Topics

11

General Mach Discussion / Almost Home!

« on: November 10, 2007, 03:21:39 PM »

I'm a shopbot convert to Mach, with an Ascension controller.  I'm learning to use the Z zero function in Mach 3, and I need a bit of help.

So far, I enter the value of the thickness of the plate, which is .125.  Then I place the plate under the axis on top of the material, and press the Touch button on the screen.  The axis slowly descends until it touches the plate, and sets the Z axis to Zero in the DRO.   

When I then cut the Gcode file with cycle start, its cutting .125 OVER the surface of the material.  I thought the purpose of the Z zero is to touch the plate, and then have the macro subtract the plate thickness to provide an exact zero at the surface of the material. 

Should I be entering the NEGATIVE value of the plate thickness- i.e - .125? 

Sorry to be so thick here.  But its all sort new to me. 

Wayne C

12

General Mach Discussion / Making a GO TO button

« on: November 10, 2007, 03:14:13 PM »

I have two or three buttons I 'd like to make operation smoother for me.

The first is a GO HOME button that would send the control point to the 0,0 corner of my spoilboard (yes, I'm a shopbotter convert with a CNC router, not a mill).  That is NOT the mechanical limits, but the corner of the spoilboard I'm looking to go to.  I understand how to use the fixture settings- what I want is a button that sends the router to the start position, corner of the spoilboard.   

The second is a tool change position.  This one I'd like to have in the GCode so that when a tool change is called for the code sends the control point to this coordinate and turns off the spindle so that I can change the tool, and then resume cutting the file when I press cycle start.  I'd like this macro to operate by a button, but also when the macro is called in Gcode.  I'd also like to have a place on screen to enter the tool change position. 

If some one has this sorta thing written I'd be grateful to have a copy.  If not, can you point me in the right direction to the tutorials for this sorta thing? 

I'm loving this program!  Nice to have this flexibility, now that I'm starting to get a handle on it.


WayneC

13

General Mach Discussion / Jerky motion on Gcode files

« on: November 04, 2007, 06:59:54 PM »

I finally got my first files running, and I'm seeing really jerky motion on both the roadrunner file and an Artcam file.  The straight sections of both seem fine, but any curves and the motion seems as if its cutting a segmented line instead of a smooth curve.

On the roadrunner file it seems less jerky.  The Artcam file is considerably simpler- just a circle inside a rectangle.  The rectangle cuts fine, but the circle is jerky.  Both files seem to smooth out if I reduce cut speed, but its very jerky even at 100 ipm, which was very smooth with my SHopbot PR controller. 

What should I check?  I'm using the Post processor that Alan of Custom CNC provided, which is a Mach 3 post.  THe post saves the file with a .cnc suffix instead of a .tap, if that makes any difference.

My machine is a  P4 2ghz with 1mb, no network or internet connection.  My controller is an Ascension 1000 connected to Shopbot Vextra motors.  I get very smooth travel for all jogging, up thru speeds as high as 300 ipm. 

Thanks for your help!

Wayne C

14

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3.56 upgrade and screen size

« on: October 28, 2007, 11:12:53 PM »

I just installed the latest version of Mach 3 on my P4 Dell machine.  Things seem to be working fine EXCEPT for the screen size.  The screen displays too small, taking up less than half of the available screen size.  The Mach window is full sized, but the actual Mach working screen, regardless of which tab I choose, is smaller.

I changed the computer screen resolution via the display settings, but it didn't fix the Mach screen size.


What setting am I missing here? 

Thanks for your help!

Wayne from White Salmon

15

General Mach Discussion / Wrong Way X Slave

« on: October 19, 2007, 09:47:09 PM »

I use Mach 3 on my Ascension  controller on a modified Shopbot.  This CNC has two X axis steppers.  They were working fine, traveling in both directions with correct coordination. 

Somehow now one motor is moving the gantry in the opposite direction, causing an immediate racking of the gantry.  I understand  I can switch wires to correct this, but I wonder what setting I have changed to cause this.  I swear, it was working correctly!

Can I change the configuration of motor connections via Mach software?  What section of the manual should I read to learn about this? 

Also, I'm a bit disappointed with the performance of my Vextra motors.  I can't get very much velocity before the gear boxes spin out and lose steps.  Can I tune Mach to improve performance?  Where do I look in the documentation to learn more about this? 


Thanks for a great product.


Wayne from White Salmon

16

General Mach Discussion / Help with troubleshooting Ascension/Mach 3

« on: October 11, 2007, 10:00:38 PM »

I finally got my Shopbot PR upgraded, with a new gantry and Z axis.  Today I finally connected the motors and installed Mach 3 and the Ascension 1000 controller.   I installed the .xml files and .set files provided with the Ascension controller, and followed the set up instructions.   Here's my situation:

My X axis, both X1 and X2, work OK.  The jog command moves the gantry as its supposed. to.   The Y axis does not respond to the jog keys.  The Z axis does not respond either. 

When I swap the plugs at the back of the Ascension box, sending output from the X axis to the Y or Z axis, both of these axis work.  This suggests that motor and cables for both are OK.  This leaves either Mach 3 settings or a problem with the Ascension box as possible troublespots.

 need help to determine if I have some setting wrong somehow, or if I have a problem with the Ascension hardware.

Thanks so much for this forum.  I look forward to learning Mach 3. 

Wayne C

17

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3 computer requirements, network compatibility

« on: July 27, 2006, 08:19:18 PM »

I'm just about ready to order an Ascension controller and Mach3 to run my Shopbot PR router.  I expect to get improved cut quality, better reliability, and great new Windows based Mach 3 interface.  Maybe I'll get a toaster too.   

I'd like to know two things;

1) What sort of computer is best suited to running Mach 3.  I run mostly simple 2d cabinet files that are short and easy.  But sometimes I run quite large 3d files for signs.  What sort of processor?  How much Memory?  Is MORE memory better?  Any preferred chipset, or sets to avoid? Any graphic card advice?   Since I'm gonna need to buy a new machine for this, I want to give the program what it needs. 

2) I'd like to run this machine on a wireless network so I can transfer files to it, and possibly access a camera connected to it so I can monitor the machine from my office.   Any caveats about running a network, or wireless network, while running files? 

Thanks for answering this question for the thousandth time! 

Wayne from White Salmon