Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Help, No "OK to move " signal getting to Mach3

« on: May 03, 2016, 08:45:35 AM »

Hi Guys,
 I have a 2008 DynaCnc plasma/router with 6000 series controller. Everything had been working well till late last year. I had intermittent problems with the, OK to move/Arc OK signal not getting through when using THC. Now the signal does not get through to Mach3 at all. The signal only is needed when using the THC. The machine will not move if the signal does not come in.  I have checked the cable from the torch to the controller and all seems well. The parallel and 9 pin cables from computer to controller are all new.
My Questions:
1. Does anyone know where or what port/pin the "OK to move" signal comes into Mach and what the label might be inside Mach config utility.
2.  I was wondering if I could lie to Mach and tell it that that signal was always on somehow, or just bypass it when the THC is turned on.
 If it is a PCB card in the controller I am probably out of luck because they are out of business unless someone has a old 6000 series controller they have replaced or parted out and don't need anymore.
I appreciate your help.


Mike

2

General Mach Discussion / Referencing axis at 0.0 question (again)

« on: January 12, 2015, 12:08:00 PM »

This is kind of s general question for my info. I have a CNC router/plasma machine. When I reference home in the router xml the machine goes to the limit switch touches and then backs off and zeros out like it should. In plasma xml mode it goes to home switch touches, and stops dead, some times it zeros out sometimes not. Its not a big deal as I have lived with it for almost 7 years. I am just wondering which setting would cause the variation in homing. Thanks

3

General Mach Discussion / Wierd port addresses

« on: October 23, 2010, 11:49:38 AM »

After battling the 64 bit OS issues I decided to take the computer back to the seller. I retasked my 6 year old XP 32 bit machine to run my plasma/router. I pulled the ports from the dead machine and installed into the old machine with XP sp3. Installed Mach, ran the driver test and got a "excellent". Now I was going to feed my old xml files in and I noticed the two port addresses are different looking. The old addresses were a hex address xab0 or something like that, the new are 9400 and 9800. I double checked using the "Get port address" file in Mach. I haven't hooked it to the CNC machine yet. Does that sound right or does  XP SP3 do something different with addresses?

Thanks Much,
Mike

4

General Mach Discussion / Mach under Windows 7 64 bit- XP Emulation-Again-Help

« on: October 21, 2010, 01:04:20 PM »

I am not a Computer minded person so don't flame me to bad. I know a the specs call for a 32 bit operating system, but will Mach run under windows 7 Pro 64 bit in XP mode? I can save a couple of hundred bucks going that route by not having to buy a new complete retail box of 32 bit, and then paying someone to make it a dual boot box.

Thanks Much
Mike

5

General Mach Discussion / Machine not backing off switch when homing

« on: March 31, 2010, 09:08:57 AM »

I recently upgraded Mach to 3.04 from 1.96. I thought the homing looked a little different. Upon a closer look the the X and y axises are not backing off the limit switchs when homing. The carridge hits the limit ,stops, and zeros out. Is there something in the Config area that I have not set correctly? I'm assuming I should be backing off the switch until it clears. This isn't a problem (I believe) untill I have to use the Plasma portion, will that change or effect my switch offset?

Thanks
Mike

6

General Mach Discussion / NOOB and screen sets

« on: March 22, 2010, 06:59:33 PM »

This is probably a easy one for  you guys. I just "upgraded" my 1.94 version of mach to 3.04. Installed the new driver. But now my screen sets only fill about 3/4 of the screen vertically, horizontally the run almost all the way across. I have auto screen enlarge checked. They completely fill the screen in the older version. Any ideas?

Mike

7

General Mach Discussion / Strange Mach3 stoppages in plasma mode

« on: June 18, 2009, 08:38:52 AM »

I have a Dynacnc plasma/router with a Dyna6000 series controller. Mach3 ver 1.9. The torch is a automated Cutmaster 52 with a hand torch.  My problem is the on plasma side. The machine will cut and follow the gcode fine for (usually) 14-20 inches then it trips off (goes into reset mode) shutting everthing down. If I only cut 12 inches and stop, then do a new pierce and start to cut I can go another 12 inches or so, etc etc. Sometimes more sometimes less.   Makes no difference if THC is on or off.
The machine is flawless when cutting wood with a router.
I am at my wits end and about ready to quit the plasma portion all together unless one of you Gurus can point me in the right direction.
Any ideas???

Thanks
Mike

8

General Mach Discussion / NooB: Torch Volt control in Mach

« on: May 20, 2009, 10:23:40 AM »

I'm having issues where it seems that torch volts are not being sensed correctly, I think, maybe.
I have a Dynacnc mach and a Cutmaster 52 hand torch retrofited to Dyna's THC system.
The problem I believe, was that Mach could not get or recognize the torch volts. The torch would ignite , start to move, then starts to raise up until it lost the arc. Or if I set the volts below 85 the torch would dive into the material. I took the torch to a local shop and they told me the that one voltage lead was on the "electrode" connection(were it should be), but the other was on the "tip" connection and should have been on the Work#1 connection. The boys in the shop said once the tip transfer ed the arc to the work piece I was not getting the correct voltage readouts. Haven't fired it up since the wiring change
  All that being said, I now notice that there is a spot in the config area of Mach for "Torch volt control". Does this have to be checked in order for THC to function properly or is the THC probably built into Dyna's 6000 contoller.

Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!

Thanks
Mike

9

General Mach Discussion / Noob with SLOOOWW 3D Carving Speeds- HELP!!

« on: November 18, 2008, 09:36:56 AM »

Hi Guys,
   This is my first post so I hope I get it right. I am the proud new owner of a DynaCNC 4 x 4 Plasma/router combo with Servos and Mach3 ver 1.90(old, supplied with machine).
My Problem: Extremely slow(I think anyway) 3D contouring speeds. I recently finished a mantel carving of a outdoor scene that was approx 6" x 42" and took the better part of 12 hours to carve. While 3d carving the blended rate was between 20 and 40 ipm. While rough cutting in x/y it would get up to programed speeds of around 300 ipm. Code was generated by Vectric's Cut 3D, approx. 500,000 lines of code
   The axises where set at X: vel 300ipm acel 30ipm,  y: vel 300ipm acel 30, z: vel 100ipm acel 30. The z is set to the max that the machine will go, x & y can supposedly run at almost 800 ipm acel 30.  CV was on, CV feedrate off. Servos use 500 line encoders, X&y use 1870 steps, Z uses 20,000 steps.
I talked to the machine builder and he didn't think those speeds were out of line.
   I hope there are some 3D router guys that can tell me if 20-40 ipm is normal or not. If I can't speed this up to between 70 and 100 ipm I won't be able to turn 3D carving into a profitable venture.
Pulse speed was aprox 35,400, but for whatever reason the "reduced" light was lit?
  I would have posted the XML file but appartently I can't add attachments, Yet
Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

TIA
Mike