Messages

161

General Mach Discussion / Re: Manual button for auto zero

« on: April 14, 2011, 05:13:07 PM »

No doubt there are lots of ways you can do this.   Using MachMad would be easy.

As I understand it you cannot activate a macro with an OEMtrigger.  With the exception of the one "Trigger Macro" which first must be set in the init string.

I guess with some clever macro writing you could run a tool zero routine for the appropriate Z or A axis, all contained within the trigger macro.

Why I use a brain is because the safety lockouts and time delay can be done very easily.

Greg

162

General Mach Discussion / Re: Manual button for auto zero

« on: April 14, 2011, 06:23:43 AM »

Rick

Just duplicate what is in the macropump  as follows. (duplicated section in blue).  This time using DRO and LED 1141  and M616


A = GetOEMled (1140)
B = GetUserDRO (1140)

If A And (B = 0) Then
Code "M615"
SetUserDRO(1140,1)
End If

If Not A And (B > 0) Then
SetUserDRO(1140,0)
End If 

C = GetOEMled (1141)
D = GetUserDRO (1141)

If C And (D = 0) Then
Code "M616"
SetUserDRO(1141,1)
End If

If Not C And (D > 0) Then
SetUserDRO(1141,0)
End If 

Then edit the trigger brain to duplicate what is already in the brain.   Make the first input of the duplicated section,  OEMTRIGGER#6  and terminate with OEMLED: 1141

So M615 will be for Axis Z,   and M616 will be for Axis A.

That should work.............I think. 

Greg

163

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th axis toolpath wanders

« on: April 09, 2011, 10:59:55 PM »

No, slow is not the problem,  I can live with slow relative to other axis movements. 

Wrote all that for nothing.   

Hope you get it sorted.

Greg

164

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th axis toolpath wanders

« on: April 09, 2011, 08:49:08 PM »

I am guessing that "wanders" means slow.

Tune the axis to whatever it is reliably capable of.

All axis move in units per min.   With a rotary axis those units are degrees.  

So what is 60 ipm on the linear axis (desired speed of the tool in the work), is 60 degrees per min for the rotary.

That 60 degrees per min angular feedrate will make the tool move through the work at a speed dependant on the distance the tool is away from the centre of rotation. (in your case, very slowly)

So Mach has a feature to compensate the rotary axis feedrate, to accommodate differing radius that the tool is cutting at.

It is activated via the Toolpath Setup menu.   Check "Use Radius for Feedrate"  All the other settings in this box are to do with the toolpath display window.

On the Settings page there are three DROs labelled "Rotation Radius".  IMO they would be better labelled "Rotation Offset Radius"

They are to tell Mach the distance that the relevant axis origin (Z in this case) is offset from the centre of rotation.  (A axis in this case)

So if you are machining on the outer surface of a 10 unit diameter job and Z axis origin (zero) is set on that outer surface, then the correct value for the "Rotation Offset Radius" DRO is 5.  The distance that Z origin is OFFSET from centre of rotation.

If, on the other hand, the Z axis origin is at the centre of rotation (my preferred method for most jobs) then the correct value for "Rotation Offset Radius" DRO is zero.  The distance that Z origin is OFFSET from centre of rotation is zero.

Mach takes the Z axis DRO value and the "Rotation Offset Radius" DRO value and adds them together to ascertain at what radius the tool is cutting at any one time.  Then compensates the angular feedrate to have the tool move through the material at the desired speed.

Maximum velocity as set in motor tuning is honoured, so that will always be the upper feedrate limit.

Now there is one little "Gotcha".   A zero value in the "Rotation Offset Radius" DRO will automatically disable the entire feedrate compensation feature.  This is a known bug and is being addressed by Artsoft at this time.  Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

The workaround for this, is to use a very small value (eg. 0.001) in the "Rotation Offset Radius" DRO when zero is the correct and desired value.  Small enough to have no measurable effect on feedrate, but not zero.

Hope that all makes sense.  

Greg

165

Modbus / Re: Hitachi X200

« on: April 06, 2011, 04:54:41 PM »

Yes the Hitachi VFDs go up to 400hz as required by the Chinese high frequency spindles. (Not all VFDs do)

I actually use an Hitachi SJ200 on mine but have tested with an X200.

One distinct advantage of the Hitachi is that it follows the Modbus standard.  (a good manual is another)

So Modbus control with Mach3 works straight out of the box and does not require the plugin that Matty wrote to get around the Chinese VFD modbus implementation (or lack of).

Greg

166

Modbus / Re: Hitachi X200

« on: April 04, 2011, 07:36:21 PM »

I posted the following in reply to your thread on CNCZone.  I will repeat here,



Section B3 of the Hitachi manual shows pins 5 and 6 of the RJ45 are data pos and neg

These will correspond to T+ and T- on the RS485 converter. Use one twisted pair in the cat 5 cable

That is all. Only two wires.

Re page B5 of the manual set the following,

A001 03
Aoo2 03
C070 03
C071 05 (this is what I used, other options are available)
C072 1
C074 00
C075 1
C076 02
C077 0.50
C078 10

The last two numbers I have no idea about but these numbers are working for me.

Set the dip switch shown on page B4 to 485

Greg

167

General Mach Discussion / Re: vacuum pump

« on: March 30, 2011, 05:19:29 AM »

Yes it still goes.  But I don't use it much.

It is just as noisy as when it was a compressor.  I have close neighbours and noise is an issue for me.

So I bought a refrigeration mechanics vacuum pump which is very quiet.

If noise was not a problem it would still be used constantly.

The rubber I bought from a local engineering supplies.  Nothing special.  1/4" dia sponge rubber. (not foam rubber)

Greg

168

General Mach Discussion / Re: vacuum pump

« on: March 29, 2011, 05:25:17 AM »

This is an old thread but it describes what I did to convert a compressor to vacuum,

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/281908-post39.html

Greg

169

General Mach Discussion / Re: Hi Fellow CNC Enthusiasts

« on: March 27, 2011, 08:26:55 PM »

Be a good idea to ask Vcarve Pro wrapping questions on the Vectric forum.

http://www.vectric.com/forum/

Because you can upload the .crv file, and experienced users can take a look at it.

Not that good help is not available here, it certainly is, but there you will get a concentration of Vectric users who are using the wrapping PP.

Greg

170

Brains Development / Re: Most basic Brain queston - selection of items in editor

« on: March 25, 2011, 04:29:00 AM »

Assign at least one of them a NOP

Greg