Messages

1

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: What is a Macro? and what can it do for me?

« on: September 16, 2014, 09:46:23 AM »

all of it, but now that you ask, it seems I didn't understand all. Again, I'm seeking help for these 2 problems:
1. the torch doesn't always turn off at the end of the cut and instead starts diving
2. sometimes misses a cut because the torch doesn't turn on at the beginning of the cut but the movement continues like it were on

I thought you suggested  the M3 and M5 "dospin type" are not fast enough and this is the cause. I thought you recommended using activate deactivate type macros. I tried that but it was worse.
I use a Proma THC.

2

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: What is a Macro? and what can it do for me?

« on: September 16, 2014, 06:13:24 AM »

here they are

3

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: What is a Macro? and what can it do for me?

« on: September 16, 2014, 02:00:58 AM »

I did the activate/deactivate thing. Works in a strange way. The machine starts the cut without ark and the ark starts maybe 1 sec after the movment begun. You can see the result in the attach.
I went back to dospinCW.... with the same problem. Misses holes.

4

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: What is a Macro? and what can it do for me?

« on: September 13, 2014, 05:29:28 AM »

Well, as you said, I can turn on and off the THC with the macros but that pause makes it useless. My problem is not around corners, I have great accel., and a never cross kerfs, the problem is at the end of cuts. The torch dives at the end of cuts whether is a hole or the contour of the part (a bigger hole in fact). I gave up leads out. Useless.
And I have another problem, maybe one out of five cuts the torch doesn't fire and the cut continues with no fire.  It seems that mach doesn't order the torch to fire and doesn't expect it to be lit. And is never in the same place. Just random.  I cut the same part with the same code and it misses the cuts randomly.
If I could solve these 2 problems than I could say I have a plasma cutter.
Can anyone help?

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling THC?

« on: September 09, 2014, 10:49:16 AM »

All that is in M101 is EndTHC()
M102 has StartTHC() in it.

The rest is down to using sheet cams cutting rules to call those macros.

thank you. you're a life saver.

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling THC?

« on: September 06, 2014, 09:27:59 AM »

There are two codes to turn THC off in mach3, they are listed in one of my other threads about THC control.

To use them I had to create custom macros, I think I used M10 and M11, trouble is my machine is at work and I can't remember what was in them but it is listed somewhere here in one of my threads.


I will see if I can find the codes...

Thank you so much. You explained it very nicely. The only thing now is the macros.  I tried with M101/102 but without the macros all they do is to pause the machine for a fraction of a sec.  If you could find those macros and explain what to do with them so that the M codes call them, it would be great.

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling THC?

« on: September 06, 2014, 06:41:01 AM »

Since this thread I have upgraded to a better THC from CandCNC and it's way better at controlling things. Turning on and off during a cut is simple and has no effect on motion.

Also as mentioned, get the acceleration up, way up, push it as hard as it can take and things become much simpler.

I"am happy is simple to you, to me is something I don't know how to do. Can you explain haow you did it?

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling THC?

« on: September 06, 2014, 05:09:56 AM »

I'm still using SCam 4.0.19 and I can turn THC on/off whenever I like with no pauses during cutting. YMMV.

How do you do that? Please do share. Sheetcam allows you to use rules. In their cutting rules tutorial on youtube looks very simple but in real life doesn't work. All I got is a jerk in movement right where the THC should go off. And on for that matter. They use M998 and M999. What is the code? M101/102 work? Do you have to write a macro for them? How do you do it whenever you want?
Thank you

9

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: What is a Macro? and what can it do for me?

« on: September 06, 2014, 04:51:11 AM »

is there a macro or a g-code in mach3 for THC on and THC off? How can I turn off/on the THC? I need that to solve the diving problem at the end of the cut. Sheetcam people make it look so simple in their cutting rules tutorial on youtube. It doesn't seem to work though. Can anybody help?

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Turning off THC and manually controlling "Z"???

« on: September 06, 2014, 04:41:07 AM »

Does anybody know the Mach3 codes for THC on and THC off? Are there such codes?