Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: M98 Subroutine Directory

« on: April 15, 2024, 05:40:21 PM »

Yeah, it's very useful.
My current project has about 20 - 30 components, and is only kept under control by having ALL parameters in one data file. That is really ALL of them. Parameter numbers up to about #480.

Cheers
Roger

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: M98 Subroutine Directory

« on: April 11, 2024, 05:50:48 PM »

Yes, you do need the parentheses, AND the minus sign
m98 (-c:\Projectdir\Project1.txt)   or .tap

Macvh3Mill.pdf, section 10.8.7, re M98, option b),

Cheers
Roger

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Runaway Jog Mach 3

« on: April 01, 2023, 09:11:39 PM »

Shift-Jog for fast jogging if you release the shift key prior to the arrow key it just keeps on trucking to crash.
I believe this behaviour has been seen before and it was traced to a Windows keyboard handler fault. That is, Windows was not registering the keystroke properly. I dare say you should also check the KB itself.
Whether this applies in your case I do not know.

Cheers
Roger

4

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Swap A and B axes - how?

« on: March 22, 2023, 07:49:54 PM »

Hi Graham
Yep, that is what I had to do. Art had maybe foreseen it.
But the doco is not what one might call 'real helpful' on the subject.

Cheers
Roger

5

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Swap A and B axes - how?

« on: March 22, 2023, 06:43:03 PM »

I think a misunderstanding here. I have no problem with driving any of the axes: that all works fine.

It's the DISPLAY which I am trying to manipulate, and on my desktop PC (no hardware). I want the code, which uses the A axis, to display the rotations on the B axis or Y axis, because the rotary unit is actually sitting on the Y axis instead of on the A axis. Yeah, confusing, but there is no room in the machine to put the rotary unit on the X axis.

I suppose I could rewrite all the programs changing the A parameter to B, but that would be a pain, and anyhow the actual machine is fine, displaying the rotations on the Y axis as I want. Now, how did I set that up? I have done it once, but cannot remember how!

Cheers
Roger

6

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Mach3 Threading Help

« on: January 14, 2023, 08:21:25 PM »

Oh - Gear Head? That is very different! In fact, that is what the latest ESS driver tries to emulate.

Now you have to allow for slop (or backlash) in the Z drive. Easily solved: on retrace just go a few mm beyond the start of the thread before starting the next cycle. Or have I misunderstood the photo?

If so, try C=3.0 maybe?

Cheers
Roger

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Mach3 Threading Help

« on: January 14, 2023, 06:30:46 PM »

Hi Kyle

No, I did not suggest buying a new ESS. What I am suggesting is getting the latest DRIVER, from the Warp9 web site. It is free.

The problem with Mach3 by itself is that it averages over several revolution to get the spin, and that is totally useless for threading. The latest ESS DRIVER does assume an encoder on the spindle motor (which may cost), but with that the ESS itself can do wonderful threading. The ESs uses the spindle encoder pulses to measure the spin rate, because the spin WILL change when the tool hits the metal. The spin will slow down. Now, it is extremely unlikely that the spindle motor power supply can compensate fast enough, so the ESS does not try for that. Instead the ESS adjusts the immediate Z axis feed rate to match the current spin. If the spindle slows a bit the ESS slows the Z axis to match.

There are complications of course to do with encoder noise, but with a 512 edge encoder you can average the spindle pulse rate over (say) 32 edges and correct the Z feed rate 16 times in one spindle revolution. (16x32=512) This works.

The cost of large taps and dies - yeah, problem. I am more likely to be threading M2 up to M8 (or even M11), but I understand.

Cheers
Roger

8

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Swap A and B axes - how?

« on: January 14, 2023, 03:32:12 AM »

I have Mach3 on 2 PCs: one on my desk for design and one on my CNC for operations. I have added a rotary axis to the CNC, and this works very well.

However, because of physical machine constraints (ie space), the rotary axis is aligned with the Y-axis, not the X axis. Somehow I was able to get Mach3 to treat it as being the A axis, which fits in nicely with the standard screen set. This was done some time ago - pre-COVID.

I am SURE that I was able to get my desk machine to behave in the same way. However, just recently it seems to have forgotten this and the A axis on my desk is now aligned with the X axis. This is extremely inconvenient for design work!

I am sure that there is some way to swap the X and Y axes, but I cannot find it. I imagine that I used the same commands to swap the A and B axes - I think? But my brain seems to have gone fuzzy - Long COVID maybe.

Help? How does one do this?

Cheers
Roger

9

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Mach3 Threading Help

« on: January 14, 2023, 02:23:36 AM »

First of all, you need to get the LATEST ESS driver from Warp9. Anything before that does not work properly.

Second, trying to use info from the HAAS machines is not a good idea. HAAS do some things a bit differently. You need to read (study) the Mach3 doco and experiment a bit.

I found the Mach3 G76 code to be overly complex, as it tries to do everything. Well, fine, but . . .
I simplified it, cutting out tapered threads and a few other bits one never uses. I find it does the standard threads quite well.

For the record, I routinely use Mach3 for threading. Granted, sometimes I cut the thread not quite all the way and finish off with a tap or die, but there is a good reason for this. With a standard 60 degree V-tool you will get a 'thread', but it will not have a profile which complies with the Standards. You can use a matched threading insert - matched to the single size of thread you are cutting, but that works out expensive. A commercial tap or die does make the right final profile.

Cheers
Roger

10

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Subroutine Library in Mach3

« on: May 31, 2022, 10:01:05 PM »

The sub does not have to be in the subroutine folder. It can be anywhere if you call it thus:
m98 (-c:\dir\file)

Cheers
Roger