Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Jogging while config screen up

« on: July 28, 2011, 07:59:56 AM »

Home built router, smoothstepper interface to 2 breakout boards. Latest mach lockdown, latest SS driver and plugin.

I noticed while tuning my A Axis that when I bring up the motor tuning dialog (or any configuration dialog) I can jog any axis at full speed once. I am using the XBox controller but I can also duplicate this with a wired MPG. So, I reference all axes, then go to the motor tuning dialog to input accelleration and velocity and accidentally touched the X axis joystick and the X axis moved, pressing a second time and no motion, tried all other axes and they all move just once, activating a second time does nothing. The MPG is wired to port3 on the SmoothStepper

I don't know if this is the way it should function or whether it is a problem with Mach or the Smoothstepper but I gave me a bit of a fright nonetheless. I've reported it to Lee (Xbox controller plugin) but I'm more convinced this might be a problem with Mach ot the SS (if it is indeed a problem). Could someone who knows Mach and the SS better than me please try and duplicate this as I'm not sure this is supposed to happen and it could be dangerous.

Regards, Jeff.

2

General Mach Discussion / You can now use your 3D mouse in Mach 3!

« on: May 14, 2011, 11:22:11 AM »

Bump!

Just to let you know (if you already didn't) that 3Dx have bowed to custmer pressure and released a fully supported driver that allows you to use their controllers in ANY application. It can mimic a joystick, keyboard or just work as before, a 3D mouse. Not tried it in Mach yet but it looks very easy indeed to customise.

Regards, Jeff.

3

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: New Version 2.3.3 XBox360 Controller plugin available

« on: November 07, 2010, 05:10:51 PM »

That's the way I invisaged it. You would need both triggers pulled in before the controller was unlocked. Once you release a trigger, motion stops and the controller locks. Also, it would be good if the controller could be made to function so that if one trigger was released but there was still an operation button or stick pressed, the opertaion or motion is cancelled if the trigger is pressed again, i.e. the operation button or stick has to be released and both triggers pressed before motion can continue.

Hope this is what RadiantHeat meant, sorry if not 

4

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: New Version 2.3.3 XBox360 Controller plugin available

« on: November 07, 2010, 01:40:50 PM »

I think I'm with Radiant heat here.

I find I can operate the two analogue triggers and still operate the major buttons/sticks (all except back and start). I've never caused unwanted motion as I'm very careful about where I put the controller but there will come that day I'm sure.

Two analogue triggers for me.

Jeff.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Just got my Jog Dial!

« on: May 24, 2009, 06:28:37 AM »

ehhh ok .. so i love my jog dial but decided trying to work with two of them is just not practical...



http://www.3dconnexion.com/3dmouse/spacepilot.php

if it could operate the robotic arm on the space shuttle im pretty sure its just the ticket for mach???

Chris,

I've already asked this in the "requests" forum. It has to be added by Brian as part of Mach3 or as a plugiin. 3Dx only supply the SDK.

The Spacepilot probably wouldn't last too long in a workshop environment but the SpaceNavigator would be ideal and they are so cheap, 30-odd dollars in the US if I remember correctly. A six axis controller you can move all six axes at the same time in a fluid and intuitive way for less than $50, somebody should do it (pretty please). You could always add your request to mine

Other than the above, the XBox controller works amazingly well and with the latest plugin, damn near perfect.

Jeff.

6

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Problem with Ref All Home

« on: April 19, 2009, 05:18:54 PM »

Hi Lee,

Found a problem on my machine when pressing the BACK button which defaults to Ref All Home. What happens is that the process starts like I pressed the button onscreen, the Z axis moves up, touches the limit switch and then backs off. Next, the Y should home but instead the X starts for home and the Z starts going back up at the same time, past the limits and into the hard stops.

This happens wired or wireless.

Doing a Ref Al Home from the screen button works as normal.

Mach 3.042.021, Smoothstepper Beta V0.015ogb, Xbox controller plugin V2.1

Also, the config says the triggers speed up and slow down the jogging speed but don't seem to have any effect on my system. My jogging speed is approx 50% of jogging with the keyboard or MPG. How do I make the controller go at full speed?

Regards, Jeff.

7

SmoothStepper USB / Re: MPG and smoothstepper, input problems

« on: April 19, 2009, 05:13:03 AM »

Hi,

Yes I did get it sorted out but I 'm not sure it will help you. It was a wiring issue inside the MPG which I still have'nt figured out. It was all to do with the "enable" button which had nothing to do with enable the function but simply enables the axis select and multiplier switches. What is supposed to happen is that while the enable button is pressed, you can select your axis and multiplier and the jog goes into velocity mode, when you let it go, the axis select is locked, the multiplier is locked and the jog switches to step mode. It didn't do this.

The BOB I had is about as raw a BOB you can get, a PP connector and a row of screw terminals, so no fancy stuff to get in the way. I set the SS to pins 2-9 as input but no matter what I did, I couldn't get the SS to see the inputs. I think what was required was a pull up resistor on each of the 2-9 inputs as the normal inputs worked just fine. My knowledge of PP's ,the SS and electronics is rudimentary at best (ask Roy at DIY-CNC  ) so I took a different tack. I opened up the MPG and simply moved the enable wire, which is just a grounding wire for the switches from the terninal it was soldered to, to GND. It meant that I could no longer have the MPG auto switch from step to velocity but it did mean I got the proper functionality back for the switches. To switch from step to velocity, I simply fitted 2 new momentary switches into the case and wired them to spare wires which were there for the 5&6 axis (which I don't use).

I never tried the MPG in PP mode, only on the BOB attached to the SS so it may have worked fine just on the PP. I got the feeling the SS was the culprit but wasn't brave enough and too embarrassed to ask about fitting resistors as things would have had to get very basic indeed

Hope this helps a little

Jeff.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Problem with stepper motors (have looked through archives)

« on: April 12, 2009, 02:38:13 PM »

Hi Michael,

Does your BOB have a charge pump circuit that needs to be activated? Couldn't find any detailed info on the FET3 board so this is a shot in the dark.

Posted this in MYCNCUK too just in case you go there first

Jeff.

9

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: XBox360 Controller New Version Available

« on: April 05, 2009, 10:59:48 AM »

Hi Lee,

Yes that was it!

I had foolishly assumed that as Vista is at DX10, the DX9.0c files would have been along for the ride. 

I can confirm that unlike the previous version I was using, the commanded axis stops on the button now. This will be great in combination with my MPG. XBox360 doing the fast jogging and the finer setup with the MPG, best of both worlds.

Thanks very much for the help and for a fine piece of software.

Regards, Jeff.

10

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: XBox360 Controller New Version Available

« on: April 04, 2009, 08:41:56 AM »

Hi,

Using Mach 3.042.021, Smoothstepper Beta V0.015ogb and wired xbox360 on Windows Vista. PC is a Dell laptop but is functioning fine with Mach, no issues at all.

Took out the shuttlpro plugin and checked the range of the controller, 0-65535 and that is ok but I still get the defective plugin error.

It worked in one of the older versions of the plugin except I had problems of the axis not stopping when commanded and I assumed this was because of the SS.

Any ideas?

Regards, jeff.