Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 29, 2019, 07:35:12 AM »

Craig,

Also, you have my sold on the warp9 ESS.  That's what i'll be buying and considering I have a license of mach3 and it already has the THC built in per say, I'm not going to wait right now for the newer version to come out.

Casey

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 29, 2019, 07:32:21 AM »

Craig,

I see there is many advantages to mach4 over mach3.  Building my own machine I don't see the advantage yet when I have mach3, but hearing what you said makes mach4 sound very appealing.  I'm an design engineer by trade, have some of my own machines (mill, plasma, lathe (in no way shape or form do i claim to be a professional at anything lol)) but have done very little programming other than F-carve, heekscad/cam, and a few other low end/free programming software.  I know we are running off topic here, but still I have questions I feel you are knowledgeable enough to answer.  What software do you personally suggest for creating G-code?  I'm not asking for top of the line, more the most user friendly and relatively economical.  Just three axis work with the possibilities to use a 4th axis if I get that far along in this project.  We run mastercam and NX at work for programming, yet I have never touched them due to not being my job or my workstation having the licenses

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 27, 2019, 09:25:47 AM »

Craig,

Also, on Warp9's website it says the ESS already has THC for plasma

   
Threading for lathes (single pulse per rev for RPM, or encoder A for RPM.  Index pulse required for synchronization)
M10/M11 support for lasers/ water jets
Backlash Compensation
THC for Plasma Cutting
Runs with Mach3 and Mach4

does that mean it has been released?

Casey

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 27, 2019, 09:05:47 AM »

Craig,

Well if I build a good enough table, I plan on taking the license from my dad's machine that has mach3 purchased and possibly selling his.  Or running linux cnc.  I've dove into ubuntu a few years back and linux isn't terrible, just take some re-learning again.  From everything I've read so far, mach4 is about 8 times as much for the industrial version and there's not much difference between the mach3 and mach4.  I have no personal experience with it so take that with a grain of salt.  BUT if I ever wanted to be able to use mach4 in the future, I want to be able to do it without having to buy something else.  It's like not buying 4 wheel drive when you only need it "in case of emergencies"

Casey

Hi,
sorry I've got a few different threads going on....you are not especially concerned about using Mach4?
In which case either the ESS OR the UC300 (or maybe the UC400) would be fine as they both are fully developed
for Mach3.

Craig

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 27, 2019, 08:03:51 AM »

joeaverage,

Thanks for all the info so far..  So let me get this straight because this is what I'm getting from what you're saying.  UCC is the cheapest, whichever I am a tightass, but I want this to be right, and not halfass it like I have a ton of things in my life and have to buy something twice.  So I get the warp9.  I'd need a ribbon to parallel port adapter to run my current breakout board.  (My experience with gecko (on a plasma table) currently was that I couldn't run my gecko with my floating z and proma 150 due to inputs, but if i had the proma SD THC, i would have been fine, so inputs were limited.)  So if i want x,y,z home switches on a router, with the capability to run a plasma on the same machine, i'm understanding I basically need 2 breakout boards, 2 ribbon adapters and the warp9 ess? 

Hi collincv,

do you have a recommendation for the best smooth stepper for the money?

I answered a similar question a few days ago.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=39731.msg266363#msg266363

The short answer is that a UC100 or a 57CNCdb25 is the cheapest at around $120. But they are limited to one 'ports
worth' of IO, enough for the simplest of machines only.
Staring around $150 through to $200 there are several controllers with at least two ports and up to five ports worth of
IO. Several of those models require the use of a breakout board such as you already have. You may want yet another if
you want to use all those spare inputs and outputs.

Currently just looking at a picture of warp9 ESS and it has 3 ribbon cables with an expansion port.  Do I need a BOB for each port to run each axis or does one port have the capibility to run 3, possibly 4 axis?

