Messages

7171

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help please...Problem with Ref Z when using touch-off plate.

« on: November 29, 2010, 08:37:52 AM »

Don,

Looks like it is recognizing contact with the touch plate OK but the feedrate may be too fast and the overshoot broke the cutter.

Perhaps if you attach you script it may help to find the problem.

Tweakie.

7172

General Mach Discussion / Re: Digital Print profiling with Mach software

« on: November 29, 2010, 02:47:50 AM »

I developed a system to use on our routers that use mach. I only use 3 dots for overall stretch or shrink in the x and y. It also compensates for the rotation. The dots need to be within 1/2 inch of where they should be located but as long as they are that close it works very well.

Bill

Is there any chance you could share details of this please Bill ?


Tweakie.

7173

General Mach Discussion / Re: Bug in formulas

« on: November 28, 2010, 08:46:22 AM »

Sargon,

Just out of curiosity, which version of Mach are you using ?

Tweakie.

7174

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: X machine-Like

« on: November 28, 2010, 07:06:53 AM »

Manmeran,

Nice work, looks like you have truly built a machine to be proud of.

Some more pictures of your machine would be nice. 

Tweakie.

7175

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

« on: November 28, 2010, 04:34:47 AM »

Hi Dan,

ebay turns up a few http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=rotary+encoder&_sacat=0&_dmpt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&_odkw=&_osacat=42899&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

Tweakie.

7176

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

« on: November 28, 2010, 03:30:42 AM »

Hi Guys,

At the risk of being totally boring, thought you may be interested in these little rotary encoders. They are low cost pulse generators which could be considered as the poor man’s MPG (light duty only) and their main field of usage is for the volume control / on off switch for vehicle and domestic audio systems. They output a 2 bit gray code which by comparing the current pulse with the previous pulse enables the direction of rotation to be established (for clockwise rotation the low order bit of the previous value always equals the high order bit of the new value whereas for anticlockwise rotation it never does).
The ones I am using output 20 pulses per revolution and are just ideal to set my PWM to any value between 0% and 100% in just 5 turns. The original concept was to use a multiturn potentiometer feeding an analog to digital converter but this little chap is all digital and simplifies things considerably. (pics show 10% and 90% PWM).
I was originally intending to have the PRF switchable between just 5kHz and 10kHz but I may just use another of these encoders to allow any setting between say 1kHz and 20kHz and limit the PWM accordingly (have to check the Synrad specification to see if this is allowable).

Tweakie.

7177

General Mach Discussion / Re: new version mach3 no dxfimport?

« on: November 26, 2010, 08:02:21 AM »

I think the only way to keep the direct DXF import is to keep using the earlier version of Mach.
However I can't see any reason why you can't have both versions on the same PC and then use which ever version you choose.

Tweakie.

7178

Share Your GCode / Re: Please help a new guy with a Gcode

« on: November 26, 2010, 07:45:24 AM »

Hi Nivlek,

You are not annoying anybody - you ask as many questions as you like - this is what the forum is all about.
The GCode was generated with Vectric Aspire.

Tweakie.

7179

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

« on: November 26, 2010, 07:19:33 AM »

Got some bits soldered on to the prototype board, which now looks like a rats nest, but at least it works.
Now to get started on the PIC micro processor program.

Tweakie.

7180

Share Your GCode / Re: Please help a new guy with a Gcode

« on: November 26, 2010, 04:43:33 AM »

Hi Nivlek,

I have created 4 (very basic) toolpaths, 2 roughing with 1.5mm and 2 finish with 1mm endmills. These have not been tried (I am not the expert here as I usually work with wood and plastics) so you must adjust feedrates etc. to suit your material and machine.

Hope this may be of some use to you.

Tweakie.