Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Wont save Configuration

« on: October 15, 2021, 01:25:39 PM »

They need to be set up in the ESS plugin first.

Everything is already configured in the ESS.

MG

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach 4 Wont save Configuration

« on: October 14, 2021, 10:20:50 PM »

I have just installed Mach 4 with an ess, that went well on Windows 10.

I am currently trying to configure the software, but I have run into a show stopper.  When I go into say, Config/Outputs, I enable Outputs 1-3 to be an ESS Port 1 pins P2, P3, and P4.  I hit apply, and OK.

When I go back into the settings screen, the outputs show no configuration.  The enable checkmarks remain, but the port and pin configuration is gone.
This happens on Inputs, Outputs, and several other screens.  I found nothing about it in the dox

HELP!

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Motor Configuration problem

« on: January 26, 2020, 12:28:51 AM »

Yeah, I got it.  I thought you had to click the check box beside the motor label to edit the fields instead of the label itself. 

Like Mach3, nothing is intuitive in this software.

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach 4 Motor Configuration problem

« on: January 24, 2020, 06:44:15 PM »

Hi Guys

I'm new to using Mach 4, I have used Mach 3 pretty extensively in the past.  I have a client who recently had his computer crash and required a new one.  Installed Win10 and Mach 4, and asked me to help him set it up.

The machine has an ESS, it installed and is working properly.  I went through and configured everything correctly (I hope), set all the stuff in ESS setup, and Mach 4 setup.  At least I thought so.  In the Mach 4 Motor setup routine, all of the configurations settings are greyed out and cannot be edited, except for the one delay box.  I have the motor signals set up correctly as far as pins and outputs in the ESS, but no matter what I do I can't get the motor parameters to edit.  There doesn't seem to be any way to set the motor outputs in Mach 4, only in the ESS configuration.  What am I missing here?

Any ideas?

5

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 not finding parallel port

« on: March 06, 2019, 02:33:03 PM »

I am having problems with a fresh install of Windows7(64 bit)/Mach3.

Windows shows the parallel port as working, it is an on-the-motherboard port.  Set to EPP in the bios.  Shows up as port 378 in Device manager, appears to be normal.  Windows indicates everything is fine

Downloaded and installed MACH 3 Version R3.043.062, ran as Admin.  Parallel port driver install fails with Drivertest error.  No response to the parallel port.  Port is configured correctly in Mach.

Drivertest shows "No driver sensed installed Run Drivertest".

Any ideas?

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Weird behaviour on limit switches

« on: February 17, 2018, 07:09:37 PM »

Thanks Craig!

First, I went in and configured the Limit Override in the Pins Config to be the F12 key, but it still wouldn't allow the machine to reset.  Not sure why that's even in there, if Mach ignores inputs when it is disabled, how would that even work?

Then I discovered the Auto Limit Override in the Configuration screen, checked it, and everything was OK.

A little hairpulling for a couple of hours, and I don't have any to spare.

Metalguru

7

General Mach Discussion / Weird behaviour on limit switches

« on: February 16, 2018, 08:49:20 PM »

Hey all:

I am working on a new machine, and I am pulling my hair out on the limit switches.

I am using an ESS controller, running Mach 3 on Windows 7.  I have the limits set up on each axis separately, with one limit switch per axis and 2 trigger plates, one at each end of the axis.  These are S18-3005na NPN proximity switches that detect metal and run off 12v.  I have the Ess inputs pulled up with 1k resistors, and the output from each prox sensor pulls the line to ground through a diode to prevent feeding 12v into the ESS inputs.

The system is set up with X++, X--, and home switches set to the same input in Input Pin Configuration.

Everything works normally until a limit is triggered.  Then, the system seems to "Latch up".  If I manually power down and move the machine off the limit switch, on the Diagnostic screen, the "Home" indicator goes out, but the X++ and X-- lights stay lit.  The Reset button will not work, the system will not reset.  If I power down the limit switch circuit, the X++ and X-- lights still stay lit, even though the ESS input has returned to a high level and there is no longer a limit input. 

The only way to get the system to reset is to shut down MACH3 and restart it.  Then everything works normally again until the next limit event.

I don't currently have the Override configured, is this the problem?  Is the limit switch input a toggle that can't be reset without using the override?  Removing the signal from the input is not enough to be able to reset the system?

Help!

Metalguru