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Messages - Greolt

311
General Mach Discussion / Re: Correct orentation for X and Y
« on: January 07, 2010, 09:28:04 PM »
The only thing that matters is the relationship between each axis.  Best described by the right hand rule.

Which end you call the front is just a user convenience thing.

Maybe you do work where it suits to call the axis with the longest travel X.

Maybe you stand at the "Red Button" end (see above) and want X axis left to right as you operate.

It makes no difference.  So long as axis relationship adheres to the right hand rule.

Greg

312
Art posted, back a few years ago  / before my time of using Mach, that a value of .0001 .............................

The thing is that with version R3.042.033 the rotary axis feedrate compensation was reworked.

So anything written years ago, may not apply any more.

Thanks for that info, Greg. So, the radius entered is really the location of Z zero relative to the axis of rotation?

Yes that is correct Gerry

313
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 R3.042.033 overfeed bug
« on: January 06, 2010, 05:51:56 AM »
There is a new revision just posted (034)  try that and see if it helps.
Hood

Actually I am very happy with 033.

The long standing rotary axis feedrate bug, that I have been complaining about for over a year, has been 90% fixed.

Happy as pig in mud.  ;D

Greg

314
As of Version R3.042.033 this has been, not quite fixed, but greatly improved.  Previous versions it was buggy.

The DROs on the settings page are now labelled "Rotation Radius" which is now correct.  Previously they were labelled "Rotation Diameters" which was partly right and partly wrong.

When "Use Radius for Feedrate" is checked in toolpath setup and you have a number greater than zero in the appropriate "Rotation Radius" DRO this turns on the rotary axis feedrate compensation.

The compensation system takes the value of the "Rotation Radius" DRO and the value of the Z axis DRO and adds them together to ascertain what diameter the cutter is at.

Then it compensates the rotary axis feedrate to keep the tool cutting at the called for feedrate. (within motor tuning parameters)

So if you are using the centre of rotation for Z zero (which I always try to do) then have a near zero number (0.01) in the "Rotation Radius" DRO and the Z axis DRO value will be used for the calculation.

If on the other hand you have Z zero at the outer circumference of the job, enter that radius in the "Rotation Radius" DRO, then this value plus whatever Z DRO is, will be used for the feedrate calculation.

I said "not quite fixed" because Brian was going to fix the issue of a "Rotation Radius" DRO value of zero turning the compensation system off, but he must have forgotten.

That is why you must use a near zero value in the "Rotation Radius" DRO and not zero.

Hope this is clear and helps.

Greg


315
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 R3.042.033 overfeed bug
« on: January 06, 2010, 04:34:39 AM »
There is a new revision just posted (034)  try that and see if it helps.
Hood

G'day Hood

Yeah I just tried 034, and it is all screwed up for me.

Feedrates are oscillating up and down.

Don't know yet if it is just me or a problem with the new driver update.

Reverted to 033 and all is good again.  Or at least like it was before.  :)

Greg

316
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 R3.042.033 overfeed bug
« on: January 06, 2010, 04:00:10 AM »
I have been seeing this also.  By a lesser margin than Swarfboy is getting.

Check what the Pulse Frequency is on the diagnostics page.  I run 35k and am getting 35317 reported.

Seems to have arrived with the latest driver upgrades.  

I thought it was rather good, as my pulse frequency has always been lower than kernal speed, on every computer I have used since I started with Mach.  :)

Greg

317
Mach3 under Vista / Re: Vista Pulse Spikes Gone!!!
« on: January 04, 2010, 06:19:25 AM »
I have seen those piano keys before.  :)

In BIOS look for a setting called "Enhanced Halt State"  or "C1E Enable" and turn it off.

Greg

318
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Slaved axis
« on: January 04, 2010, 05:58:16 AM »
I will assume you have home switches on each side of the slaved axis.  Each with their own input pin.

Make sure "Home Slave with Master" is not checked.

The macro that is activated with the "Ref All" button will need the following line changed  (In Blue)

DoButton( 24 )
DoButton( 23 )
DoButton( 22 )
DoButton( 26 )

DoOEMButton(133)
DoOEMButton(134)
DoOEMButton(135)

This line homes axis B

So when X homes then B will follow along in tandem and then B will home on its own as X stays still.

B should only move a couple of mm each way as it homes.

If that does not work then delete these two lines,

DoButton( 22 )
DoButton( 25 )

And replace with,

RefCombination  ( 17 )

This will do a simultaneous homing of X and B.

I am not sure this command will "square the gantry" or not.  I don't use it, although I have seen Brian recommend it for slaved axis many times.

Greg



 

319
SmoothStepper USB / Re: Added feature of the new plugin's
« on: January 03, 2010, 03:20:07 PM »
When using the LPT you can uncheck "Home Sw Safety"

This will cause it to head in the other direction seeking home switch, if that switch is already active. 

Works well for mid travel home switches, which is what I have on my mill.

Doesn't matter from where you start a homing sequence, it will always seek home by travelling towards the switch.

However I don't know if this works with the smoothstepper.

Greg


320
Greg,
If you didn't have Aspire then what would you do?

My first recommendation would be to get some CAM with 4th axis capability.  Like VisualMill  or Mastercam.  :o

If, like me, you can't justify the cost and you have some 2D or 3D CAM already, then look at wrapping. CNCWrapper is great value.

And of course you don't need software to wrap XYZ toolpaths.  A reasonable grasp of geometry and a calculator will do it.  CNCWrapper just makes it easier.

Wrapping XYZ toolpaths is quite limiting but still there is a lot of potential to work within those limits.

The advantage of a program like Aspire is the 3D modelling.  Most particularly the two rail sweep to easily build the shape, like in the table leg.

Also the ability to project a 2D or vee carve toolpath onto a 3D model, like with the fluting on the table leg.

For barley twists and spiral fluting etc, some clever code writing should be OK.  

There is available Rich's "Indexer Wizards" which will automate these.  Worth noting Aspire also has this capability.

As I said, real 4 axis CAM is the way to go.  Any one want to sponsor me with some??  :)

Greg