Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: mcSignalWait issue

« on: April 10, 2021, 11:25:20 AM »

Wow--I did not know about G28.1 for Mach 4--thank you. I've only used G28 before, and since I want to home the axes in the sense that I want to each to go through their homing routine (programmed feed rate to home sensor; back off sensor; zero axis; apply offset, if necessary),  G28 doesn't work, since it's only sending the axes to their assigned home positions.
    However, G28.1 seems to work strangely for me: each axis assignment seems to require a location (G28.1 X0, for instance; G28.1 X not allowed). The axis appears to rapid to that coordinate, then rapid to the home position, rather than using the programmed feed in the Homing/Soft Limits setup (or in the Homing section of the ESS plugin setup, in my case). The rapid movement causes to the homing to fail. (This is a custom assembly machine, and some high-speed axes need to approach the home sensor at only 3% of their max, or rapid, rate).
    G28.1 was the perfect answer for me, but I'm puzzled by its behavior, and the Mach 4 Mill Programming Manual didn't shed any more light on how it works, or what other arguments it takes. Does this rapid motion to home (or the intermediate position) make sense, and is it possible to modify that behavior?
    I think I'm headed to the checking "mc.mcAxisIsHomed in a loop route", since I had no luck getting mc.mcSignalWait() to work with OSIG_HOMED_X as an argument.

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: mcSignalWait issue

« on: April 09, 2021, 11:51:15 AM »

Thanks for both suggestions. I have to have the macro run some G-code after confirming the axes are homed. I'll reveal my ignorance by asking how to make use of either the register or mcAxisIsHomed state to make the G-code execution conditional, without something like mcSignalWait. Use a loop that keeps checking for axis homed state before proceeding?

mcSignalWait does just what I want when I've used it with input signals, and it has both timeout and returns error codes. I was hoping to avoid going to far into lua scripting to get what I want, but I will go whither thou goest

3

Mach4 General Discussion / mcSignalWait issue

« on: April 09, 2021, 11:02:36 AM »

I am trying to home axes within a macro, and need to base subsequent action based on whether the axes homed successfully. OSIG_HOMED_X (or other axis) gives me the signal I need for the macro to proceed, but mcSignalWait doesn't seem to operate on Mach 4 output signals, although I can't find any documentation that confirms that.

Any ideas on how to confirm that an axis successfully homed?

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Reference all axes in macro

« on: March 27, 2021, 12:41:09 PM »

Hello--
    I am working on a custom 6-axis machine controlled by Mach 4 and an ESS Smoothstepper controller. Since a number of functions that I've created need to be called by both screen buttons and by M-codes in the program, I've located them in a module. That's all worked out fine.
    But one of the module functions references all the axes using mc.mcAxisHomeAll(). When called by the screen button, it works fine, but fails when called by the M-code. I understand that module functions can't use coroutines, but as I understand it, mc.mcAxisHomeAll() doesn't rely on one. Can anyone please explain this behavior?
    Sorry--one other frustration: does anyone know how to have Mach re-load the module, without restarting Mach each time? When I edit and save my load_modules.mcs file, it re-loads any macros, but not the module file.
   Thanks in advance!

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 MODBUS TCP to Panasonic PLC communications

« on: March 26, 2020, 09:47:19 PM »

Thank you so much for the replies. I've only started on the MODBUS summary that was linked. But I'm worried that my problems are on the Panasonic end. Although the PLC clearly supports MODBUS TCP and MODBUS RTU serial communications, the communications cassette with the ethernet adapter will NOT allow me to set port 502 as the TCP port (Only port numbers 1025 and up allowed). This has me baffled. As Bob's screenshot shows, Mach 4 MODBUS setup screen allows a server TCP port number to be entered: doesn't this allow me to use a different port?
    I've attached a screen shot of the Panasonic PLC's communication setup showing the port restrictions. Thanks for the help--I'm slogging through this.

6

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach 4 MODBUS TCP to Panasonic PLC communications

« on: March 25, 2020, 12:08:07 PM »

Hello,
   We are using Mach 4 and the ESS Smoothstepper control board to run a custom 6-axis machine. We are greatly expanding the number of inputs and outputs (solenoid valves, etc.) on a new version of the machine, and would like to use a Panasonic FP-X PLC to handle those.
   We have had no luck getting communication between Mach 4 and the PLC, using the Modbus plugin configuration. The PLC has an ethernet port, which we've successfully setup to communicate with the host Windows 10 PC (because we can run the PLC config software--FPWIN-Pro 7 to set up and monitor the PLC). Simply trying to write to a single coil (0x5 Modbus function), doesn't work, either to a Y output (Modbus register 1 to 2048) or R register (2049 to 9999).
    I'm ignorant about Modbus, there is no Mach 4 documentation that I can find to help, and the Panasonic documentation is lamentable. Any basic suggestions on how to get these two semi-understood entities to talk with each other would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!