Messages

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General Mach Discussion / Re: K2 KG3925 settings for Mach3 here

« on: November 15, 2006, 08:03:37 AM »

Hood - I've just tried bringing in the original XML files and choosing not to convert - and, yes, the settings looks correct (and you do get the gray soft limits displayed). Thanks.

Chip - I think I'll try to get some stuff cut before I change version, but I will try it at some point. I did have quite a bit of difficulty getting the machine to move - taking an original config file and changing the port/pin values etc. didn't work. I only succeeded when I based my changes on Zealous' file, so I'm not 100% sure that moving to the latest version will leave me with a working setup until I try it.

On the same subject - I found last night (with help from others) that the files I posted have had the IJ mode (in Config->State) set to absolute, when it really should be incremental. Not something I'd changed, but it causes issues with SheetCAM + Mach.

The problem is that none of this fixes the original problem - that the softlimits don't seem to work on my metric config in v1.84.001! Oh well, it's not the end of the world...

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General Mach Discussion / Re: K2 KG3925 settings for Mach3 here

« on: November 14, 2006, 12:03:53 PM »

I've just downloaded v2.0.009 and installed it on a spare PC. I started it up and checked both the metric and imperial versions of my files. One word (or, rather, smiley) :- 

Mach opens up a dialog box and tells me it's converted some of the Mach2 tags (Mach2 tags in a config that's come from Mach3 ), anyway, it warns that only the estop settings (and motor tunings) have been converted.

In other words, if you're using v2.0.009 and use the xml files I posted, the port/pin and home/limits settings bare absolutely no resemblance to what they should be.

So...

1) If you are using the xml files I posted, only use them with Mach3 v1.84.001 (perhaps some later versions will work?)
2) Should I update my installation to v2.0.009? I could manually redo all the settings, but is it worth going to this version?

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General Mach Discussion / Re: K2 KG3925 settings for Mach3 here

« on: November 13, 2006, 05:08:29 PM »

Hi Chip,

What version of Mach are you using? I've got Mach3 v1.84.001 installed.

I'm not aware of any gray shaded lines on the display, and I have enabled the Tool Boundaries tick box in the ToolPath config. Is it not shown in this version?

I've attached screen grabs of the home/limits page for both my imperial and metric versions. The metric setup was done by multiplying the inch values by 25.4 and choosing a sensible close round value. Not sure why you're getting the 100/1000/40/-40 values, but I guess it would be good to get to the bottom of it.

Any chance you could post some screen dumps?

Cheers.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: K2 KG3925 settings for Mach3 here

« on: November 12, 2006, 05:06:42 PM »

Looks like your Config, Home & SoftLimit's are set to AutoZero, Unchecked these and check that Home Neg. are set properly.

Hi Chip,

I think that these settings are OK. Only the numbers differ from the Imperial version, and, checking the Mach doc (section 5.6.1.2) it indicates that ticking the Auto Zero boxes means that, when homed, the axis DROs are set to the values in the Home Off. boxes (rather than all zero's). This is what I want, as the home switches on my machine (and my configuration) are located at X=0, Y=24.25"/615mm, Z=0.

Doesn't look to me that your table is X 100 MM  by Y 1000 MM and Z 40, -40 is corect may be my eye's though..

Yea, that isn't the right values. From which dialog box are you reading them? I've entered the right values in all the boxes I could find.

Nice looking Router

Many thanks. The only thing I've actually cut with it yet is the holes for hold downs in the tabletop, but so far it's looking pretty good.

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General Mach Discussion / K2 KG3925 settings for Mach3 here

« on: November 11, 2006, 05:39:49 PM »

A number of people, myself included, have been looking for setup files for K2’s KG3925 router for Mach3.

Using a file posted by Zealous (many thanks), I’ve been working on a configuration for my 2006 model KG3925, and I’ve posted it here in the hope it may be useful.

All my comments on orientation refer to the image at the bottom of this post.

What’s in this setup

• The motor tuning has been left unchanged from Zealous’s file – 10160 steps per unit, 200ipm max velocity, 18.3 inches/sec/sec acceleration.
• The axes have been setup with the 39” as X, the 25” as Y.
• The origin (X=0, Y=0) is at the front left of the working area – to achieve this, Dir LowActive is not set for the Y Axis on Config->Ports and Pins->Motor Outputs
• In Config->Homing/Limits the Home Neg settings will move the X axis left, Y axis away and Z axis up when the REF ALL HOME button is pressed. This will move to the locations of the home switches on this machine (as desired).
• Once referenced, the Home Off. settings will set the axes to X=0, Y=24.25, Z=0. This means that when moved to X=0, Y=0, the Y axis is about 0.25” above the limit of the axis.
• In Config->Homing/Limits the Soft Max and Min values will cause the machine to slow and stop (when jogging) about 0.25” from the front edge (Y=0) and right edge (X=38.75) of the machine (as well as slowing and stopping just before the ends with the home switches (X=0 and Y=24.25). Because I often set Z=0 as the top of a work piece (i.e. generally mess about with Z) I’ve left the soft limits for Z as +5” and –5”.

