Messages

1

Mach Screens / Re: Screenset 2010 M3 not setting output

« on: June 07, 2019, 01:03:14 PM »

Hi Gerry
The whole process is rather random and I am having a hard time to figure out what the correct sequence might be.
If I try and set the speed in the spindle speed box at startup it does not take it but the speed will change when I use the MDI S*********x.

I have the M3 set at output one and M4 at output 2. Sometimes the gcode (m3) will cause the spindle to turn CCW and sometimes it will turn CW. Now I have output one for both CCW and CW and then it will turn CW always.

It would seem that if I start a gcode file from scratch without any manual intervention it works mostly but if I try and run from line, it does not set any output even if I selected the spindle to be started. The icon comes on but no output.

If the speed was set with S********* and I click the M3 icon, it does not always start.

Not very sure of exactly how it works (or not) but this is as far as I can gather. If you want me to look at anything specific or any sequence, let me know what to test.

2

Mach Screens / Screenset 2010 M3 not setting output

« on: June 07, 2019, 09:37:26 AM »

Hi
I am having problems where the M3 command does not set any output on Mach3. Sometimes it will work first time and always and other times it will do nothing. Not when I use the Spindle icon or a MDI command.
If I enter a spindle speed manually it shows -1  and then does not start obviously.

If I go into the setup and change nothing but use apply, it will switch the spindle on when the M3 is issued.

3

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Anybody interested in Mach3 plugin for Nucleo-F429ZI board as motion controller?

« on: April 07, 2019, 01:47:38 PM »

I like the buffer idea as it will also give some drive for longer cables to the drives. The longest cable I ever put in to the drives was 30m and that was driven with a cmos buffer.

There is a nice programmable buffer that uses I2C. I will look into that before making a decision on the buffer.

4

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Anybody interested in Mach3 plugin for Nucleo-F429ZI board as motion controller?

« on: April 07, 2019, 01:23:56 PM »

The second port can be programmed to be either output or input for pins 2 to 9 in Mach3. This means one has to be careful to not limit them with hardware design.
Example:- We use a breakout for all the axis on the first port and then we use the second port with 2 to 9 as inputs to connect the THC hardware. This is just one configuration. The THC hardware will have the buffers on.
The alternative is to put bi-directional buffers and enable the direction to coincide with the Mach setting. Just for the second port.
This device will only ever work on Mach so we might as well conform strictly to Mach requirements or features.

5

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Anybody interested in Mach3 plugin for Nucleo-F429ZI board as motion controller?

« on: April 07, 2019, 01:06:08 PM »

In many configurations especially for routers and plasma (larger machines) there are four axis of which one is slave to either X or Y. On a mill the fourth axis will be rotational.

I will look at the shield design. I would take it we need the two DB25 ports at least. I will look at taking those pins to some screw terminals as well if needed.
Let me know what you need to have on the shield.
It is easy to use very cheap CNC breakout boards for the buffering and relays.
Like these: https://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-Breakout-Board-Stepper-Driver/dp/B0093Y897A

6

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Anybody interested in Mach3 plugin for Nucleo-F429ZI board as motion controller?

« on: April 07, 2019, 03:14:54 AM »

Hi Jarek

Thank you very much for your efforts on this. I for one, and others that I know of in my country, will be very happy to see this kind of development.

I believe that there are many users out there that are very happy with Mach3 and that have machines that run on them. There are also some suppliers that have their own products that make use of the legacy LPT ports. As we know now it has become impossible to purchase a motherboard that can run Windows XP anymore and therefore it has become very difficult to use our own products. It is also very difficult to support the hundreds of customers that have these legacy installations.

There are many USB CNC controllers that can be purchased but using USB on plasma machines has never been successful. This leaves the Ethernet solution as the only way to go.

When building a new machine one can choose from many products but keeping existing users alive will require this work. I will also expand this into a new product by adding some interface hardware but right now I thing having the two simulated LPT ports will go long way.

P.S. I have been a distributor for Mach3 for a long time and I dont see Mach3 going away very quickly.

Maybe you should move this topic to this forum https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?board=28.0

7

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Manual for SDK

« on: March 16, 2019, 04:41:02 AM »

Thanks man. Found it on the FTP server. It's called the "Plugin Bible" by Art

8

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Manual for SDK

« on: March 16, 2019, 04:15:31 AM »

Hi
I have been searching but cannot find a manual for the SDK. I am under the impression that there was one some time ago. I need to know what functions and calls are available to work with. Especially with the engine.

9

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Plugin Wizard / SDK with VS2017

« on: February 23, 2019, 01:06:00 AM »

I finally gave up on this venture and installed VS2008 on another computer. All seems to work first time.

10

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Plugin Wizard / SDK with VS2017

« on: February 20, 2019, 01:16:53 AM »

Hi
Is it possible to use the SDK and PluginWizard with Visual Studio 2017 at all or must I install an older version of VS?