Messages

7701

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

« on: November 29, 2010, 12:21:16 PM »

Don,

There is lots on the forum if you do a search for 'auto tool zero' or 'touch plate' it may seem difficult at first to set it all up but as you get into it then it becomes more doable. 

Tweakie.

7702

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

« on: November 29, 2010, 11:02:40 AM »

Sorry Don I was getting confused between Ref Home and Auto Tool Zero. Changing your step values has probably altered your home position.

I, along with many others, use the Auto Tool Zero (as described in the second half of this page http://www.cooperman.talktalk.net/files/17.htm) perhaps you may consider this as a better way for tool zero.

Tweakie.

7703

Tangent Corner / Re: The first of the Winter Snow.

« on: November 29, 2010, 08:45:05 AM »

The Beer is all safely in the chiller and ready for consumption so it can snow as much as it wants now 

Tweakie.

7704

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.

7705

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.

7706

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.

7707

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.

7708

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.

7709

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.

7710

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.