (F Command) that changes the Feedrate only on this Motor to control its rotating speed.
Thank you
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Hi,
I would guess that it could be done, in Mach4 it would be called an Out-of-Band axis (OB). An OB can be jogged,
including velocity jogged, independently of all other axes.
The F word sets the feedrate for ALL coordinated axes. You cant have one F word for one axis and another F word
for another. As I say I'm sure Mach3 could have the equivalent of an OB axis but using the F word to control its
speed is not an option.
Craig
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Thank you very much!! Your information are really helpful.
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If a Stepper Motor is connected on the Output ports of a Controller Board (not an Out-of-band Axis) and we change the Feedrate, then the speed of this Stepper Motor will change too?
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Hi,
Mach has up to six coordinated axes. If you call a move like:
G1 X10 Y15 Z-5 A270 B90 C60 F100
Then all six axes would move together, the X,Y and Z move linearly but A,B and C rotate and their destination is
A=270 degrees, B=90 degrees and C=60 degrees. All the axes will move at a rate so that they all arrive at their respective
destinations at the same time. Thus some will move fast and some will move more slowly to stay in synchronization.
None of the axes will move faster than 100 units per minute, as per the F word in the command. The axis which has the longest
number of units to travel will travel at 100 units/minute whereas the other axes will move somewhat slower.
If you called two moves:
G1 X 20 Y-10 Z5 F50
G1 A360 F1000
Then the machine would move first with the X,Y,Z axes coordinated at 50 inch/min. When they get there THEN the A axis
will rotate 360 degrees at 1000 degrees/min. Thus you have two different moves being concluded at different
feedrates but you cant have both moves happen simultaneously without defining a feedrate that covers ALL moving axes.
Craig
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Your answers are real lessons. Thank you very much.
What if the Stepper Motor is not connected as an Axis, but it is connected on the Outputs pins of the Controller Board (as a relay to turn the motor on or off).
Will the Feedrate on the G-Code change also the speed of this Stepper Motor?
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Hi,
in order for a stepper to run it needs a stream of step pulses. If you could pulse an output pin of your controller
fast enough you could make the stepper move, faster the pulse rate the faster the stepper. You will not be able to
pulse an output pin anything like fast enough to make it useful using ordinary means.
If however you connected the step and direction pins (two outputs) of the A axis say, without coupling it to an axis
then the stepper would accelerate, run and stop on command and at commanded speed. If you wanted to run it
simultaneously with the X,Y Z axes then the feedrate limitation I mentioned comes into play, namely that the feedrate
will be determined by ALL the axes not just your free spinning stepper.
If you want a free spinning stepper that can run at a commanded speed that is set independently from the feedrate
that governs the coordinated motion axes then you need an out of band motor.
I'm not sure whether Mach3 has that functionality but Mach4 does, in fact you can have up to six out of band axes, one
is considered the spindle, so five independent step/direction controlled axes.
Mach3 development stopped six years ago, its so damned buggy, VB is so clunky and slow, the Modbus plugin is a nightmare....
get into Mach4.
Craig
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Mach3 development stopped six years ago, its so damned buggy, VB is so clunky and slow, the Modbus plugin is a nightmare....
get into Mach4.
Obviously Craig is perfectly entitled to express his own opinion on this forum but with the exception of 'development stopped six years ago' there are many of us using Mach3 who would disagree with all the other comments.
Tweakie.
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Hi,
whether my opinions are justified or not is probably less important than the question....
Does Mach3 have out-of-band axis/axes?
Craig
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Hello again,
Is it possible to pulse an Output pin (not an Axis pin)?
I mean to make the Current transferred like Pulses (like an Axis Step pin)?
I want to transfer the Current over the Output pin like Pulses, but I don't want to make it like Pulses from my G-Code.
I need the current to be transferred like Pulses automatically.
I use Mach3 (for the time being).
Thank you
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IMHO the only Chance you have (without using a Motion Controller witch supports analog outouts), is to use a PWM Signal,
and use M3 Ssomething (use the spindle Speed) for manipulating the PWM Signal.
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Hi TPS,
does Mach3 have an out-of-band axis/axes?
The problem with PWM is there is only one channel.
If not then maybe a Modbus connected PLC would work, or use Mach4 out-of-band axes.
Craig
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Hi TPS,
does Mach3 have an out-of-band axis/axes?
NO, out of my kowlege.
If more than one "analog" Output is needed, you have to use a external Motion Controller witch supports analog Outputs.
on a CSMIO (surprise surprise), you can set analog Output value easy via Basic script.
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My Controller Board is Novusun NVUM (6-Axis). I need to connect a Stepper Motor with its driver on Output Pins of the NVUM (look on the Manual). Not in Axis Pins, because I already connect 6 Motors on the Axis Pins.
I need to connect this Stepper Motor on Output Pins of the board, not to use it as an Axis. I want to turn it ON or OFF and to configure its speed.
Is it possible to make the current like Pulses, that goes from the Output Pins of the board to the Stepper Motor Driver, via a custom M command (Macro) ?
Is it possible to configure this Stepper Motor's speed when the CNC is working via a custom M command (Macro) ?
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My Controller Board is Novusun NVUM (6-Axis). I need to connect a Stepper Motor with its driver on Output Pins of the NVUM (look on the Manual). Not in Axis Pins, because I already connect 6 Motors on the Axis Pins.
Hi vccvdd24,
Unfortunately Novusun is one of the businesses listed in our Hall of Shame for Mach3 Licence violation. As a result this forum does not support assistance with any of it's products unless you are a genuine Mach3 or Mach4 license holder.
This thread referrers; https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=24331.msg238650#msg238650
Tweakie.
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Thank you very much guys for your support. I did not know all these.