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General Mach Discussion / Noob is mystified
« on: April 22, 2009, 03:58:47 PM »
I'm new to Mach3 and can use some help.
I'm an experienced electrical engineer, embedded systems "guy", I design micro-controller based electronics, write firmware, Windows device drivers, dlls, applications, etc.
I have a small Dyna DM2200 machine in my basement, that I currently run with the electronics that it came with... they still work (1980s vintage)... believe it or not.
For those not familiar with the DM2200, it's a small benchtop 3-axis mill, stepper motor based, with it's own controller, and it's own programming language (Dyna proprietary, not g-code).
I'm interested in making the move to Mach3, and some sort of CAD/CAM software, to be more up to date.
I should be more than qualified to do this task (electronics and software wise)... but my machining knowledge is somewhat more limited.
Tapping into the DM2200 controls appears to be very easy, as the axis each have their own stepper drivers with STEP and DIR inputs, as well as home switches.
When the time comes... I will figure out distance per step, direction settings for each axis, and active states for the home switches.
So... the next step for me was to check out Mach3, and, for now, LazyCam.
I watched a bunch of the tutorial videos on the ArtSoft site, then I downloaded the latest lockdown version (Mach3 R3.042.020) from the ArtSoft web-site.
My plan was to just run Mach3 and LazyCam on my main computer WITHOUT installing the parallel driver or attempting to control any real hardware.
The hope was that those programs would run, I'd be able to experiment around with the example files (roadrunner, spanner, shapes, etc.) and get a feel for the apps before actually trying to control a real machine, or shelling out any money (though they are VERY REASONABLY priced).
I have had a lot of luck with this endeavor... but have also struggled quite a bit, and am now seeing something that i just can't figure out.
So here I am... asking for help.
Here's what I expected to be able to do:
1. Run Mach3, without doing much of any setup, as it's in purely DEMO and SIMULATION modes (not controlling any real hardware).
2. Run LazyCam, open the included dxf example files (roadrunner, spanner, shapes, etc.) view the toolpaths, generate g-code.
3. In Mach3, see the resulting G-CODE from the examples, see the toolpath window, run the code (or at least the first 500 lines of it) in demo mode, and see the toolpath.
As I am doing this with the example files that came with the demo... I expected it to work, without much in the way of "gotchas" or strange unexplainables.
It's close.
I am absolutely able to run Mach3 and LazyCam.
I see the geometries of the example dxfs in LazyCam, and am able to generate G-Code into Mach3.
This is where things quit going so smoothly.
Apparently, due to the 500 line limitation in Mach3 (demo mode), and the fact that most of the example files generate more than that... I don't see what I was hoping for in Mach3, full geometries in the toolpath window.
I get partials... for instance... I see part of the Spanner Wrench.
I understand why this happens... and I could live with that... were it the only problem.
For evaluation, I tried reducing the size of the examples (let's talk about spanner) by deleting the 2nd chain, leaviing just the small oval from the left side of the spanner.
Now the geometry displayed in LazyCam and the ToolPath window of Mach3 match... and the G-code is well under 500 lines.
If I click on the first line of the G-Code, then slowly scroll with my wheel (mouse), I see the white highlights in the toolpath window, as expected (very cool).
This is where things quit going so smoothly (again).
Ok... here we go... pressing the start button (already cleared with reset).
Remember... I'm just simulating here... no actual machine... and this IS an example file... I've alread scrolled through the g-code and toolpath window looked good.
I expected to see Mach3 run through the G-code, executing line by line, while updating the DRO's and displaying the toolpath motion in the toolpath window.
That's not what I get.
It seems to jump through the g-code to the first line containing a G3... and then, in the toolpath windows, starts drawing these big green circles that don't seem to be in any way related to the part geometry.
First one in one direction, then one in the other direction, then a larger one, then an even larger one... then more on the opposite side of the origin... it's weird.
Stranger yet... it seems to do something very similar, regardless of what example file I have loaded.
My thinking right now is that this is happening either because:
1. It's the demo... no license (but the other posts on this forum seem to indicate demo is FULLY functional up to 500 lines).
2. It's because I didn't install the parallel port driver, and am runnning as a pure simulation (my guess).
If this is a demo issue... hey I'm more than happy to shell out the $175.00 for Mach3, the $75.00 for LazyCam Pro, and even the $50.00 for the "Mach3 addon's for Mill", as I said, all very reasonably priced.
If it's a simulation issue... I guess that means I have to either install the parallel port driver (not going to happen on my main P.C.) mabe even do a full-on hardware implementation with the actual interface to my mill.
At any rate, I guess I'm a little dissapointed that the example dxfs don't actually seem to work very well in demo/simulate mode... seems like that would be an obvious goal for evaluation purposes.
I'm hoping somebody out there knows the deal, and can tell me... "go here and click on this and that, and then it will work".
