Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Version R3.043.066 bug

« on: June 25, 2013, 07:39:39 PM »

I use the ShuttleRU pendant.  It has an outer ring that when rotated, will cause an axis to jog.  the more the ring is rotated, the faster the axis jogs.  When the ring is allowed to return to center, the table jog stops.
I installed a new motherboard, and after installing mach, started having trouble with the outer wheel functionality.  The axis would not stop when the ring returned to center.  I thought perhaps the encoder has a dead spot.  I went through a debugging effort on the plugin, and made sure that when the ring goes back to center the code:
      Engine->Axis[CurrentAxis].Dec = true;
      Code("ENDJOG");
Is called. 
Then it dawned on me that I had downloaded and installed the latest version of Mach3.  Going back to version 3.043.022 fixed the issue. 
Eric

2

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Any naming requirements for plugins? Plugin is disabled if renamed.

« on: January 11, 2013, 08:00:54 AM »

I have written enhanced plugins for the Russian pendent, (ShuttleRU).  Why is it that if I rename the plugin from shuttleru.dll to TinyMPG.dll it is not enabled in the plugin configuration menu?  If I rename it shuttleMPG.dll, it comes up enabled.
I also changed my compile and link to create the plugin with the new name and still have the same problem.
Eric

3

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Another ShuttleRU pendant plugin available with great new button function.

« on: December 05, 2011, 07:46:56 PM »

I've released an important update for the ShuttleRU pendant, both the LCD and non LCD versions.
Download

The several changes are detailed on Andrey's website, but the one I want to tell you about is a Momentary Shift-Red option.  Now you can safely keep setup functions, like homing and zeroing out the DRO's in "Red" mode, and you won't accidentally use one of these functions because you forgot you are in the "Red" mode rather than "Green" mode.
If you assign one of the 15 buttons to this new function, then the normal mode button will be ignored, and you will need to hold down the assigned shift button while pressing the button whose Red function you want to execute. 
I've come up with an optimal layout for the buttons, and would be happy to share it, (in the form of a Corel Draw file).

Regards,
Eric Sanders
SoarSoft Software

4

Feature Requests / Backlash feature-Easy implementation!

« on: November 26, 2011, 10:56:15 AM »

For what ever reason, am I'm sure other people's machines are like this as well, by backlash is different in one direction than the other.  In my case, I need .0018 comp in the +y, and .0032 in the -y.
Differential bl compensation would be easy to implement and very useful!
Thanks,
Eric

5

Third party software and hardware support forums. / New ShuttleRU pendant plugins available.

« on: November 02, 2011, 01:53:09 PM »

After reading about the shuttleRU here:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/mach_software_artsoft_software/113193-usb_pendant_russia.html
I purchased Andrey's fabulous ShuttleRU with the LCD screen a few weeks ago. Overall it was VERY well built and had nice paint job as well.
The unit had some odd behavior in that when rotating the inner wheel, phantom button presses would occasionally occur after many full revolutions. I asked for the plugin source code which he sent me to see if I could get to the bottom to this. This problem has been fixed, and I also added several new features. You can download the new plugin from his website here:
http://cncpendant.ru/en/download.html

Be sure to get the v.6 plugins, not the older ones listed at the top of the window. To install, simply delete the existing Shuttle plugin, and unzip both files from the download into the c:\mach3\plugins folder. The .dll is the plugin itself, and the .xml file is the source file for the popup tips I implemented for the button function selection.

6

General Mach Discussion / X-Y Home Slaving only moves X:RefCombination() Broken?

« on: August 01, 2011, 08:10:03 AM »

My home switches are working fine using the default macro behind the home switch:  Z axis homes, then X, then Y.  I'm running the latest version of Mach3
I've modified the code behind the home switch to first home the Z and then home the X and Y at the same time:

DoButton( 24 ) 'Z Home Axis
RefCombination( 3 ) 'X + Y Home

I get the Z but only the X axis homes.  According to the docs, the number you pass into the RefCombination function is based on the X=1, Y=2, Z =4.  I even tried:

RefCombination( 7 ) 'X + Y + Z Home

And once again, the only movement I get is out of the X axis; no Y or Z movement.  

Is the RefCombination() function broken?  Has anyone else had recent success with this?

UPDATE:
================
It appears this is a Smooth Stepper bug that is at least two years old...that along with the partially working Backlash compensation is making me think I might shelve the SS until the plugin is fixed.

7

General Mach Discussion / Is backlash compensation broken?

« on: July 04, 2011, 10:08:01 AM »

I recently completed a Little Machine Shop X2 type mill CNC mill and have the latest Mach3 v3.043.022 installed.  I have for sake of discussion .005" backlash entered into the X-axis.  If I jog to the left, and then jog to the right, my first reverse direction will actually jog a little more the the left.  The next jog to the right will then kick in the compensation.

In the HSM forum, someone suggested v3.042.040 which I installed.  It at least moves the right direction on the first reversal, but the full backlash comp does not kick in until the second jog.

Am I wrong to expect the first reverse jog to command the stepper to rotate the full backlash amount plus the current jog amount?  I have backlash comp set to the default 60% max speed.