Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 - MPG - Precise control as it is on an industrial CNC...

« on: June 18, 2019, 04:16:36 PM »

I like that video - that is what I expect a CNC machine to do when using the MPG!

I don't really care to dispute the capabilities of Windows, real time, non-real time, Linux etc.

I do know this, with Mach 3 using either the parallel port or using an external motion control card, they are doing real time pulse streams to the stepper / servo drives, this has been done for a very long time with the Mach software.  Based on that, I fail to understand the "real time" issues related to Windows. 

To me, it is a feature and capability of the MACH software that simply never has functioned properly.  It is a feature that is presented and promoted, but never clarified with a disclaimers stating "the MPG feature sort of works, but not really, but it could work if you bought this controller card, but it won't work with the parallel port or any other motion control card, so, be informed, this feature will only work if you buy this particular motion control card .... blah, blah, blah."

Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing MACH, to this day I find it absolutely amazing what it can do.

Chris D

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 - MPG - Precise control as it is on an industrial CNC...

« on: June 15, 2019, 07:47:47 AM »

Thanks for all the information guys.  Frankly this is very disappointing.  Being that MACH 4 is promoted more as a industrial control I would have expected that this would have been resolved. 


As for the XHC USB MPG, I have a wireless version of that and it too performs poorly.

Chris D

3

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 - MPG - Precise control as it is on an industrial CNC...

« on: June 14, 2019, 05:24:43 PM »

Good afternoon all,

I posted this on the Zone the other day and didn't get any suggestions so I thought I would try here.  I know Mach 3 is somewhat "extinct" but thought maybe someone could chime in.  Even if the solution lies within MACH 4, I would like to hear about it.

I have MACH 3, been using it for a decade or so. My current setup is: Windows 10, Mach 3, ESS (Ethernet Smooth Stepper). For the MPG, I am using a FANUC MPG wired up using "A" and "B" etc.

Regardless of what computer, what MPG, what machine, what configuration, I have NEVER been able to get the MPG to behave as it does on any industrial control.

I can set the distance per step, and if I slowly rotate the MPG, I will get a near perfect step with every click of the MPG. However, if I rotate the MPG any faster than "SLOW", not all clicks translate into an increment of motion. On industrial CNCs the machine will move 1 increment / click of the MPG.

I know there are settings for velocity mode, multi-step, single step, etc. I believe I have tried every combination of these and I cannot get the machine to perform "correctly". The best is in Velocity mode and the machine will move some distance greater than a single increment, however, it still starts and stops crudely.

I have tried the tuning function as well with no luck.

Has anyone found the magic combination to getting industrial MPG performance on MACH 3?

Thanks in advance!

Chris D.

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 - ESS Smooth Stepper - Huanyang Chinese VFD -- Spindle start causes E-Stop

« on: May 06, 2019, 03:56:48 PM »

Hi TPS,

Any suggestions as to what I should look for?  Are you thinking that the voltage is dropping out or something like that?

Chris

5

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 - ESS Smooth Stepper - Huanyang Chinese VFD -- Spindle start causes E-Stop

« on: May 06, 2019, 12:11:52 PM »

Good morning all,

I am having a very strange problem with Mach 3. My system has been working but I also have been working on it so I could have introduced something into the mix. All other behavior of the machine is fine.

This is all about spindle control, and again, this was working...

Here is what happens:

I turn on the spindle in Mach, the spindle starts for a brief moment, then Mach3 E-Stops.

Here is what I have:

Mach3 - ESS Smooth Stepper - C25 BOB -- Dual relay board -- PWM to Analog board -- Huanyang Chinese VFD

This is what I have done to isolate the problem:

• I removed the PWM board and replaced it with a POT, this leaves only two control wires between MACH and the VFD - DCM (Common) and FOR (spindle on-fwd).
  Problem continues - as such, output triggers relay, Relay closes, PWM signal starts, MACH3 E-stops.
  I removed the two wires for DCM and FOR at the relay (Thus the spindle can't start)
  Problem gets 'better", the output triggers relay, Relay closes, PWM signal starts, MACH3 is happy.
  I then connect the two wires (DCM and FOR) together (twisting wires together) and the spindle starts and runs fine - no E-Stop
  
  

Phase 1 Summary:

• Mach3 can control the relay, the relay can operate fine with no problem.
  
  The spindle drive can operate fine by manually wiring together the wires for (DCM and FOR).
  
  Mach3 will E-Stop if the Relay is used as a switch to connect the DCM and FOR wires together.

-----------------------------------------
Further tests and attempts:

• Reconnected the analog control circuit
  Problem and behaviour was exactly the same as above
  

-----------------------------------------

• Also turned off the input for E-Stop (thinking there is a power surge or drop), problem persisted.
  

-----------------------------------------

• Being that the problem is around the relay and that there are two on the board, I tried both relays - same problem.

It is so strange that:

• the relay can actuate perfectly fine by Mach3 and never cause a problem
  the VFD can be turned on/off by twisting the wires together and never cause a problem
  if the relay is used to connect the two wires - Mach3 goes into E-Stop

Anybody got any suggestions as to what is going on here?

Unfortunately I am away on business for a couple of weeks and won't be able to test further until I return.

Chris D

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Turn - X axis dives to zero after tool change...

« on: February 28, 2019, 06:16:10 AM »

Thanks for the info, I will look into that.

Chris D

7

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3 Turn - X axis dives to zero after tool change...

« on: February 26, 2019, 11:46:54 AM »

Good morning all,

I have been working on my lathe trying to clean some of the configuration and screens up and I broke something somewhere.

Here is roughly the program I am running...

G90 G95 G97
T0101
M3 S1000 (X dives to zero - Centerline of part)
G00 Z.1
X1.0
G01 Z-1.0 F.005
G00 X1.1
G91 G28 X0
G28 Z0
G90 G95 G97
T0202
M3 S1000 (X dives to zero - centerline of part)
G00 Z.1
X1.0
G01 Z-1.0 F.005
G00 X1.1
G91 G28 X0
G28 Z0
M05
M30

The lines are commented with the unexpected X move.  Aside from that, the program runs as expected and positions correctly.

Any idea what I screwed up to cause that?

Thanks in advance!

Chris D

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor Tuning Problem

« on: September 01, 2017, 03:01:53 PM »

If your calibration keeps changing, you might want to look into the cause of that.

Have you run repeatability tests on each axis to make sure it repeats?
When you ran the repeatability test, did you run across the full travel for each machine?
When you tuned your motors, how much slower from stall did you lower your max speed?
Have you checked if there is any binding on the ballscrews across its full travel (have to spin by hand)?

What have you done to make sure each axis is capable of moving properly?

Chris D

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: lathe will not thread

« on: August 31, 2017, 06:59:36 AM »

Fast89, I was hoping to find something obvious there and didn't.  This is a puzzling problem.

Chris

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: lathe will not thread

« on: August 30, 2017, 07:11:43 AM »

Can you post your G-code program showing this problem?

Chris D