Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Longtime user lost on install of new version of Mach 3

« on: November 21, 2010, 03:02:50 PM »

Background
Been using since Master 5 days, on the same computer (XP SP2 1.2g, 512ram stripped down, no floppy, cd, internet etc. dedicated to CNC only) and the same mill with a 4 axis servo controller from Camtronics.

Current issue
Loaded up a part, did a trial cut off the work and as I was about to cut the real thing, the computer locked up. After multiple tries, I wiped all the Mach 3 stuff off and reinstalled, including deleting the folder out of "C", deleting registry entries and deleting the driver out of system/hardware settings. I tried to reconfigure, but now get no output at all. Did I forget some setup or something?

Here's what I set up - did I miss something?
- Std x0378 printer port - confirmed in control panel
- Set units to inches
- In Pins and ports, Set x,y,z pins and ports just like the manual xstep2, dir3, y4/5, z6/7
- Enabled the quadratures and entered the steps per unit (in my case, running 4:1, it has always been 15010 for x&y and 19010 for z)

Is there some other screen I need to set up? this is driving me CRAZY! Not only is there no output at all now, but in the cam window, when I bring up the part, it doesn't even show the right paths!

Thanks in advance.

2

Forum suggestions and report forum problems. / code wanders off, but only sometimes...

« on: March 26, 2008, 10:31:14 PM »

Sorry, posted wrong code at first - this one should be the right one.

I'm totally stumped and tired of breaking tooling. Anybody willing to take a look?
> Odd thing is, sometimes it works, some times it doesn't.
> Other similar parts work just fine.
> Tried to recode this one, and still a problem.
> Mach shows the correct path, but wanders off it - this is both in the software and hardware.
> I have no spindle control, mist control or on off relays. Its just xyz control.
> In both images, the green line is where it wanders off - not always the same places. It does this on two different PC's, wether I'm just running the software simulation or actually cutting parts.

%
O0000
N104 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
N106 G0 Z.25
N108 X0 Y0
N106 G0 G90 G54 X-.1302 Y.5267
N110 Z.1
N112 G1 Z-.045 F1.
N114 X.8056 F2.
N116 G2 Y.4391 R.0438
N118 G1 X-.0682
N120 G3 Y.3516 R.0437
N122 G1 X.8056
N124 G2 Y.264 R.0438
N126 G1 X-.0682
N128 G3 Y.1765 R.0438
N130 G1 X.8056
N132 G2 Y.0889 R.0438
N134 G1 X-.1302
N136 Z.055 F5.
N138 G0 Z.25
N140 X.7372 Y-.181
N142 Z.055
N144 G1 Z-.175 F5.
N146 Y-.057 F2.
N148 G3 X.6442 Y.036 R.093
N150 G1 X.3568
N152 X.1318 Y.1297
N154 X.0192
N156 G2 X-.0428 Y.1917 R.062
N158 G1 Y.2417
N160 G2 X.0192 Y.3037 R.062
N162 G1 X.1192
N164 G3 Y.3047 R.0005
N166 G1 X.0192
N168 G2 X-.0428 Y.3667 R.062
N170 G1 Y.4167
N172 G2 X.0192 Y.4787 R.062
N174 G1 X.1318
N176 X.3568 Y.5725
N178 X.6442
N180 G2 X.7062 Y.5105 R.062
N182 G1 Y.4605
N184 G2 X.6442 Y.3985 R.062
N186 G1 X.4442
N188 G3 Y.21 R.0943
N190 G1 X.6442
N192 G2 X.7062 Y.148 R.062
N194 G1 Y.098
N196 G2 X.6442 Y.036 R.062
N198 G0 Z.25
N200 X0 Y0
N210 M30
%

3

General Mach Discussion / Code wanders off?

« on: March 25, 2008, 11:29:38 PM »

Hi all, sorry if this is a repost somewhere...

I'm using the latest release of Mach 3, and on one part, it sometimes just wanders off. Its a simple 2d part consisting of mostly straight lines and simple 1/2 circles. Some times, but only sometimes! it just wanders off in the middle of the part like it lost 1/2 of a line segment. The weird thing is that it does it both on the Mach tool path simulation and the real part, but doesn't do it every time. Any ideas? Kinda scary for me! (broken tools to attest). I took screen shots if it helps.

4

LazyCam (Beta) / cut direction cant be changed

« on: January 05, 2008, 08:34:07 PM »

I have a license to Mach3, but not lazycam (at least until I can be sure it works). I may just not be smart enough to use it, but tooling offsets don't do a thing, and no matter what I click or how, it only cuts counter clockwise. Before I spend my hard earned money, I'd like to at least see it work once. Any ideas? I see both the settings and cut direction under the "Offsets" tab, but they don't do anything.

Thanks, and apologies in advance if somebody already explained this (Chip?)

5

LazyCam (Beta) / How do I order chains?

« on: December 31, 2007, 01:57:59 AM »

Background:
I got "Mach 3" when it was Master 5, and have been in and out for a few years.
I've grown quite fond of Solidworks, and now want to cut some parts using simple cam (I don't want to buy or learn anything complicated, and all my stuff is simple 2.5D with at most a little simple pocketing)
I exported a simplified model in DXF format and loaded it into the latest "Lazycam"

Question:
How do I order the chains?
1. I found how to select them individually, but not which direction or in which order. This is important because I have to cut a particular order out of the stock
2. There is no stock definition? - would be nice to see what I'm cutting out of.
3. There is no path simulation of the cut? - that would be nice too

TIA.