Messages

6351

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: November 22, 2011, 05:27:51 AM »

I just had to laser cut this beautiful flame eagle (downloaded from a free scroll saw patten website http://fssp-arpop.blogspot.com/ ), perhaps as an example that CNC enables non-craftsman, like me, to make stuff that traditionally required a great deal of skill. This is cut from wood veneer but I will scale up the pattern to around 350mm and cut the same image from sign vinyl, as a sticker (using a vinyl cutter knife rather than the laser).

Tweakie.

6352

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: PCBs and mach 3

« on: November 22, 2011, 04:51:27 AM »

Hi Muddy,

I think you need to save your work as a Gerber file rather than .PCB

There are some stand alone programs that will convert Gerber and NC Drill files to GCode also, although I have never tried it, LazyCam (free with Mach) will open Gerber files and create the necessary GCode toolpath and load this straight into Mach.

Tweakie.

6353

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probe

« on: November 22, 2011, 04:36:56 AM »

Ian,

With version R3.043.022 and using G90 G31 any deceleration settings in motor tuning are totally ignored when the Z Axis comes to a halt.
I am still testing but so far I can find no evidence that the value retrieved from Get Var (2002) is over-written by any subsequent contact, it is just the first trip point that is recorded.

Tweakie.

6354

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motors not responding

« on: November 22, 2011, 04:28:45 AM »

Hi John,

As Rich says the driver test installs the Mach drivers but if the driver test does not run then the drivers for Mach are not installed. It's a Catch22 situation.

The reason that the driver test does not run is almost certainly due to your PC. I think you should perhaps try another PC.
(Others, in the past, have reported taking the driver test.exe program to their computer shop and said " I want to buy a cheap PC that will run this")

Tweakie.

6355

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sound with out movement (JOG)

« on: November 22, 2011, 04:17:41 AM »

Great news Lou, I am pleased you have it working.

Tweakie.

6356

General Mach Discussion / Re: Auto Tool-Changer and LPT2

« on: November 22, 2011, 02:26:02 AM »

One thing I did notice on the parallel cable was that on pins 15 and 16, there was also 5.05v, even when there shouldn't be??

That would concern me - it should cleanly switch between Hi and Lo in order to perform the correct logic function.
Perhaps you need to check that your LPT2 is configured and working properly as it sounds that you may have a problem here.

Tweakie.

6357

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probe

« on: November 22, 2011, 02:18:26 AM »

HOWEVER - if the probe contacts are re-made and then re-broken during that decceleration phase, Mach will RE-WRITE that point as the point of contact.

HUM I have never seen it double write the trip point here. Once the initial trip takes place the G31 is no longer actively waiting for a trip it is already into the record and stop sequence of the code. At least that is how Art explained it a long time ago.

Perhaps this point needs to be investigated, at least as it applies to the latest lockdown version - does it re-write or not ??

Tweakie.

6358

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probe

« on: November 21, 2011, 11:55:44 AM »

HOWEVER - if the probe contacts are re-made and then re-broken during that decceleration phase, Mach will RE-WRITE that point as the point of contact.

Thanks Ian - this is something I had never considered (or even thought about happening).

Tweakie.

6359

General Mach Discussion / Re: sharp 10.4 screen

« on: November 21, 2011, 11:34:12 AM »

Hi Tony,

I am sure it can be done but it is really a job for an electronics engineer. The necessary signals are available from the PC graphics chip but the signal levels need to be checked prior to connection to the screen, get it wrong and damage to the screen or PC could occur.
In my opinion, in this instance, the risk is too high for 'trial and error' type electronics.

http://pinouts.ru/Video/VGA15_pinout.shtml

Tweakie.

6360

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probe

« on: November 21, 2011, 11:15:39 AM »

Can this bee sett in the softwhere- "high or low"?

I suppose you could use a 'pull up resistor' for the circuit to be 'active high' and a 'pull down' resistor for the circuit to be 'active low' then configure Mach accordingly.

Another thing I was wondering about,- how accurate is this Probe? Surly there have to bee some play/movement of the ProbeTip before the circut is broken and a signal given. Can this be compensated for by the software?

If it is constructed properly and the spring yields before anything bends then it would be extremely difficult to measure any play/movement in the system. Consider that the tip is essentially resting in the 'V' between 6 points of contact, it will either be making contact or it will not, there is no delay or contact bounce as you may get with, for example, a conventional switch.
When probing there is 'overun' between the contact point and the axis coming to rest but the stored position is the actual point of contact not the final axis position so compensation is automatic really.

Hope this helps.

Tweakie.