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Messages - OldestGeezer

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1
Thanks for your reply.  Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you but auto and home maintenance interferes with other thing.  I tried Linux a couple of times in the past but it never was all that easy for me to use.  I am sure I will stick this thing out until it works smoothly.  I do not work on it as much right now as by the time I get to the garage is is very hot there.    I will keep your suggestions in mind.  Again thanks for your reply and assistance.

2
Thanks for the prompt reply.  I will certainly look into that.  Considering that the Proma has stopped me from passing normal control signals through it that could solve the problem with a little re-wiring.  I built a plasma torch to experiment with cnc because I figured that it would be the easiest cnc project to undertake.  Now I think it was not a good choice for a first project.  I guess I should have asked around to see what was the consensus as to what is the easiest cnc project and built that whatever it was.  The good part is I do not really need the plasma torch as I seldom flame cut anything.  Anyway thanks for your help. 

I started thinking I could probably get by without a THC and found that was not correct. 
Then I got a THC with zero support from anyplace and it does a lousy job of control. So I figured a torch touch off would give me a better chance of the torch not wandering off too far but now that I have the torch touch off done the Proma has stopped passing the signal through to the Z axis.  I think this thing is cursed.  Anyway thanks for your prompt reply and your suggestion.   

3
Mach4 General Discussion / How to use an input to activate an output.
« on: August 02, 2020, 08:19:48 PM »
I would like to take an input to my motion controller (PMDX416) and in mach4 software use this input to activate an output.  To be specific I want to get step and direction inputs from an out side source (THC) and have a script (or some other method) that allows the inputs to activate the same outputs that now control a stepper motor.  This is for a plasma torch.  I have a torch touch off set up in the gcode.  When the code comes to the touch off I want mach4 to take control and activate the outputs as usual but when the probe action is over I want the input from the THC to control the output.  By design the THC should take the z axis output from the motion controller and pass it on through to the stepper controller when the torch is not on but it has stopped doing this.  I think maybe some failed circuit in the THC  is causing this.  The THC does still send step and dir signals when the torch is on.  This failure to send the output for the step and dir from mach4 to the THC causes the probe action not to work.  I have checked the motion controller and the outputs work but get lost trying to pass through the THC like they used to do.


If I were writing this in some simple programming language I might do;
if step signal from mach4 or step signal from THC (input) set output to true
  else set output false;
endif

With the same sort of routine for direction.
Unfortunately I do not know the LUA scripting to do this.  Can someone help.



4
Mr. SwiftyJ I have located that macro m3.mcc although I do not know what I will do with it.  I have also been looking at the THC screen in mach4.  Due to the fact that the Proma does not communicate with mach4 I had assumed that I could not use the THC screen.  Most likely a stupid mistake on my part.  I am guessing that when mach4 reads the gcode and sees that it is about to turn on the torch it will do a touch off if I have the touch off turned on in the THC screen?  Where do I configure mach4 to read the input from the switch on the torch touch off?  In fact if you understand this thing I would love to get a lesson in how it works from you or anyone willing to enlighten me. 

5
Thanks for the reply Swiftyj.  I am constructing a floating head right now.  I needed this information for when I get through.  I will look for the M3 macro and see what I can learn. 

6
Thanks for the reply Wallerawang.  I just looked through the files I have and do not see any mention of Proma.  I will try plasma spider as you have suggested.  Thanks again.

7
Thanks for the reply Steve.  I have only a few lines of gcode in my pre-processer.  I do not see any that I recognize as being Z-axis commands.  I need at least some example to learn from  but would love the whole shebang in one pile.  I do not even know what would tell sheetcam to touch off.  Here below is a cut and paste of the little fellow:

Mach4 plasma Post processor

Modal G-codes and coordinates
Comments enclosed with ( and )
M03/M05 turn the torch on/off
Intergrated Mach4 THC
No Z Moves
Incremental IJ

8
Mach4 General Discussion / mach4 cnc plasma torch touch off how to
« on: July 14, 2020, 09:10:33 PM »
OK I am using sheetcam to generate my Gcode.  Right now my pre processor is just about 6 lines.  What I want to know is how do I get the torch to touch off and set the height each time before turning on the torch.  I would like it to do this every time it turns off the torch and  starts to make a cut in another spot.  I have a THC that is standalone and once the torch is lighted it takes control of the Z-axis height and ignores input from mach4.  When the torch is off then mach4 can again take control of the Z-axis.  The THC is a Proma and has been a bit problematic for me to get it to give a steady control signal so after a while it builds up a lot of errors in distance and that is why I want to do a touch off to get a fresh start at the right height between each cut.  Does someone have a pre processor that would work with my setup that I could get a copy of? 

9
Galil / Re: Mach 3 - Galil DMC 4030 - Proma THC - No THC action
« on: October 21, 2019, 10:26:16 PM »
I am using the Proma SD 50 compact THC.  I know absolutely nothing about Plasma cutting but it has been controlling for me. I have messed up a lot of metal and consumables while learning.

10
Mach4 General Discussion / Gcode
« on: October 21, 2019, 09:59:12 PM »
I was wondering if their is a gcode command to move an axis a certain amount Without specifying the exact xyz location.  For instance suppose the Z axis has been moved from the 0.0 location by a THC and the cnc does not actually know the axis has been moved and I want to lift the z axis 50 thousandths or lower it 50 thousandths.  I think I just answered my question.  If the cnc does not know the z axis has been moved and I tell it to move to 0.050 and then back to 0.0 it should move as if it were there from the start?  Does that sound reasonable? 

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