Messages

1121

General Mach Discussion / Re: first help

« on: December 17, 2011, 07:58:11 AM »

So you think that by changing your user name we'll help a pirate?

User banned

1122

General Mach Discussion / Re: trying to improve motor speed

« on: December 17, 2011, 07:43:58 AM »

Hi John - welcome to the forum.

You're very unlikely to get any sort of speed/performance from motors using 15V. Also it may be a typo but your 5V should be going to the drivers NOT the motors. If you post ALL the specs of your motors, drivers, power supply and the gearing method of your rig then I'm sure you'll get the help you need.

Ian

1123

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and THC Problem

« on: December 17, 2011, 07:27:14 AM »

The THC On pin in ports and pins is poorly named IMHO. It actually IS Arc OK so you appear to have things wired correctly.

Looking at your macro I'm thinking that's probably where your problems lie. I'm guessing it's meant to be the code for M3 but whatever it's complete cr*p. I'd throw it in the bin and replace it with the standard Mach M3.m1s. It's attempting (badly) to do the TOM or IHS function but you don't need a macro to do this anyway and "most" people do this in gcode. I'm also guessing you have a custom screenset because of the reference to user DROs 1000 etc. You may need to use the standard plasma screen. Here's a piece of code I just knocked out of Sheetcam - check it out and give it a try if you're happy with it. I've highlighted the bits that do what your macro was trying to do. This code is from the Mach3 Flame with THC - G31 post processor.

N0000 (Filename: rectangle with hole.tap)
N0010 (Post processor: Mach3 flame with THC - G31.scpost)
N0020 (Date: 17/12/2011)
N0030 G21 (Units: Metric)
N0040 G53 G90 G40
N0050 F1
N0060 S500
N0070 (Part: rectangle with hole)
N0080 (Process: Outside Offset, 0, T1: Plasma, 1.5 mm kerf)
N0090 M06 T1  (Plasma, 1.5 mm kerf)
N0100 G00 X61.7500 Y25.0000 Z4.0000
N0110 G31 Z -100 F500.0                          (find metal)
N0120 G92 Z-0.0800                                     (offset for switch travel)
N0140 Z3.0000                                             (move to pierce height)
N0150 M03                                                   (light the fire)
N0160 G04 P0.5                                            (wait for pierce)
N0170 G01 Z1.5000 F100                               (move to cut height)
N0180 G02 X61.7500 Y25.0000 I-11.7500 J0.0000 F2000.0
N0190 M05
N0200 G00 Z4.0000
N0210 X-0.7500 Y0.0000
N0220 G31 Z -100 F500.0
N0230 G92 Z-0.0800
N0250 Z3.0000
N0260 M03
N0270 G04 P0.5
N0280 G01 Z1.5000 F100
N0290 G03 X0.0000 Y-0.7500 I0.7500 J0.0000 F2000.0
N0300 G01 X100.0000 F2000
N0310 G03 X100.7500 Y0.0000 I0.0000 J0.7500 F2000.0
N0320 G01 Y50.0000 F2000
N0330 G03 X100.0000 Y50.7500 I-0.7500 J0.0000 F2000.0
N0340 G01 X0.0000 F2000
N0350 G03 X-0.7500 Y50.0000 I0.0000 J-0.7500 F2000.0
N0360 G01 Y0.0000 F2000
N0370 M05
N0380 G00 Z4.0000
N0390 M30
N0400 %

Ian

1124

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and THC Problem

« on: December 16, 2011, 05:12:01 AM »

Not sure I can help but from your previous post and this one I wonder if you're getting mixed up with your inputs. In your first post you said the inputs were:

Torch UP
Torch Down
Torch ON (given by a capacitive sensor which considers optimal cutting distance)
Probe (Touching the board)

In this post you say they are:

Torch Up
Torch Down
In position
Probe (or Touch Plate)

You should have:

Torch Up
Torch Down
ArcOK
Probe (or Touch Plate)

These should ALL be TTL (digital i.e. approx 0..5V) signals so I'm not sure what you're meaning in your first post when you say:

Now ... Depending on the condition that the z axis is found to give an appropriate signal pin MACH3 attributed to the state and activity is 15VDC and inactive is approximately 3.2 VDC at about 100mA

TorchUP/Down are self explanatory. Your probe input is (I'd imagine) for TOM/IHS/touch off. The one that seems to causing the confusion is ArcOK. This is a signal from your plasma cutter when a good arc is established. Without this Mach's THC function will not work (properly anyway).

Typically (and briefly) a Mach THC cut will work like this:

Mach moves to the cut start position in X,Y
Mach tells the Z to move down until "something" tells Mach the tip has touched/sensed the surface of the metal. The mechanics can be some sort of mechanical probing mechanism, ohmic sensing, capacitive sensing or perhaps "other".
Mach then moves back up to "pierce height" and fires the torch.
Mach then waits until it gets an ArcOK signal from the plasma supply (usually via the THC electronics).
Mach then pauses for pierce and then drops Z to "cut height" and only THEN Mach moves in X,Y.

Just one more thing to note: Mach's THC functionality is (or at least used to be) disabled in demo mode.

Hope this helps in some way.

Ian

1125

Modbus / Re: multiple serial modbus slaves

« on: December 14, 2011, 05:49:24 AM »

IAN Let me do some snooping to verify that. I would guess the IMPORTANT question IS can Mach3 handle more than 1 serial port at a time?

I had it in mind that perhaps it actually could be implemented as a BUS topology (as in modBUS  ), so ONE serial port would do it from the harware perspective. Of course if the (Mach) software can't address more than 1 slave then that's not going to help much.

From your link it looks like it can't be done which is a shame.

Ian

1126

General Mach Discussion / Re: G31 Probe problem

« on: December 13, 2011, 12:05:05 PM »

Ian -
interesting.... When I ran into the M6 vs IsaMoving problem, Brain told me that IsMoving only works for movement.
The counting test case shows that information to be wrong.

So that leaves us with the question of "When does IsMoving work as a sync function and when does it not?".
Alas, I don't have an answer for that question.

Dave, I've recently fallen foul myself after quoting people who are supposed to be in the know - so I feel your pain  

But perhaps the answer isn't that illusive. I first used the count approach to test whether isMoving actually did change it's return value after some iteration. I then use the logic - if it does then use it - if it doesn't either there's no point (always returns false) or you're in an infinite loop (always returns true). You can also use the count test to make a "rough" guess at the kind of sleep val is useful without being wasteful. You do of course have to be careful you're waiting on the call you think you're waiting on. Anyway - this approach has proved useful to me but as Terry would say - milage may vary etc.

Ian

1127

Modbus / Re: multiple serial modbus slaves

« on: December 13, 2011, 10:58:25 AM »

OK Terry - thanks - so with serial modbus it's one slave's your lot - is that right? Makes me think perhaps that event driven serial might be the preferred choice for the THC then for those that already have modbus (pendants for example).

Ian

1128

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reverse RUN problem in second pass

« on: December 13, 2011, 10:53:55 AM »

Hi Terry - I took it over to yahoo and Brian's going to take a look at it.

Cheers

Ian

1129

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reverse RUN problem in second pass

« on: December 13, 2011, 07:25:35 AM »

No Tweakie you were quite right - it was a typo. But I have upgraded - from R3.042.020 to R3.043.022.

Cheers

Ian

1130

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reverse RUN problem in second pass

« on: December 13, 2011, 06:47:06 AM »

Sorry Tweakie - you've lost me there... I was on R3.042.020, now I'm on R3.042.022. Why's that not an upgrade?

Ian