Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: starting pasma arc after a pause

« on: April 28, 2010, 04:25:56 PM »

When you are ready with the torch, push the F5 key on your keyboard. If you have the "Torch On" (ports and pins) input configured to sense the arc has transferred to the plate and you are in plasma mode with THC ON selected, Mach will start motion, else hit the "CYCLE START" button after the torch fired. A point worth mentioning here is that it is propably better to use the "RUN FROM HERE" function as the Mach3 innerds loose some steps when you "PAUSE". You might find your part aint the size it should be.

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: OEMLed 111

« on: December 11, 2009, 04:52:38 PM »

@Geast- I sent you email
@Hood- Didn't see the post, maybe cause I wasn't looking. 

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: OEMLed 111

« on: December 11, 2009, 03:35:51 PM »

Hi Hood, are you paging through all the old threads?

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: We need Linux port

« on: August 14, 2009, 10:07:20 AM »

Thanks Brian, I don't like taking liberties. The EMC2 Live CD at LinuxCNC is a hassle free installation and includes UBUNTU 8.04 realtime, it is best to start with this distro. It is open source, follow the links on the LinuxCNC page. It can be installed on most Debian distro's maybe with an adaption here and there. I'm not sure about Free BSD, I suppose theoretically it should be possible. But bear in mind that EMC2 runs on Realtime Kernel, so I have even installed it on the latest UBUNTU 9 release, but to run the controller, you have to reboot in the realtime kernel, so what's the point really?
Might as well stick with 8.04 if you want to use the PC as a CNC controller. I am busy with EMC2 dev for advanced processing to suite the steel cutting industry, as the current version do not support reverse running a part program and plate alignment. This is a part time project of mine.
Further to that, stability of the EMC2 system is pretty much governed by what you choose as hardware, and this is so true of Windows systems as well. Skimp on the hardware and blame yourself, not the software.
I would not compare Mach3 against EMC2, it is not comparable, they are different in many ways. I like both, and use both.
Point of interest, there is a heck of an amount of CNC controllers in the industry running with Windows, especially XP embedded. Most of them that employ  realtime engines utilize propriety
software as a Windows plug in, with dire financial consequences.
No need to ask for a linux ported version of Mach3, EMC2 is similar.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: We need Linux port

« on: August 14, 2009, 03:36:07 AM »

@rtwingfield- It wouldn't be fair to discuss EMC2 in all it's details here so we can move to CNCZONE if you like. The distro is Ubuntu 8.04 realtime kernel and the frontend is AXIS which is a python dev. My handle at CNCZONE is same as here

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: We need Linux port

« on: August 13, 2009, 12:35:20 PM »

I am running both EMC2 and Mach3, must say I like them both. Also no crashes from either of the two. I must be doing something right then.

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: We need Linux port

« on: August 12, 2009, 04:42:15 PM »

Hey, didn't you know that Mach and EMC share a common origin?
Stop "Bashing" about it, anyone can get hold of the original EMC and write a GUI for it. Anyone?? Where's everyone gone then?
Moral of the story, beggars can't be choosers...

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Guilty as charged

« on: October 30, 2008, 04:46:40 PM »

It will be, for sure, as the PCI gen I/O cards have configuration software, there is quite a few available. It shouldn't be a problem doing a plugin. My main reason for this is to check if there is a lower priority in Win Kernel for native ports. The PCI bus by default should have a higher priority. I'm going shoppin for one. I would also like to gen a WinXP embedded footprint for Mach3 mainly. Will get rid of many, many overheads as far as Kernel load goes, but not as far as $ load goes. The XP license works out more than XP home, even on bulk license. And the Cap for the SDK is not cheap either.

Whacko

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Unstable Pulse rate

« on: October 30, 2008, 03:34:43 PM »

Always remember to check your RAM bus speed and match it to the processor. Does not help to have a 800MHZ frontbus that has to be slowed down to keep up with slow ram.
You have DDR400? On a 3GHZ dual core, your frontbus must be 800MHZ to 1GHZ. At least trade that ram for 667

Whacko

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Max distance parallel printer cable

« on: October 30, 2008, 03:27:50 PM »

There is another way, much simpler, but 30m might push the limits on higher bandwidth. You go ECP->Breakout->Drivers etc but use a high current driver breakout typically with ULN2803 and use each output with it's return as a twisted pair. That way is almost like a differential driver, but the live and return must be twisted pair. In this maneer the current flows in opposing directions and thus cancels any crosstalk.

Whacko