Messages

31

VB and the development of wizards / Re: OEM DRO & User DRO's. What's the difference?

« on: October 01, 2012, 07:36:50 AM »

Thanks Brett & Alex, and I probably should also thank Klaus!
So from what I understand there is no difference between User and OEM DRO's only the range they have been allocated. Even then some of those which are >1000 have already been used for OEM purposes.
I already use Klaus's Machscreen program which is great but hadn't noticed the overview section which is ideal to make sure there are no duplications or format errors. It even seems you can edit directly to that list so changing the DRO number should be a doddle.
Before long i'll be seeing code like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix!

Many thanks ...Sweep

32

VB and the development of wizards / Re: OEM DRO & User DRO's. What's the difference?

« on: September 30, 2012, 04:09:32 PM »

For the time being i'll 'guess' some other numbers but is there a list of pre-allocated numbers anywhere?

...Sweep

33

VB and the development of wizards / OEM DRO & User DRO's. What's the difference?

« on: September 30, 2012, 01:11:19 PM »

Had a great day today experimenting with VBScript as part of the Reference all Axis procedure including the ATC.
I haven't started to play with the code that cncalex created as I wanted to practice on something simpler first.
Everything works fine and i'm starting to get used to the logic of it all.
Then things started to wrong.
I can't remember where i read it but I thought there were UserDRO's available for "users" with numbers between 1000 and 2254.
I presumed that these were different from OEM DRO's for the developer of Mach3.
So, I reference the machine and ATC, choose the tool in spindle, and then thought i'd see if the tool length offset in the "offsets" screen worked ok.
Problem is that when i type in the Gauge Block Height for tool it changes the readout on my tool-in-carousel DRO to the same value!
I started looking at other items on the offsets page and there are other items that would have the same effect.
My worry is that there is other duplications lurking to smash my machine to bits when I finally get round to cutting metal.

...Sweep

 

34

VB and the development of wizards / Re: And today's question is...

« on: September 28, 2012, 06:12:12 PM »

Thanks again Alex.

Not sure I should be sending English beer to Germany as you have that department well and truely sorted!
I didn't get chance to play with the code tonight as I have just finished work for my German employers.
I am going to try and put the first part of the standard macro on the front of yours as I need the axis to travel to a safe tool change position, z particularly, before the atc cycle starts. When i tried it last night, without fully reading the code, i crashed the carousel into the spindle. Fortunatley its air powered so no danage done.

...Sweep

35

VB and the development of wizards / Re: And today's question is...

« on: September 27, 2012, 06:27:29 PM »

Hi Alex,

Let me know where to send the beer tokens!
The part of the M6 program you built worked spot-on 'grabbing' the tool number from the dro and indexing the correct carousel position.
I will try adding the rest of the procedure after work on Friday so the 3 axis move to their tool change positions before the cycle starts. No doubt I will make a mess of it but i'd like to have a go myself first before calling in the cavalry ...and i'm not sure how much more beer I can afford!

Really appreciate your support.

...Sweep

36

VB and the development of wizards / And today's question is...

« on: September 26, 2012, 03:55:08 PM »

I am trying to modify the standard toolchange macro to best suit my carousel ATC with little knowledge of how VBscript works and why, sometimes, it doesn't.
Stepping into the program it alarms a syntax error on the subroutine shown below. The original code described Sub MovePos(ByVal ToolNumber As Integer) which I guees means "move" to the "position" identified by the correct tool "number"
What I am trying to do is as below which I hope makes sense to read, if not to run as script but I don't know what instruction to type within the Sub???(ToolNumber As Integer)
The GetUserDRO's are boxes into which I have already typed the specific tool numbers installed in 1of6 carousel slots

Sub (ToolNumber As Integer)

Select Case ToolNumber
       Case Is = GetUserDRO(1001)
          If IsActive(INPUT1) Then
          SendSerial("B0000133E9>7R25")
      
   Else
   Message("Toolchange failed")
   DoOEMButton(1021)
   End If
       
       Case Is = GetUserDRO(1002)
   If IsActive(INPUT1) Then
      SendSerial("B0000133E:?7R25")
   Else
   Message("Toolchange failed")
   DoOEMButton(1021)
   End If
         
       Case Is = GetUserDRO(1003)
   If IsActive(INPUT1) Then
      SendSerial("B0000133E;08R25")
   Else
   Message("Toolchange failed")
   DoOEMButton(1021)
   End If
EndSelect

Not sure how I can thank you Guys for the support other than to say that beer is available if you're ever in the area.

Thanks ...Sweep

37

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Triggering a user reset

« on: September 24, 2012, 07:06:47 PM »

I would like to initiate an Estop type of condition where the system prevents any further action until the reset button is pressed but I can't figure out what command is needed.

DoOEMButton(1021)

Then add an
Exit Sub

The only problem with the DoOEMButton(1021) command is that it has a predefined Message and Ticker response that seems to take precedence over my "SetTicker(0,"Toolchanger datum failed ...check air supply")"

38

VB and the development of wizards / SystemWaitFor(INDEX) ...will it work?

« on: September 24, 2012, 06:05:26 PM »

I am wanting to stop my spindle as it passes the speed monitoring proximity switch, which is assigned as "index" on the ports and pins screen, to align the drive dogs of the spindle with those of the tool mounted in the carousel.
I will, of course, have dropped the speed to, say, S60 to reduce the effects of inertia over-run.
Is the statement SystemWaitFor(INDEX) sensible or will I have to duplicate my input pin to a true Input# for it to work, e.g. SystemWaitFor(INPUT1), and does this command look for a high or low state?
I was going to use IsActive(INDEX) or IsActive(INPUT1) but I don't know how to leave the command 'open' and looking for the state of the input to change as it would be only chance that the proximity was active when the script line was processed.

thanks again ...Sweep

39

General Mach Discussion / Re: User defined DRO/button?

« on: September 24, 2012, 08:19:24 AM »

So, if I understand correctly, within Screen4 or Klaus's screen builder I change the DRO to OEM code function 1000 and that will allow me, when back in Mach3, to type a number into the box and be able to recover that number to another piece of script using GetUserDRO(1000)

...Sweep

40

General Mach Discussion / User defined DRO/button?

« on: September 23, 2012, 07:43:52 PM »

As part of my project to control my 6 station ATC from Mach, whilst allowing any of my many toolholders to be assigned to one of the 6 stations, I would like to be able to type in a number into a box and have that number then recognised as the tool, when required, to be used as part of the program.
So, for example, I may need 3 tools for a program of which the actual tool holder numbers are, say, 7, 11, & 19. I would then place T7 in slot 1, T11 in slot 2, and T19 in slot 3. I then type the tool number in the corresponding carousel slot on my very primitive Toolchanger screen, see attachment.
And here is where we get to the questions; is there a way I can have a user defined input box where I can just type a number butit  is recognised as an entity to be used in another part of the program. I would have thought it would be called something like UserParam or something like that but I can't find anything.
As each UserParam would be associated with a carousel slot I could have the script ask each of the 6 carousel slots if it equaled the required tool number and select if yes, or move onto the next if no. If all are no, for example if T45 is called where only T7, T11, & T19 are fitted, then an Estop would be called.
I hope that made sense

...Sweep