Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 19, 2018, 03:11:16 PM »

@TPS

I did look at the project you pointed me. Nice beautiful project but it is something completely different. In my project I modulate the laser power with the Z values obtaining something like a grayscale engraving.
In the project you have referred me the Z looks to be fixed, the laser power is adjusted manually. What I am trying to solve is to avoid that the Z variations slows down xy during the rastering.

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 19, 2018, 03:01:12 PM »

Thanks for the link. There is a lot to read there. Let me study it.....

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 19, 2018, 01:54:56 PM »

The machine is normally set as following (with the Z motor connected):
X and Y are set at 500 steps/mm, 20000 mm/min acceleration 500
Z is set at 500 steps/mm, 10000 mm/min acceleration 400
With the above setting I use the machine for normal operations

When I connect the laser instead of the Z motor, I change the Z settings as following:
250 steps/mm, 20000 mm/sec, acceleration 100000

In such configuration I do expect Z to be so reactive that XY are not affected by the Z changes which are from -0.3 to - 0.8 mm
Instead I clearly see the machine slowing down on the DRO for each Z change and I can clearly hear the ugly noise of a machine stepping all the tiime. You can get a feeling of the noise here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUVU17ks89Y
I am trying to get the machine rastering smoothly but I cannot achieve it.

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 19, 2018, 01:38:08 PM »

@TPS

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. Since the Z motor is disconnected because I am using such output to feed the laser board trough a microprocessor, I have set huge acceleration (100000),  but still Z is slowing down XY. Looks like doesn't matter how fast and reactive I make Z , when there is a change in Z, the other axis slow down for a fraction of second but slow down causing the machine to sound really hugly.  This does not happen with with X and Y if I make Z constand and change a value  in X or Y.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 19, 2018, 11:40:36 AM »

When moving 3 axis simultaneously the actual feed rate is along the vector between the 3 axis. So if Mach 3 sees the Z distance as a long move then motion along XY will be slowed a lot. Your Z move needs to be seen as very short by Mach 3. Maybe setting the step pulses per unit move to a very high number would do the job.

Thanks for your explanation. Actually the move in Z is maximum 0.5 mm and I did set the Z speed 20 times faster than the other two axis. I have 250 steps per mm on Z and 500 steps per mm on XY. But still the machine is slowing down and running in steps with a feed rate of 2000 mm/min rather than in a smooth linear motion. I am not sure if there is anything else I can set in Mach3 or in the Gcode to avoid this issue. I did also set G64 constant velocity but no changes.

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 13, 2018, 01:16:59 PM »

Hi Craig,
thanks for your answer. I suspected that. I did try using the S vaules but was even worst. The machine was stepping all the time waiting for the S value to change.
I tought that using Z should have been much faster.
What I do not understand at present is why Z is so slow despite the very high performance I mentioned in my original post above.
Do you think is a problem generated by the gcode?

7

General Mach Discussion / Z speed limiting xy speed

« on: February 13, 2018, 08:25:53 AM »

Hi there,

I am using the Z pulses to drive a laser TTL trough a micro. So I really do not mind about how fast the Z speed is because there is no motor connected to it and I need it fast..
I have set x and y at 15000mm/min  (that's my max speed on these axis) and Z at 50000 mm/min. When I run the gcode with a feed rate of 1800 mm/min I expect z to be so fast that should not slow down xy.
I do not know why but z is slowing xy and it is running at merely 500-800 mm/min.
The situation does not change if I increase the feedrate. Mach3 is running at 75 kHz so this shlould not be the issue either. The Z acceleration is also very high (10000) so neither this is the issue.

I have tried different gcodess produced with different cam software but still, despite the settings, Z is slowing down XY which I can hear stepping all the time. I have set constant speed but the machine sounds like the gcode is running in exact stop.
I have attached the gcode I am using for the above test. As you will see the Z movement are from 0 to -1 mm so at the speet I have set the Z, I am not expecting xy to slow dons or to step..

