Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: June 17, 2015, 01:49:16 AM »

Hello Art

I'm just having Darwin use frequency control. There isn't enough documentation on Mach 4 on how to configure a step/dir spindle as an OB axis. If you or someone can tell me how to do it I sure would like to try it. Right now I have Darwin configured to switch on a relay for M3 and a relay for M4 and just running frequency into a cnc4pc C6 board for an analog voltage to a KBIC speed controller. I looked at the Darwin configuration under Diagnostics and wondered what would happen if I set the Low hz to 1 under Ferq Ctrl and left the Hi hz at 1000. I closed Mach 4 and restarted and now I can do M3 S*** in MDI and I have spindle movement. So changing 0 to 1 in the Low hz window fixed it.

Eric.

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: June 13, 2015, 06:18:19 PM »

Hello Art

Any luck on resolving my step/direction spindle frequency issue?

Eric.

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Homing & Darwin Issue

« on: June 13, 2015, 06:13:48 PM »

Try negating the signal. I had the same problem months ago and Art said the way Mach 4 works is it doesn't expect to see a signal voltage from your limit or homing switches until they are tripped. It all depends on how they are wired NO or  NC. I followed the recommendation in the Mach 3 users manual for NC so there is always a signal voltage going across the switch. When the switch is tripped the switch goes to an opened state and the signal voltage is lost. I wired my mill this way, way before there was ever a Mach 4 and it has worked flawlessly for home and limits. Then Mach 4 came along and that changed everything.

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: June 03, 2015, 02:08:47 PM »

Art

I will refer you to Reply #339 on: August 16, 2014, 09:20:23 PM in this topic.

Eric

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: June 03, 2015, 01:56:09 PM »

Art

Narrowed it down to when Mach 4 starts when the enabled button is pushed the frequency goes to 0 in Darwin. I check the frequency before enable pushed and the frequency value was 142 for 1000 rpm from last Mach 4 exit. Push enable button MDI M3 S1000 no spindle rotation. Disable Mach 4 and check Darwin and ferq. back to 0. Set value to 1 or more and everything is OK again unless you do M3 S0 then have to go back to Darwin and set freq to 1 of more. Hope this helps narrow it down a little for you. P.S. There was a similar bug like this last year in the early development versions but it was fixed and then resurfaced as more and more updates were being released.

Eric 

6

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: June 03, 2015, 12:05:06 PM »

Hello Art

The  step direction spindle forgotten frequency bug is still alive and well. I have to go into Darwin and set a frequency value of at least 1 and when I start Mach 4. Then my step/Dir spindle will turn. If I do a M3 S0 in MDI and then do a M3 S1000 I get no spindle rotation. Fix is to disable Mach 4 go into Darwin and set a value of 0 to at least 1. Same holds true for  a Mach 4 exit . I have to keep resetting a frequency value of at least 1 each time. It has been this way for a long time and I didn't want to say anything because Mach 4 is still in being beta tested. I think since we are more than a year since Mach 4 was released for testing its time to kill this bug. Thanks. Eric.

7

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: November 02, 2014, 11:49:56 PM »

Thanks Art followed your directions and that got my spindle working.

Eric.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Windows CE.net Operating System

« on: November 02, 2014, 09:52:47 PM »

You can try using Windows CE but if you look at the requirements for Mach 3 the OS start at Windows 2000 and run thru Windows 8.1 on a laptop or desktop computer. So I would say no it won't work but doesn't hurt to try.

Eric

9

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: November 02, 2014, 02:01:04 AM »

There were no M3, M4, or M5 macros in my profile macros folder. I even copied them from the Sims profile macros folder to my profile and still still no spindle movement. My forward and reverse relays will turn on and off but no spindle movement.

Eric

10

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: November 02, 2014, 01:58:23 AM »

  For step/dir spindle, just specify a spindle output in M4, then in the Darwin Diag dialog specify no PWM spindle and set a min frequency and a max.
Then you should also get Debug messages if you turn on debug telling you what Darwin's attemptinbg when you try to turn on the spindle..

Hello Art

You say choose a spindle output in M4. Is that the Spindle On in outputs for the output frequency pin in M4 or out of band axis under Spindle in M4. I watched your last Darwin Youtube video and I'm really confused as to where to make all these settings. You said in the video that M4 has it's own step/direction spindle check out the documentation on how to set it up. There is no documentation. Been trying to set this up on my own and having no luck.

I can put a frequency to the pin in Darwin and turn on the forward relay and get spindle motion but in M4 it don't work. Hasn't since you added the Arduino laser stuff and changed the regfile.

Here is what I got from the history file when I tried to turn on my spindle.

Signal 5 set to 0
Signal 6 set to 0
Signal 7 set to 0
Do MDI
Spindle Output located.
Signal 6 set to 1
Signal 5 set to 1

Eric.