Messages

131

General Mach Discussion / Stepper Torque

« on: May 22, 2007, 03:37:07 PM »

Hi,

I have a 1.86Nm torque Size 23 stepper directly connected to a 10tpi leadscrew.
I am running it on a "Stepmaster" board, 1/8 microstepping using a 24v supply and have it set to 2Amp output which is what the documentation said to do.
It is working but I am underwhelmed by the available torque. The slightest touch on the loadscrew handwheel makes the stepper stall, even running it at low speeds. I have made sure that the slideway is free to move (i.e. the gib strips are not clamped down)

Have I set something up wrong? or have I seriously underestimated the torque I need?
If I put a spring balance against the bed, the bed can pull about 4 lbs which doesn't feel as though it is enough to me.

What is your experience?

Thanks
Simon

132

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 18, 2006, 05:13:41 PM »

Like I said, that is the ultimate goal, but I am a long way off that yet. I have to get the thing to cut metal (preferably not itself) first before I start to worry about interfacing the DRO's. It may not even be possible, but the theory sounds good.

The main reason for putting the Scales on the machine is to make the manufacture of the bits to convert to CNC a bit easier!
Now if only the postman would deliver some hardware then I could make a start!

Simon

133

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 18, 2006, 04:37:22 PM »

Spending so much time sat in front of a PC, I am used to the way it is now and am reluctant to change it, I changed keyboard a few years ago and got RSI in my little finger from stretching to find the Ctrl Key which was further away than I was used to!
I will find a way around it now I know it is nothing stupid I am doing and nothing I can do about it in Mach3. I had not thought about setting up a different user account in XP, that may be the best way forward.

The Calipers output a wierd binary encoded absolute position see http://www.yadro.de/digital-scale/protocol.html The ones I am using on the mill give the 2 * 24 Bit protocol.
The YADRO Hardware interface reads the values from the scale and send them to the serial port when requested.
My software (and the YADRO DOS Software) calculates the actual position from the binary data stream.

I am currently assuming I will need to write some software to be interface between a Mach3 Macro and the YADRO interface so that the macro can populate the DRO's in Mach3

Simon

134

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 18, 2006, 03:24:26 PM »

Why do you have to turn up the font size? I have an 18" TFT, have it at the same res as you and have no problem reading the fonts at standard size?

The reason is one of personal preference and comfort.  I spend 8-10 hours staring at a very high resolution CAD station all day long. By the time I get home I find that my eyes are quite tired and so I find it more comfortable to use a slightly higher resolution for text.  Changing the font size in the Themes menu does not change the font sizes in most applications, the only way to get them larger is to change the global settings which is what I do.

  I do apologise for any hard feeling, email is a terrible mechanism to transfer feelings or ideas,
sometimes the way something is worded can trigger someone into feleling picked upon, (from both sides).
You original question had overtones of "Surely your screwing up.." written over it when I read it, and trust me,
normally, I would take such things with a grain of salt, but we all have our days. , Im willing to bet youve
spat at your wife on occasion for what she thought was a simple question. So if Ive offended you, for that
I appologise, it was really all intended as more "off the cuff" type of replying..
   and DO have a Merry Christmas..

Email is a terrible medium as intination is completely lacking. I did try very hard with the original post to not make it not sound like a complaint, which is why I entitled it "Doesn't Appear to Work" and ended it with "Am I missing something??"

For me the biggest issue was that the Config Font Dialog looked like it was offering to change both the font face and the font size, however this was not happening.

The first 2 replies appeared me to miss the point I was trying to get across which meant I had not explained it properly.

My subsequent reply of "The picture I posted is as it appears "OUT OF THE BOX" Surely this is not right?" was not meant as a criticism of the software, more a statement that I assumed the view displayed on my PC was not as you intended the software to look.

Things then went downhill as I got more frustrated at trying to explain the problem I was experiencing...
It wasn't until your explanation that the Font dialog is only supposed to change the Font Face that it became clear what was happening. Perhaps a simple line of text in the dialog or a change in the dialog title would have prevented the confusion. In fact I doubt I would have posted at all if I knew it wasn't supposed to change the font size.

Oh well. Hopefully water under the bridge.
The CNC hardware hasn't arrived yet as I have only just finished converting the Mill to work Digital Readout using the YADRO Digital Caliper Interface. (Writing my own Windows based DRO software)
Ultimately I would like to have the YADRO interface populate the Mach3 DRO's for visual confirmation of where the actual table is located. I realise that Mach3 will not use the DRO's for feedback.
Currently running my software concurrently does not seem to have an adverse effect on the performance of the Mach3 DriverTest but I will have to see.

Best Regards and No Hard Feeling I hope.
Simon

135

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 18, 2006, 03:19:54 AM »

You guys really are touchy! All I asked was a simple question.
Instead of being told it is a bug, work around it. I get jumped upon.

I write software too so know how easy it is for bugs to get in I also know all about allocating time. However I will not slag off my potential customers in a public forum.

I don't care if the software is Free or $160 price should have no reflection on quality.

It is a sad world when people cannot express an opinion.
Merry Christmas

136

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 17, 2006, 01:17:54 PM »

I take it you don't think this is a bug then

Bugs are inevitable in Software development. However, I do find it hard to believe that nobody has asked why the Mach3 Font Selection Dialog allows you to select a Font size but then ignores it completely.

137

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 17, 2006, 05:35:35 AM »

If I set the fonts like you suggest then yes it does make Mach3 fonts look ok. However the reason for changing them in the Windows Global Settings is that it is then Global, it changes the size of ALL windows fonts, not just the select few which obey the Windows Theme Sizes.
With the fonts set to Large or Extra Large as you suggest it does not affect all fonts and so some text is still too small.

IMHO Mach3 should be calculating the actual size of the selected font, not just assuming the font is of a known size and adjusting the box size accordingly OR Allow you to select a font size which will actually fit in the fixed size boxes!

138

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 16, 2006, 07:16:17 PM »

I have just downloaded and installed v2.0.026 and the problem is the same...
See attched.
I have also attached a pic showing where the screen font size is changed in windows so you can replicate.
Auto screen enlarge just makes it worse.

If you change the font size in the Mach3 dialog shown in the last picture does it stay put?? It doesn't on my system.

139

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 16, 2006, 06:17:49 PM »

Thanks for the reply, It doesn't work even after restarting the PC let alone Mach3.
Has anybody actually tried it?
Change the font SIZE from the standard 18point to something like 10point.
Close down/reload the screens/reboot the machine whatever, nothing, it still shows as 18point.

The picture I posted is as it appears "OUT OF THE BOX" Surely this is not right?

140

General Mach Discussion / Re: Config Fonts Doesn't Appear to Work

« on: December 16, 2006, 05:13:59 PM »

I just want the standard display to have all the numbers actually fit inside the boxes! It looks terrible at the moment, in fact unreadable.

I have attached a screenshot...

Simon