Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 motion control over two LPT ports?

« on: February 21, 2011, 08:19:35 AM »

$25 PCI card did the trick.  Just had to alter the hex code in Mach3 for LPT2 to match the hex code for the new parallel port.  As Im using the Xylotex 4 axis controller to control the rotary A-axis and I now have 3 spare controllers also.    What else can I motorise 



Brad.

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 motion control over two LPT ports?

« on: February 20, 2011, 07:47:19 AM »

Exellent.  Thanks for the feedback.  I'll get another LPT port and give it a go.  Now I just need to disengage 2 of the other axis off the xylotex.  I heard they tend to blow if motors arent connected.


Do you have independent home switches on the slaved axes (allows correction of any skew/racking)?

Umm... nope.  I'm kind of learning this stuff on the go.  If I have skew or racking I dont know about it!!   

Brad.

3

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 motion control over two LPT ports?

« on: February 20, 2011, 03:37:25 AM »

Hello,

I've just built my 4th axis and use a G540 as my controller.  Problem is I slave the A axis to the X axis to contol two ballscrews.   So when I use my 4th axis I need to disengage the the X axis to use the A axis for rotary control.   I have a spare Xylotex controller that I was thinking I could use to control the 4th axis and keep the other three axis working properly.   But will Mach3 allow two LTPS to work concurrently for motion control?



Brad.

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 03, 2010, 03:55:34 AM »

http://www.geckodrive.com/upload/G540%20REV3%20MANUAL.pdf

 

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 03, 2010, 03:34:46 AM »

Fixed it.  I had the motor contols direction pin also set to pin 1, which was the output pin for output#2.   Thanks guys for your assistance.   

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 03, 2010, 02:57:39 AM »

OK...  I think that worked. 

Here's a pic of the machine Im building.   



Brad.

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 03, 2010, 02:54:57 AM »

Ok.. I think this will work.   I also opened a fresh Mach3mill and put in only the two outputs just in case I'd caused a conflict of outputs.. but the same problem occured.

Brad.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 01, 2010, 05:27:48 AM »

Oh, I wasnt.  I've Mach3 set up on this computer at my desk.  I was mearly trying to look at the xml in some form of ledgible format on this computer.  I google opening XML and it suggests Exel but I think my version of Exel might be a little old.

Brad.

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 01, 2010, 05:20:03 AM »

OK...  this is interesting.  Learning new stuff all the time.  I tried opening the xml file in Exel and got 1 long line.  Im using exel 2002. 

Brad.

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output problem.

« on: November 01, 2010, 04:20:40 AM »

I'm using Mach3 to control the G540 so havent written any code.  I'll try better describe the problem.  I've a Gecko G540.  This has two output controls and both outputs are connected to relays.  One relay controls my spindle (turns it on and off) and the other relay switches on / off 240v which I use to power the VFD to run the spindle.  My problem is, whenever I turn on output#1 (spindle) the second output (VFD) turns off, thus shutting down the spindle.  I've also tried setting the second relay to enable as soon as I turn on the G540.  When I do this the VFD turns on as soon as I turn on the G540 as it should, but as soon as I turn on the output#1 (spindle) it turns off the enable.  Is there a setting in Mack3 that turns off all other outputs when the spindle is turned on? 

Any better?

Brad.