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General Mach Discussion / Tool and Work Offset questions

« on: November 30, 2012, 01:28:50 AM »

I use a K2CNC 3925G router with licensed Mach3 and no presettable tools.  Normally I just set the tool length using "Zero Z" on the Program Run panel.  I now need to cut multiple identical parts using 12 work offsets (G10 L2, G59, M98...).  So I'm learning tool offsets in Mach3, so the Z is correct for all 12 work offsets. 

My first question is on tool offsets, which I've done with other machines but not with Mach3.   The machine's Z home switch is at the top of the travel, so all Z Machine Coors are negative.  Here's what I'm doing:
Put Tool 1 in and jog it to the top of the workpiece.  Say the Z Machine Coordinate is -8.0 
In the Offsets menu, I enter "1" for the Tool and "8.0" for the Z offset.  The Tool Offset On/Off green LED is on.
But now the Z Work Coor is -16.0. 
Next I go to MDI and enter G44, and the Z Work Coor changes to 0.0  So I permanently set the G44 in General Config > Initialization String. 
This works, but I thought most machines used G43 -- am I setting up tool offsets correctly for this machine?  Or perhaps I have something else configured oddly that leads to needing G44? 

My second question is on the work offsets.  When I run the program below, Mach starts outputting the correct Machine Coors for Work Offset P101, but on the Offsets tab it says the Active Work Offset is G59P102 (and Current Work Offset is 102).  Also, when doing Work Offsets P102-P112, the Tool Path Display just draws over the same P101 area.  Are these just (confusing) bugs or is there some other error? 

Thanks for any advice,
David


%
(Multi Bridge Program)
(Cuts 12 bridges in an array: 3 in Y  by  4 in X)
G17 G20 G64
(Setup Work Offset Coordinate Systems)
G10 L2 P101  X-27.5 Y4.0
G10 L2 P102  X-27.5 Y12.0
G10 L2 P103  X-27.5 Y20.0
G10 L2 P104  X-30.0 Y4.0
G10 L2 P105  X-30.0 Y12.0
G10 L2 P106  X-30.0 Y20.0
G10 L2 P107  X-32.5 Y4.0
G10 L2 P108  X-32.5 Y12.0
G10 L2 P109  X-32.5 Y20.0
G10 L2 P1010 X-35.0 Y4.0
G10 L2 P1011 X-35.0 Y12.0
G10 L2 P1012 X-35.0 Y20.0

(Cut 12 bridges referencing subroutine P12345)
G59 P101  (P101)
M98 P12345
G59 P102  (P102)
M98 P12345
G59 P103  (P103)
M98 P12345
G59 P104  (P104)
M98 P12345
G59 P105  (P105)
M98 P12345
G59 P106  (P106)
M98 P12345
G59 P107  (P107)
M98 P12345
G59 P108  (P108)
M98 P12345
G59 P109  (P109)
M98 P12345
G59 P110  (P110)
M98 P12345
G59 P111  (P111)
M98 P12345
G59 P112  (P112)
M98 P12345

(Define subroutine program to cut 1 part.  Normally there a zillion lines below; this just marks the outline.)
O12345
G0 X0.0 Y0.0 Z0.1
M3 S5000
G0 X0.0 Y-3.5
G1 Z-0.1 F100
Y3.5
X1.5
Y-3.5
X0.0
G0 Z0.1
M99 

M5
M30