To answer specifically about the ESS it has three ports and an expansion port. To my knowledge no one can use the expansion
port yet. If you fit just one ribbon cable to attach one BOB you will end up with exactly the same situation that you have
been using for a while, ie 12 outputs and 5 inputs. If you want to add a second ribbon cable and BoB you could have
another 12 outputs and 5 inputs, or optionally, as inputs are sought after, 13 inputs and 4 outputs.

Should you decide on an Ethernet SmoothStepper you will need a separate 5V regulated power supply of at least 500mA,
you cant power the ESS form the PC.

Craig

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 26, 2019, 07:49:25 PM »

alright, so instead of using my laptop from school from '05 that is POS (was great back in the day)  I'll choose option 3.

do you have a recommendation for the best smooth stepper for the money?  Do I still run my BOB in addition to this?  I'm assuming theres a ribbon cable style plugin to DB25 that I need to buy as well?  Currently just looking at a picture of warp9 ESS and it has 3 ribbon cables with an expansion port.  Do I need a BOB for each port to run each axis or does one port have the capibility to run 3, possibly 4 axis?

Hi,
that is very poor, certainly as is the parallel port would fail utterly to run your machine.

There was, of a time, a list that circulated on the forum about a number of items which could be deleted /set/optimized
for the purposes running a parallel port.

I updated to Mach4 and an Ethernet SmoothStepper 2-¹/₂ years ago and so have had rather less
interest in Mach3's parallel port since.

Your options are:
1) Persevere with the laptop, deleting components and otherwise optimizing it, I estimate only a modest chance of success.
2) Buy yourself another PC, a desktop model Windows7 32 bit or earlier, preferably with a built in parallel port
3) Buy yourself an external controller like an Ethernet SmoothStepper. I have a very low opinion of Chinese made
controllers, often they don't work at all or don't support all the realtime functions required and you won't get any help
form them when you encounter problems.
4) Take up knitting 

The advantage of a good external controller is that then you can run just about any PC you want, XP through Windows 10,
32 OR 64 bit, laptop OR desktop. If you do like the idea of an external controller may I suggest that you get one that
has a Mach4 plugin, then should you wish to update at a later time you can change without the extra cost of a Mach4 ready
controller.

Craig

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 26, 2019, 05:05:08 PM »

 ???Does this mean I can't use this laptop as a parallel port?

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 26, 2019, 02:05:24 PM »

It said something about high frequency or fast something, I can't remember exactly, I will post as soon as i get home

9

General Mach Discussion / Jerky Jog before I even Code

« on: March 26, 2019, 01:19:41 PM »

Hey Guys,

I got some (a lot) of jerk in my stepper when I jog.  Sitting on cardboard on my Kitchen table it sounds like a midget with a hammer beating it to death.  I have wired up my X stepper and only that.  I'm trying to get good movement before I move on to ordering more material and parts.  I'll list the specs below.

Hardware:
Dell M70 Laptop XP (circa 2005) with docking station including parallel port
3 PCS Nema 34 Stepper Motor with Dual shaft 1600oz-in holding torque
3 PCS Stepper Driver with 7.8A replacing MD882
3 PCS  Power Supplies for  350W,60VDC
1 PC Breakout Board

Settings:

CV is on
Dip Switches are set to 2000 pulse/rev
Dip switches are set to 3.5 peak amps
Wiring is correct to my knowledge from everything I've seen so far
Ports and Pins are correct from every forum/tutorial i've seen (have to have steplow active on in order to get movement)
kernel speed is 25Khz
MaxNC mode is off
look ahead is at 20 lines

Here is where I am lost.  Everyone and I mean everyone has told me the steps per in motor tuning is what you need to mess with.  It was set at 2000, which is what my dip switches are set at. (no one has ever said anything about step pulse or dir pulse (they are both set at 0)).  From what I understand the 2000 is how many steps to make an inch or mm, whatever your settings are. Where am I going wrong?  Any advice is appreciated.