Topics

1

Mach4 General Discussion / ESS and Mach4 current status

« on: August 19, 2016, 12:29:09 PM »

I look here and Warp9 and other forums for the state of ESS plugin with Mach4.
There are bits all other, but am i missing a master list or thread or webpage
 the shows whats bullet proof, whats kinda working, whats not implemented yet, relative to what we currently have with ESS and Mach3?

2

VB and the development of wizards / OEM Buttons for Select Jog Inc N and Select Jog Step N

« on: June 11, 2015, 11:43:43 AM »

Whats the difference between OEM Buttons

191-200 Select Jog Inc N
265-274 Select Jog Step N

or are they the same?

3

General Mach Discussion / MACH3 Pendant/Remote for iOS and other Platforms

« on: May 21, 2015, 09:12:40 AM »

I thought i would show a preview of what i have been working on for the last week.
This is revision 0 and is a still a work in progress.
This is my first Mach3 modbus and brain work. So i am sure it can be optimized in the future.

Its a Mach3 Pendant/Remote hosted on my iPad and iPhone.

Solution is based on platform independent SCADA package, and can be hosted on Android or PC (Window or Linux).
Comms at Modbus TCP.

Cash cost was $10 for one screen SCADA runtime for iOS.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myscada-mobile-one/id576234797?mt=8

Modbus Slave app i used was a free download.
http://www.modbusdriver.com/diagslave.html

Anyways, i did a video showing it working last night.
I look forward to your feedback. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxNdRprYsPg&feature=youtu.be

4

Brains Development / Brain based home switching

« on: May 19, 2015, 12:10:56 PM »

I am testing some ideas in MACH3 in a off line installation (simulation).

I have configured modbus tcp input that has bits 0-2 for to setting home x, home y, home z inputs (soft switches).

I made a brain that sets each home input and then stops all actions when each bit is set.
So its fast, home is set be one shot timer, stop action is set be second delayed timer.

Diagnostics shows modbus and brain are working. I see the M1Home, M2Home and M3Home LEDs flash on the diagnostic page.

When i ref each axis, or all axis, the brain stops the homing travel as expected, but the machine DRO is not zeroed.
I have auto zero set in the homing and limits setup.

Home do i get the machine to zero?

5

Brains Development / DRO for Feedrate set by GCode

« on: May 13, 2015, 11:32:09 AM »

Can somebody tell me which DRO number/name the feed rate set by gcode is?
I want the one with the arrow in the attached pic.

6

Brains Development / Functions list for brain formulas

« on: May 13, 2015, 08:11:10 AM »

Where can I find a list of functions and operators that can be used in brains formula?

It say you can use % which is modulus, but it doesn't seen to work.

Are there round, floor, ceil functions?

Complete listing would be nice if somebody knows where it could be found.

7

Brains Development / EStop and IsMoving Timining

« on: April 14, 2015, 11:11:12 AM »

I am wondering if anybody can tell me the how IsMoving reacts after an EStop is triggered.
When an EStop is triggered, i assume Mach3 decelerates all the axises at the maximum rate, and when the axis is stopped, then resets IsMoving.

Can any of the brain experts confirm this?

I would like to set an output when an estop triggers and reset the output after short delay on the IsMoving is reset.

8

General Mach Discussion / Configure an output to follow an input?

« on: March 25, 2015, 09:06:23 AM »

Is there a way to configure an output to continuously follow the state of an input in Mach3?

9

General Mach Discussion / Table Compensation using Formulas

« on: March 20, 2015, 01:44:51 PM »

Hi all. Just finishing first rev of my first cnc machine. I am new to everything cnc and mach3.
Initial testing showed a small 0.3mm drop across my 575mm width and 0.1mm across my 975mm length.
I will probably go back a do some mechanical correction, but i need to cut some parts now and just cant keep messing with my machine now.

I have found everything thing i needed about Mach3 here and other forums and YouTube so far.
I searched the MACH3 docs and web and nothing really good on Mach3 formulas.
Few references, mostly just mentions of formulas, but no good examples.

So i messed with in last night and came up with a solution to my immediate needs.
Might be useful for new comer and who knows, maybe some existing users too.

Before anybody says just face a sacrificial table top, i cant do it, i have nice alum tslot table and need to mill parts in vise or metal fixture plates.

So basically i probed around my table and found a bunch of zeros. Recorded the xyz points.
Then i made a EXCEL worksheet that was the excel solver addin to finds the best fit plane from all the measured points.
It makes the formula to compensate the z axis as a function of x and y.
You just cut the formula from excel and paste right into Mach3.

You can do the whole table or part or just a local fixture.
If you add a fixture or fixture plate, you can probe that local work area out and compensate for how its laying.
Just remember to remove formulas or switch back to a global table formula after local use!

Makes me think i should figure if a custom button could switch between formulas (local/global).
Hum something to look at later.

Spreadsheet can be downloaded here https://www.dropbox.com/s/ek4byzw91rykuw3/Mach3%20Table%20Compensation%20Solver.xlsx?dl=0
Use at your own risk!
Anyways, this my first post here. Hope its a help to somebody or saves you some time.