Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: February 20, 2014, 09:32:19 PM »

Hi.  My name is Carl and I live most of the year in Carson City NV and a short part of winter in Sun city AZ.  I have had a small Zenbot router for a little while now and am still learning (slowly!).  Latest addition was a copy of CAMBAM which seems fairly straightforward.  So I am trying to use that software when necesary and programming my own in G-code when I can.  Trying to work with logical loops right now. Very slow for this senior citizen.  The ole' brain does not seem to comprehend as fast as it use to.  Anyway, great site.  i love the forum and have used it extensively this week.   

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: February 10, 2013, 10:06:25 PM »

To all of you that helped---THANK YOU!  Based on everything you said, I bought a newer computer.  As per my last post, I had difficulty loading Mach3 and the drivers using the downloads from several years ago.  Just downloaded fresh from Mach3 and reloaded.  Everything seems to work correctly.  I'll run additional testing tomorrow, but for now,   THANKS!

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: February 10, 2013, 09:56:19 PM »

Hi My name is Carl.  I am new to this hobby.  Civil Engineer by trade--now retired.  Haven't programed in years--then it was fortran with punch cards.  WOW, that really makes me old!.   

Started a hobby with cad run laser about 4 years ago.  Carving wood and acrylic items and etching glass.  Last year wanted to augment that work with a cad router in wood or   Hopefully combine the work for some unique products to sell at craft shows.  Purchased a small 16x24 Zenbot with Mach 3 license and Lazy CAM.   Ran this on an old Windows XP machine.  As you may see in another post of mine, i've had difficulty getting a smooth action out of this set-up.  Bit the bullet (so to speak) and bought a newer XP Pro machine this week-end.  Had a lot of trouble loadiing Mach3 again and getting the drivers to work.  Just downloaded latest Mach3 from the web and re-loaded onto that computer.   WaLa!  It seems to work like it is suppose to.   To all of you that helped me-  a very big thank you!  I'll work on this more tomorrow.

RE:me--I live in Carson City NV most of the time.  Have spent the last month in Sun City AZ.  Would enjoy sitting with anyone familiar with the Zenbot machine, so if you are close by, I'll buy the coffee and dougnuts*~*

My current challenge is writing a G-code to drill a cribbage board.  I'll let you know how that goes.     Thanks again for all of the help--you are the reason I purchased the newer computer.

 

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: February 10, 2013, 04:22:33 PM »

Okay, I bit the bullet.  I assumed the problem was with my old computer and purchased a newer one.  I knew not to get Vist so I got a Sony Vaio with XP Pro on it.  Mach 3 comes up fine and appears to work great on the screen but does not talk to the router.  I think I noticed on a search that some newer versions of Windows after 2000 had port addresses different than before. 

Anyway, the program comes up much faster, can move between screens faster but cannot move my router head.  Any help?

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: January 31, 2013, 03:05:21 PM »

Maybe.   It runs so slow, I may be impatient (that's what my wife says, but I normally don't agree)so I inadvertantly may be moving it.  Note that the computer is an older HP running XP.  Can that age be an issue?  Everything seems to run okay except for the jerky motion of the router head. 

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: January 30, 2013, 06:49:46 PM »

Sorry for the delay in my response, but been out of town.  Ran the driver test just now.  Runs very slow.  First says "pulsing tto fast", then Mach3 takes over and it says "Pulsing too slow".  Line is not smooth with random vertical lines.  In the first part of the test when it says it is too fast, the vertical lines are close together and very short. Then when after Mach3 takes control and i get the 'to slow' statement, the vertical lines are only about 3 or 4 to a screen but much higher.    Any clue?

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: January 14, 2013, 03:38:19 PM »

Real simple code:

%%TEST PROGRAM
G90
G20
G64
G1 X2 Y2 F5.0
M30

This one took about 20 steps to get there!  Usually the steps are longer, but for some reason they were very short in this small prog.

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: January 13, 2013, 03:06:06 PM »

Thanks for your responses. 

John, I have it set in constant velocity mode.

Tweakie, I am using a desk top computer.  Everything seems to work correctly except for the motion action I've described.

I'd love to hear from other Zenbot users.  Do you have the same movement hesitation or is this unique to my machine?   Thanks,   Carl

9

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: January 12, 2013, 09:41:41 PM »

I am milling.  But it doesn't seem to matter what I do, even with  GO or G1 codes, it moves to the spot in jerks, not a nice smooth motion.  It moves about 1/2 inch, then stops for a fraction of a second, then moves again about another 1/2 inch or so.  I've varied the speed of anywhere from 1 to 50 and experience the same sympton. Changed jog size, jog on and off, all to no avail.   It makes me believe it is inherent in either the program or Zenbot controller, but not sure.  It doesn't seem to effect results, just looks funny.   Carl

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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / continuous motion on a Zenbot

« on: January 11, 2013, 09:34:46 PM »

First, I am a newbie at this.  I have written a small G-code program to drill a series of large diameter holes with a small bit.  The cutting is done in many short strokes rather than one continuous motion for each circle.  Many of the tutorials that I have watched show the router moving at a continuous and a constant lateral feed rate.  My Zenbot moves a distance, stops, then moves again.  Have I got something set wrong or is this inherent in Mach3 or the Zenbot?     Carl