EDIT: Important - these config files were setup in v1.84.001 of Mach3. It would appear that v2.0.009 works sufficiently differently that the settings will be incorrect. Make sure you read the later posts in this thread for details.

I did try to increase the axis speeds, and got to 265ipm, which works, but the control box seemed to keep cutting out, so I’ve left them at 200ipm.

I’ve also attached a metric version – where I’ve redone the motor tuning, limits and home values to mm numbers close to their inch equivalents. This looks OK, but for some reason the soft limits don’t seem to have any affect (the machine will bump into the X+ and Y- limits). I’m not yet sure if this is a Mach bug, or something I’ve done wrong.

Any comments welcome...

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General Mach Discussion / Re: I'm stuck....K2 3925 settings.

« on: November 08, 2006, 06:57:40 PM »

Sploo,

could you post your XML file when you get everything up and running and keep this post updated with your experience for other KG users.

Absolutely. I was planning on posting, but I want to do a bit more tweaking to be happy that I've got a pretty decent file for others to use. I'm hoping to get time to do this in the next few days.

You probably have limit switchs but if you don't I found this useful:...

Only home switches at the moment, but I think I'll probably be adding some extra switches at some point, as I really don't want to be banging into the unprotected ends of the axes. Nice idea with the momentary switches BTW.

We have some at the place I work, so would source them from our supplier (I'm in the UK, so all these useful US suppliers like McMaster-Carr aren't really practical).

First I homed all of the axis’
I moved all the axis to there extremes and wrote down the DRO reading...

Whilst I've not played with it in a few days, that's basically what I did, and ended up with a set of numbers that looks reasonably similar. Whenever I press the button in Mach to enable softlimits, it tells me my axes are out of range.

Would like to get it working, but it's not something I'm going to lose too much sleep over!

Keith - bit poor with a tool changer sharing the pins. I suppose there is the issue of not having many input pins on a parallel port. Let us know how it goes; I'm considering making my own tool height gauge so would like to hear more about your experiences, and also to see those photos.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: I'm stuck....K2 3925 settings.

« on: November 06, 2006, 10:25:30 AM »

sploo,
Since I cut guitars I use the Y axis as my 39" and the X 25".

Understood. I think that may be the default configuration, as it looks to be that way round on one of the Mach 2 files I downloaded from K2's website.

I had another play last night, and managed to get the machine moving consistently with the toolpath display (i.e. clockwise is clockwise!).

Once in awhile I'll wonder why my machine isn't running smooth and come to find I forgot to have it in "Constant Velocity" mode.

Yea, this was one of the things Ron mentioned when I spoke to him. I note that the circular pocket wizard in Mach 3 was putting a G64 at the beginning of the file (which is good).

If your Limit switch's go off for no reason change your "Deboucne Interval" to around 800+, or turn off "Watch Dog"

One thing that took me awhile to get the hang of was the "Softlimits" let me know if you have any trouble and I can post some advice about them.

Yea, to get the axes working as I wanted, I've been doing quite a bit of playing with the pins and home/limits settings, as it appears you can reverse a motor from two separate dialogs.

I've yet to be able to get the soft limits working, so any advice would be appreciated. That said, when I next get time I was planning to sit down and have a good read of those areas of the Mach 3 manual (I've been slowly working my way through it).

I didn't like K2's vacuum system so I bought some plexy glass, screws(much simpler just to use aquarium glue) and a dryer vent.
Used my K2 to cut out a hole and $10 later I had a great vacuum system. It's not pretty but works great, I need to see the bit and easly change it.

I ordered the K2 unit, but later read Bill Pentz's excellent site on dust extraction, and therefore I think I will need to make something bigger myself. However, that's a job for when I've finished plumbing in my ducting and extractor (yet another big job I'm doing at the moment).

The attached pic shows how I've currently set the axes up. I would prefer the home switches were all at the origin (Y is on the wrong side) but it's logical for me, and seems to be working. Just need to think about whether I want to re-set everything up as metric instead of imperial...

