Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / I have a pendant and c22 board from cnc4pc, how can I troubleshoot

« on: May 29, 2015, 11:21:55 AM »

I have these two parts here http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=159
and http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?products_id=353

the only thing that works is the e-stop button, and when pressing the enable button and watching the mach3 diagnostic screen, one of the green squares lights up, but when I turn the wheel nothing happens... shouldn't it be possible to use the diagnostic screen to show me the signals from the wheel, I have measured most of the signals with ma osciloscope and there are coming signals from the c-22 board, the clock pulses coming from the c-22 board are maybe too weak 3,5Volts p-p (peak to peak), I have 4,88 volts coming from my USB port any suggestions?

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Another 2nd parallel port question

« on: May 29, 2015, 10:06:36 AM »

It all works now!

 I took out the C-22 board and disabled the brains.

Configured Mach through the port pins and got 5+volts from the USB port.

Hope this helps someone.
It seems the brains had something that  corrupted Mach.

JAckal

It all works now!

 I took out the C-22 board and disabled the brains.

Configured Mach through the port pins and got 5+volts from the USB port.

Hope this helps someone.
It seems the brains had something that  corrupted Mach.

JAckal

I have the same problem.... but to sum up your fix, what exactly was it that you needed to do? I have gone through this thread and a lot of other threads, I see that you tried many things but then in the end you disabled the brains and it worked? how can taht be? don't you need to have the brains enabled to get something to work, or write you own brains? please help, I am getting crazy, don't understand why cnc4pc can't simply make a youtube video, videos always tell you 1000 times more than text instructions thanks in advance 

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can I "level" my work piece in software?

« on: May 12, 2015, 12:02:09 PM »

Why not just trim the edges of the table so it can sit flat ??

(;-) TP

  thanks for the advice, but I want to keep the option to have the workpiece submerged in water (or atleast so the bottom side is sitting in the water) and therefor the edges have to be a little bit higher than the "slats" that the workpiece is sitting on, but there can also be all kinds of other things making the workpice not perfectly level/parallel to X and Y, like dross sitting on the slats, or the slats height is a little bit uneven.... but using Formulas like SSPW pointed out was what I was looking for and solves my problem for now... I am thinking to get a Proma THC for controlling the torch height, Then it does not matter if the workpiece is flat, sloped etc.

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can I "level" my work piece in software?

« on: May 12, 2015, 07:53:28 AM »

You can use formulas.
I made a excel worksheet that calculated best fit for n points around table.
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,29597.msg206297.html#msg206297
The sheet assumes the table is planar but sloped.
You can change the formula and solver setup to solve any shape model.
Sounds like your table might be better with a parabolic (2nd order) model.

Thanks SSPW
this is exactly what I was looking for, not sure why you think my table might be better with parabolic model (not that I disagree, I just don't know better ) could you explain in few words why you think that? usually the problem is that the whole sheet is planar but sloped like you describe.

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Can I "level" my work piece in software?

« on: May 11, 2015, 02:32:37 PM »

My "problem" is that I have a 1,5x1,5 meter size plasma table and the edges on the table are standing 1-3 mm higher than the working area so if I am cutting larger plate that stands out of the working are it will be inclined, so the Z height is not the same all over the plate. I know the best method is to have a THC to control the Z axis but I find it too expensive and I think that if I could manually "level" working area in software that would mostly solve the problem I am having. the workpiece can also be tilted because of other reasons than the piece standing out of the table of course....

What I was hoping would be possible was that I could go to each corner of my working envelope, and zero the Z axis in mach 3, and that mach3 would then recognize that the plate is a little bit inclined/tilted, and it would take that into account when cutting and increase/ decrease the Z height depending on where it is positioned at each time on the table... is this possible? I was also thinking if it would be possible to manually adjust the Z height when the program is running ( because sometimes I could simply adjust the Z height using the keyboard and watching the gap between the workpiece and the nozzle. with these possibilities it would solve most of the Z height problem, I already have a floating height Z for zeroing the Z height before each pierce.

f.y.i I have hypertherm powermax 45 plasma cutter