Is there a setting to detach Z speed from xy? Any hint?

Thanks for helping,
Felice

8

VB and the development of wizards / Macro does stop

« on: October 30, 2017, 11:14:59 AM »

I am reusing a macro I loaded somewhere to zero the tool.

Here is the macro:

Code: [Select]

[code]'VB Code Start
'-------------------
CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818)
DoSpinStop()
CODE"G90"
code"G0 X100 Y100"
code"G0 Z-50"
Sleep (100)


ZMove = 80.00 'Distance of Probe to move from 0 absolute before Stop or no Contact Made.
ZOffset = 2 ' Plate Hight
ZSal = ZOffset + 8.00 '+ Free Hight, Will possition the Proble 2 MM over the Material.

StopZmove = 0
If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then
DoOEMButton (1010)
Code "G4 P2.5"
Code "G31 Z-"& ZMove & "F25"
While IsMoving()
Sleep(200)
Wend
Probepos = GetVar(2002)
If Probepos = - ZMove Then

'****************
Code "G0 Z-10" 'this does not happen
responce = MsgBox ("**ERROR** " , 4 , "Probe **ERROR**" ) 'this message never pops out
'***************

StopZmove = 1
Code "F" &CurrentFeed
End If
If StopZmove = 0 Then
Code "G0 Z" & Probepos
While IsMoving ()
Sleep (200)
Wend
Call SetDro (2, ZOffset)
Code "G4 P1"
Code "G0 Z" & ZSal
Code "(Z zeroed)"
Code "F" &CurrentFeed
End If
Else
Code "(Check Ground Probe)"
End If
Exit Sub
'-------------------
'VB Code Stop[/code]

I have commented two lines in the middle of the code that should show an error message and move the z up to -10 in the event that the probe is not found.
Actually is not happening, if the probe is not found within the given ZMove, nothing happens it just stop.

If the ZMove is reached, I would like to move  Z up to -10 and pop out the error message "Probe Error".
I do not get the problem. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks
Felice

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: E-cut BoB output configuration

« on: July 29, 2017, 02:35:22 AM »

Thanks.
Noted.
I did create custom commands M1061 and M1060 to switch on/off the output.
Now it is working.
Thanks

10

General Mach Discussion / E-cut BoB output configuration

« on: July 28, 2017, 10:24:03 AM »

I have this card in my machine: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Axis-E-Cut-USB-MACH3-Motion-Control-Card-CNC-Interface-Breakout-Driver-Board-/152143428460?hash=item236c747b6c
It is not something I choose, it was simply part of the machine I bought. I have had no problems with this BOB but now I need to get an additional output to work and the documentation is basically not existing.

I am trying to configure one of the outputs to connect a relay and finally drive the TTL signal of a laser.
Is there anyone that has the same breakout board?
My issue is the following:

I have connected the output #3 and connected a dc voltmeter between such wire and ground.
Using the BoB plugin configurator I see that the output switch on (24Vdc) when I trigger the output #4. Since they start physically counting the outputs from 0, I am not surprised that the output marked #3 on the board switches with the command #4 from the plugin screen. Even the physical output #2 switch from the command 3 on the plugin screen switching on the light.  So, it is like that.
Cool! the output is working with the BoB plugin.
I am not an expert of Mach3, just a beginner user.

Now the mission is to get it working from Mach3.
I did set in the output configuration both the output 3 and 4 to port 1, pin 3 and pin 4 respectively.
I did try to switch on/off such outputs using Gcode M11p3, M11p4, M10p3, M10p4 without any success.
I even tried to configure the output as spindle mapping those outputs (3 and 4) to pin 17 and then using M4 M5 commands.
I am not getting right and I am now quite confused.
I am not sure if I am using the wrong Gcode commands to get the output or if I am doing a mistake in configuring it.

Any help to get the output from such BoB on a Gcode command  will be appreciated.
Thank you
Felice