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Messages - brianthechemist

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1
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for either a register or a command to start/stop specific modbus functions and/or devices.  (similar to right-clicking on the device or function in the Modbus Diagnostics window).  I'm trying to limit overhead and only use the toolchanger modbus when needed so I can turn off the toolchanger between changes.

I was able to find the command register to enable/disable ALL of the modbus at once: mbcntl/command but I was hoping for more granularity

I'm also able to find the status of each device/function but they appear to be readback only and not commands (for example MB2-6052/function0/rc )

Thanks!

2
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Modbus Config and Register issues
« on: February 08, 2024, 01:07:01 PM »
OK, replying here because this obviously isn't an issue:

I got back to this and realized that the problem fixed itself.... :(

To use the modbus bitpacking, it is necessary to restart Mach to apply the changes.  If you just make the new registers in the modbus window, they will not show up as inputs/outputs until some number of files have been reloaded.

oops! saved me some headache though!

3
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Yet Another Tool Change Script
« on: February 06, 2024, 11:40:53 AM »
I’m working on my own toolchanger implementation right now actually. Perfect timing.  I have (perhaps out of an abundance of caution because my machine isn’t enclosed) installed an optical sensor to verify that there actually is a tool in the spindle after the tool change (and more importantly, that there ISN’T a tool in there before grabbing the first tool from the tool carousel).

How do you handle ‘manual’ tool changes? (My renishaw probe has a wire, so i have to load it manually)

I was thinking to assign it to tool ‘11’ (my tool carousel has only 10 slots) and whenever i want to probe, i tell the machine to go to tool 11 and there is some code in the script that recognizes it and has a different protocol.

Another question: how are you handling the start and end of a job/day of working? Is it expected that the spindle always has a tool in it and you will always be swapping?

I was planning to store my spindle empty (bad idea?) and have the script check the sensor i mentioned before and skip the ‘replace existing tool’ part of the script.

So many ways to do it.  What is the common practice in industry?

4
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Modbus Config and Register issues
« on: January 27, 2024, 01:15:51 PM »
I'm actually having this same issue.  The "packed" input is showing up as a single signal instead of the individual registers that the modbus plugin claims exist.

How did you access these signals? I'm hoping you can write to them individually instead of only as a single value. (I think a bitwise "and" or something would be needed if it isn't in there already behind the scenes)

5
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Display spindle load
« on: January 25, 2024, 04:30:47 PM »
Do you have access to modbus in your machine? I have been using a cheap analog-> modbus  adapter to report back the current draws from my servo power supplies.  It has 0-10v input and rs485 modbus out.  You can even get super fancy and get a rs485 to modbus tcp bridge to send it over tcp-ip in Mach4 ( just like the Ethernet Smoothstepper)

6
Hi everyone,

It is FINALLY time for me to test my toolchanger integration with mach.  It looks like it is possible to use the simulator instead of my motion controller, but it is not clear to me how this works.

Ideally, i would be able to clone an existing configuration (pins, signals, etc) and have it function without needing the actual servos and limit switches connected.  The toolchanger controller is connected via modbus tcp, so there isn’t any need to actually trigger inputs or outputs on my ESS for communication.

My goal is to test the lua and gcode interactions with the toolchanger

Is this possible with the simulator works? I can’t find any documentation on it.

Thanks!

7
Another item:  I have each of the coils tied to a signal, this is not possible for the hregs. that could be my issue.

Here is the machine.ini excerpt for my hregs:
Code: [Select]
[ModbusDevice/H7\ ToolChanger/function2]
Desc=F2_Outgoing
Type=7
SlaveAddr=1
MbAddr=87
NbrRegs=3
BitPack=0
Bits=0
ReadAs=0
InitialState=1
ScanDenominator=1
Res0=TC87_CMD_ACTION
Res1=TC88_CMD_SLOT
Res2=TC89_CMD_SLOT_FCN
[ModbusDevice/H7\ ToolChanger/function2/TC87_CMD_ACTION]
Desc=TC87_CMD_ACTION: int 0 (do nothing), 1 (get), 2 (replace), 3 (deploy arm), 4(stow arm), 5 (rehome), 6(rescan slots)
Type=256
RegIndex=0
BitIndex=0
[ModbusDevice/H7\ ToolChanger/function2/TC88_CMD_SLOT]
Desc=TC88_CMD_SLOT: slot number: int 0(no movement), 1 - 10(slot number)
Type=256
RegIndex=0
BitIndex=0
[ModbusDevice/H7\ ToolChanger/function2/TC89_CMD_SLOT_FCN]
Desc=TC89_CMD_SLOT_FCN: Slot Function: int 0 (do nothing), 1 (go), 2(retry), 3(check tool presence from memory)
Type=256
RegIndex=0
BitIndex=0

Incidentally, if this helps anyone, I decided to organize my modbus communication into functions.  This way I could group the similar actions and maintain continuous register numbering (for higher throughput).

8
Hi all,

I am working on my toolchanger integration and currently have a test panel set up in Mach that sends/receives commands from my toolchanger PLC over ModbusTCP.

I've noticed that the outgoing Modbus holding registers are not updating but the coils are.  I'm using sliders for the holding regs and buttons for the coils.  The Mach variables corresponding to the modbus regs will update, but for some reason, the modbus register is not.

I think here a picture is worth 1000 words .  As you can see, register TC_87 "changer command" on the GUI slider has no issue updating the M4 registers, but for some reason, the same register in the Modbus Diagnostics tool is not updating.

I've also attached the modbus config in case there's something I missed.

The coils work perfectly.  I haven't tested the incoming HREGs but that is next...

9
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Arduino Mega Mach4 Modbus
« on: May 09, 2023, 10:44:16 AM »
This is awesome.  looks like it will save me lots of time!

Thanks

10
following along the "corrupt registry" thought, here is my machine.ini file

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