Best regards,
Michael
I'm an experienced electrical engineer, embedded systems "guy", I design micro-controller based electronics, write firmware, Windows device drivers, dlls, applications, etc.
I have a small Dyna DM2200 machine in my basement, that I currently run with the electronics that it came with... they still work (1980s vintage)... believe it or not.
For those not familiar with the DM2200, it's a small benchtop 3-axis mill, stepper motor based, with it's own controller, and it's own programming language (Dyna proprietary, not g-code).
I'm interested in making the move to Mach3, and some sort of CAD/CAM software, to be more up to date.
I should be more than qualified to do this task (electronics and software wise)... but my machining knowledge is somewhat more limited.
Tapping into the DM2200 controls appears to be very easy, as the axis each have their own stepper drivers with STEP and DIR inputs, as well as home switches.
When the time comes... I will figure out distance per step, direction settings for each axis, and active states for the home switches.
So... the next step for me was to check out Mach3, and, for now, LazyCam.
I watched a bunch of the tutorial videos on the ArtSoft site, then I downloaded the latest lockdown version (Mach3 R3.042.020) from the ArtSoft web-site.
My plan was to just run Mach3 and LazyCam on my main computer WITHOUT installing the parallel driver or attempting to control any real hardware.
The hope was that those programs would run, I'd be able to experiment around with the example files (roadrunner, spanner, shapes, etc.) and get a feel for the apps before actually trying to control a real machine, or shelling out any money (though they are VERY REASONABLY priced).
I have had a lot of luck with this endeavor... but have also struggled quite a bit, and am now seeing something that i just can't figure out.
So here I am... asking for help.
Here's what I expected to be able to do:
1. Run Mach3, without doing much of any setup, as it's in purely DEMO and SIMULATION modes (not controlling any real hardware).
2. Run LazyCam, open the included dxf example files (roadrunner, spanner, shapes, etc.) view the toolpaths, generate g-code.
3. In Mach3, see the resulting G-CODE from the examples, see the toolpath window, run the code (or at least the first 500 lines of it) in demo mode, and see the toolpath.
As I am doing this with the example files that came with the demo... I expected it to work, without much in the way of "gotchas" or strange unexplainables.
It's close.
I am absolutely able to run Mach3 and LazyCam.
I see the geometries of the example dxfs in LazyCam, and am able to generate G-Code into Mach3.
This is where things quit going so smoothly.
Apparently, due to the 500 line limitation in Mach3 (demo mode), and the fact that most of the example files generate more than that... I don't see what I was hoping for in Mach3, full geometries in the toolpath window.
I get partials... for instance... I see part of the Spanner Wrench.
I understand why this happens... and I could live with that... were it the only problem.
For evaluation, I tried reducing the size of the examples (let's talk about spanner) by deleting the 2nd chain, leaviing just the small oval from the left side of the spanner.
Now the geometry displayed in LazyCam and the ToolPath window of Mach3 match... and the G-code is well under 500 lines.
If I click on the first line of the G-Code, then slowly scroll with my wheel (mouse), I see the white highlights in the toolpath window, as expected (very cool).
This is where things quit going so smoothly (again).
Ok... here we go... pressing the start button (already cleared with reset).
Remember... I'm just simulating here... no actual machine... and this IS an example file... I've alread scrolled through the g-code and toolpath window looked good.
I expected to see Mach3 run through the G-code, executing line by line, while updating the DRO's and displaying the toolpath motion in the toolpath window.
That's not what I get.
It seems to jump through the g-code to the first line containing a G3... and then, in the toolpath windows, starts drawing these big green circles that don't seem to be in any way related to the part geometry.
First one in one direction, then one in the other direction, then a larger one, then an even larger one... then more on the opposite side of the origin... it's weird.
Stranger yet... it seems to do something very similar, regardless of what example file I have loaded.
My thinking right now is that this is happening either because:
1. It's the demo... no license (but the other posts on this forum seem to indicate demo is FULLY functional up to 500 lines).
2. It's because I didn't install the parallel port driver, and am runnning as a pure simulation (my guess).
If this is a demo issue... hey I'm more than happy to shell out the $175.00 for Mach3, the $75.00 for LazyCam Pro, and even the $50.00 for the "Mach3 addon's for Mill", as I said, all very reasonably priced.
If it's a simulation issue... I guess that means I have to either install the parallel port driver (not going to happen on my main P.C.) mabe even do a full-on hardware implementation with the actual interface to my mill.
At any rate, I guess I'm a little dissapointed that the example dxfs don't actually seem to work very well in demo/simulate mode... seems like that would be an obvious goal for evaluation purposes.
I'm hoping somebody out there knows the deal, and can tell me... "go here and click on this and that, and then it will work".
Best regards,
Michael