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General Mach Discussion / Re: I'm stuck....K2 3925 settings.

« on: November 04, 2006, 05:03:21 PM »

sploo,
Sorry about the delay,

Hi Zealous - you have nothing to apologise for; you've saved me a huge amount of trouble!

I eventually gave up on the config file I was working on (even after noticing I hadn't enabled the charge pump in the file I previously posted) and used the Mach 3 settings you put on this forum.

No I have the later model the KG-3925 CNC Router Frame 39x25x5 '05 model with a physical precision metric ball screw, the step per are set to 10,160.

That may explain some of the differences - I had to flip the home and estop inputs to active low.

However, I think I have the same motors, and I've left your motor settings untouched. I've not worked out the real linear speed yet, but all axes move pretty quickly, and sound very smooth.

I'm still running the demo version of Mach, though I can't think for a moment that I won't be buying a license. For that reason I can only use 25k kernel speed, but it seems to work fine.

I do need to have a play with the directions of the axes. At the moment I've got the 39" axis as X, and that runs +ve away from the home switch (to the right, from where I'm sitting).

The Z axis is currently -ve away from the home switch (down).

The Y axis is +ve away from the home switch (towards me, again from where I'm sitting).

At the moment, I haven't got the home and limits working, and if I run the circular pocket wizard (and get the machine to 'cut' a piece in mid air) it appears to be going the wrong way - e.g the toolpath moves clockwise, but the spindle is moving anticlockwise. Evidently I need to keep playing with the axis and motor reversal settings.

Mach will leave all of your files untouched (besides the default Mach files like Mach3Mill.xml), you could try a number of diffrent setup files just give them diffrent names.

I was - yours and mine, and I binned mine 

Which ver of Mach 3 are you using?

1.84.001 IRC.

BTW I spoke to Ron at K2 last night (literally, it was well after midnight UK time!). He was very helpful, but basically indicated that which axis is X (the 39" or 25") and which way you consider to be +ve on an axis is basically up to the person setting up the machine. In a way I was hoping to be told what to do 

He did mention a whole host of other useful stuff, including that, with a Porter-Cable 892, it should be possible to set the motors to do rapids at 300ipm.

I suspect I'll be back in the garage, tinkering again over the next few days. Plenty of  and  , some of  and hopefully loads of 

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General Mach Discussion / Re: I'm stuck....K2 3925 settings.

« on: November 02, 2006, 11:39:48 AM »

Hi Zealous,

I'm in the same position as Keith; just got a KG3925 and want to use Mach3.

Many thanks for posting the setup files - are these for the redesigned '06 version (with 3" tall x axis rails) or the older design?

By metric screws, do you mean you have the standard ABBA screws, but with the software setup to metric, or are they (physically) a different type?

EDIT:

As I'm not sure if Zealous' settings are for the '06 model, I've just downloaded (what I believe to be) the correct file for Mach 2 from K2's website (KG3925-06.xml). I then copied the settings to Mach 3 by swapping between the programs (I don't have Mach 2 on the PC attached to the machine).

With a bit of adjustment, Mach's diagnostics page shows the inputs for the home switches and e-stop to be working, so the basic connections must be right.

When I press the 'enable' button on the control box (the unit supplied by K2 with the motor controllers and power) the motors hum and make a clicking noise, but I'm unable to get them to move. Using Mach's jog control (TAB) I can get the X, Y and Z DROs to change, but the motors still don't do anything.

I've attached the Mach 3 config I'm using. Anyone got any suggestions, especially if I'm likely to be doing something dumb that would prevent Mach from actually trying to move the motors?

PS Putting my sensible hat on - of course, it would probably be best to install Mach 2 on the controller PC, use the K2 supplied config file and check that my newly delivered machine actually works. Is there any risk in overwriting any of the installed Mach 3 stuff?

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General Mach Discussion / Re: DriverTest.exe results

« on: September 18, 2006, 11:53:09 AM »

OK, I got the PC put together and installed over the weekend.

The CPU turned out to be a 2400+ (2.0GHz) so it should be more than enough for Mach.

DriverTest.exe ran without problems, but if anything I'd say that the smallest/largest timing gaps were worse than the old machine. Having said that, I've not disabled some of the unused services, so that may improve things slightly.

Otherwise, as you say, I guess it's just a case of waiting for the CNC machine and trying it.

BTW Does Mach require any particular setting for the parallel port (SPP, ECP etc.)? I can't find anything in the manual.