Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Gecko Drive goes to "fault" mode when my torch fires occasionally

« on: February 27, 2013, 01:31:44 PM »

I make my g code in sheetcam.  Basic shapes right now....I'm just getting started.  Occasionally, right when my torch fires on my plasma, the motor torques go to zero, the torch arc turns off, the fault light comes on on the back of my Gecko driver.  Mach 3 still thinks that I am moving along the path....  I can hit "feed hold" and catch it quick enough to cycle the power on the CNC controller.  Sometimes the torch fires and it will cut the remainder of the path.  Other times the arc immediately dies and the fault light comes back on.  It only happens immediately when the torch fires or if my path goes off of the sheet of metal (which makes sense because it cannot complete the electrical circuit).

Any thoughts?  Is it my starting Z height?  Thanks,

2

Mach3 under Vista / Will Mach3 work on a Windows8 machine?

« on: February 27, 2013, 01:13:45 PM »

I recently purchased a CNC plasma table that uses Mach3.  I wanted to "upgrade" the computer.  I bought a HP desktop with an available slot for a PCI Express card.  The computer is running Windows8.  Added the parallel port PCI card, loaded Mach3.  Is there a driver script I need to run?  Will it work at all?

Thanks,