Messages

5511

General Mach Discussion / Re: Was working but suddenly quit

« on: July 25, 2012, 02:01:19 AM »

Hi Cole,

Perhaps the first thing to check is that your parallel port (I assume you are using Port#1) is enabled and set to the correct address (usually 0x038) in Config, Ports & Pins. Then check all your electrical connections including the parallel port cable for continuity etc.
At switch-on your motors should lock position - if they do not, then check your power supply voltage to the drivers.

Coming back to Config, Ports & Pins - check Motor Outputs are enabled and the step / direction pins and port are correctly specified.

Get the machine running first then worry about the tool radius compensation issue second.

Hope this helps,

Tweakie.

5512

General Mach Discussion / Re: crashing....

« on: July 25, 2012, 01:17:00 AM »

Hi Banks,

Once you move into the area of servo drives, encoders etc that is more in the domain of Mr Hood's knowledge base than it is mine. If you post any questions you may have in a separate thread I am sure he will know the answers and of course, be only too willing to share his knowledge.

Tweakie.

5513

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My first attempt at a CNC build.

« on: July 24, 2012, 12:25:01 PM »

You have got it - the yellow flashing just lets you know the scale is not set to 1:1.

A free software you may be interested in is F-Engrave http://home.comcast.net/~sskroch/Fengrave/fengrave.html
It is good for both engraving and VCarving and it also allows the import of some types of DXF etc.

Tweakie.

5514

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My first attempt at a CNC build.

« on: July 24, 2012, 11:41:36 AM »

Hi Jammer,

On the main Mach3 screen there are Scale DRO's - If you set the X Axis and Y Axis to 2.0000 the part will be twice the size, if you set them to 0.5000 the part will be half size and so on (be sure to press return after changing each value). The ToolPath window will show the new size of the part in Program Limits (you may need to click Regen Toolpath for this display to update).

LazyCam is pretty good for converting some DXF's but not so good for others - you just have to try it and see. 

Tweakie.

5515

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Logic/TTL?

« on: July 24, 2012, 04:17:19 AM »

It may vary between different types of stepper motor controller but if I disable an axis then re-enable it the stepper moves position slightly (probably to the nearest whole step position ignoring any micro-steps that may have been present). In any event my accuracy is lost.

Why, I wonder, do your steppers make a loud noise when they are not actually running ??

What make of stepper driver are you using ??

Just curious.

Tweakie.

5516

General Mach Discussion / Re: crashing....

« on: July 24, 2012, 01:44:24 AM »

Hi Banks,

I am most interested in what you are trying to achieve so please post some pictures or information as you progress, it really sounds like a fascinating project you have undertaken.

Tweakie.

5517

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: My first attempt at a CNC build.

« on: July 24, 2012, 01:27:22 AM »

Hi Jammer,

By 'doesn't recognize' I assume you are meaning the file extension. When loading files select the drop down menu in 'Files of type' and select 'All Files'. That should allow the ones you are missing.

Excellent work with the Scorpion.

Did you have to fit a new psu ??

Tweakie.

5518

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: I'm in Hog Heaven

« on: July 24, 2012, 01:21:13 AM »

Excellent work my friend, I just love that table top.

Tweakie.

5519

General Mach Discussion / Re: crashing....

« on: July 23, 2012, 12:19:37 PM »

Hi Banks,

It’s my fault entirely because I misunderstood your earlier post.
What I have been describing is creating the optical illusion of shades of grey (halftone) by a 1bit method (dithering).

If you need to draw, with a pencil, and create different weights of line (shade) then a better approach to this may be to try Roger’s Plot screen http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,5182.0.html
With differing Z depths for each pen (selected by color in the original drawing) the same HB pencil (suitably mounted) should be capable of producing different weight’s of line.

Just a thought.

Tweakie.

5520

General Mach Discussion / Re: crashing....

« on: July 23, 2012, 09:12:23 AM »

If you end up getting an opportunity to try it yourself, I'd be curious to hear what you think.

Unfortunately, I have just un-installed it but I will load it again and report back.

Again, If it's any help....

The best results I have had with pencil drawings and the like is to convert them to one bit halftones (dithered image) then either use Art' excelent Engraving plugin  (some reading - http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16446.0.html)

or using a GCode generation program such as DotG http://dotg.weebly.com/download.html   (some reading - http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,20490.0.html)

Both of which are free to use.

But there are many other choices and it is really just a matter of preference.

Tweakie.