Messages

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Mach4 General Discussion / Unreliable jogging - New machine Mach 4 Demo, CNC4PC C82, ESS, Clearpath

« on: June 28, 2023, 06:43:29 AM »

Ok well the machine is not new, but rather an old Bridgeport Boss 5 CNC.  I had this machine running with steppers and Mach 3 years ago.  Then I decided to upgrade it,  long story that you are not interested in.  Got side tracked by life and a couple of years went by and now I'm starting over, so it's a new conversion and nearly everything has changed except the old iron.  I'm using Mach 4 demo, CNC4PC C82 break out board, Ethernet smooth stepper, ClearPath Integrated Servo Motors (CPM-SDSK-3421S-RLS).  I got 3 axises jogging, but it's acting a bit weird.  Sometimes I command it to jog and it does not move even though the DRO indicates a move.  Most of the time it does jog, but sometimes it seems my jog command doesn't move the axis.  This happens on all 3 axises.  Any ideas?  I'm not even sure where to start looking, is this a Mach issue, Clearpath issue?  My feeling it's a setting or configuration I need to make in Mach for the clearpath motors.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!!

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Shuttle Pro plugin - When?

« on: April 29, 2016, 06:49:41 AM »

The shuttlepro is working under Mach 4, but the inner jog wheel is not.  Do I need to configure that some how?

Thanks

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Shuttle Pro plugin - When?

« on: April 27, 2016, 02:26:27 PM »

Thanks Sage!  I'll give Mach 4 another try.  I think I can live without auto touch off.  I normally use my Haimer anyway for manual touch off.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Shuttle Pro plugin - When?

« on: April 27, 2016, 01:19:14 PM »

I'm with Sage,  I'm not yet willing to give up my Shuttle Pro for Mach 4.  Every few months I quietly do a search to see if it's available yet.  I for one would be willing to pay for this driver, perhaps if there were enough people willing to pay someone will write one?  For now Mach 3 still works nicely for me.

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General Mach Discussion / Mouse Sluggish while spindle is running

« on: June 01, 2011, 10:11:10 AM »

I've been using Mach3 for about 1 year now on an old Bridgeport BOSS5 converted to Gecko's & Mach 3.  I currently run a PMDX126 & a PMDX 107 to control the spindle speed with a VFD.  Everything works great, it's just that when the spindle is running the mouse is slow to respond.  It appears to me that the computer is so busy controlling pulse width frequencies for the VFD and/or the Charge pump that there is little processing power left for anything else.  Is this as simple as I need a faster PC or something?  My machine is a Athlon 64 3000+,  1.8 Ghz single core.  Would a multi core processor solve this?  Or is this perhaps a setting or configuration issue?  I run Windows 7 32 bit.  It's not that big of a problem, just occasionally I want to quickly set a feed rate override quickly and the mouse isn't moving for a second or two.  Once the mouse starts moving it seems move around OK with no effect on the machining.  I think my biggest concern is that if this PC is running on the edge of it's capability someday soon I'll be over the edge and I better upgrade before this happens.  If I need to upgrade my motherboard how fast should I go?  At what point are you just wasting money buying too fast of a processor that will never be utilized? 

Anyone going to the CNC workshop in Ann Arbor? Perhaps I'll see you there.

Thanks

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CVI MachStdMill (MSM) / Re: Probing and touch plates - your MSM experience?

« on: August 11, 2010, 04:33:51 PM »

Too bad, I'd like to see that feature on "things people would like list" also.  My issue is that my vice has a boss that sets into a slot in the table, this allows me to just put the vice on the table and it's lined up, but it's not perfect it's slightly off.  It's close enough that for most things I do that I could just use it as is, but it would be nice if I could rotate that axis ever so slightly to correct it.  The jogging issue is probably only an issue if it's rotated significantly, even still your jogging so you can correct as you go, your not cutting while jogging.  Just my .02

I got a feel for how big of a project this was in your session at the CNC workshop.  I understand how busy you are and I thank you for all of your hard work!  

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CVI MachStdMill (MSM) / Re: Probing and touch plates - your MSM experience?

« on: August 11, 2010, 12:59:42 AM »

I don't have a touch plate setup yet, but my probe has been working great!  I cut a part yesterday and found the I needed to cut it again .002 more (due to endmill not being the size I thought it was).  Loaded it back in the vice touched off the corner again and ran the modified program.  Worked great!

My only comment,  I wish you had the ability to center on a single axis.  I remember at the Ann Arbor workshop you said you had the routines, just did not install them due to screen confusion.  There's got to be some way to squeeze it in.

Also did a probe along edge to check my vice for square.  It worked, but how do I rotate the axis to correct this tiny error?