Messages

291

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why is the roadrunner milling the size of a dime?

« on: April 21, 2015, 04:12:42 AM »

snowsp1 - I've split this into your own thread. To start your own topic just go to the sub forum you want to post in and hit the new topic button.

To your question: roadrunner assumes inch units. I suspect you're in mm. Either change units on the settings screen or better put a G20 at the top of the code.

292

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: 5 axis kinematics coming soon !!!

« on: April 15, 2015, 07:28:35 AM »

or even if you don't use chrome, just copy the url into google translate and then click on the translated url et voila... tout sera révélé. 

293

SmoothStepper USB / Re: Slotted Opto Schematic

« on: April 12, 2015, 12:38:08 PM »

Thanks Stirling,

Here is the circuit associated with one of the input pins on the Motion control card.

If I'm correct, all the inputs have Schmdt trigger control, so by hooking up your opto circuit to one of the input pins should do the trick.
Is this arrangement correct.

I know nothing about that card but your diagram looks fine.

I was confused because Arturo has a C3 index pulse board specifically for reading pulses from the spindle when threading on the lathe. I can only assume then that his Break out boards do not have the same Schmdt trigger arrangement on his input pins. Wrong or right ??

Can't help you there George because I know nothing of the C3 board.

294

SmoothStepper USB / Re: Slotted Opto Schematic

« on: April 12, 2015, 05:35:38 AM »

Hi George - see attached. This assumes 5V signaling. This is about as simple as you can do it - see how you get on - but you may need the output shaping with something like a Schmitt trigger.

295

SmoothStepper USB / Re: Slotted Opto Schematic

« on: April 11, 2015, 01:23:23 PM »

got a datasheet link for the opto?

296

General Mach Discussion / Re: Brain play.....

« on: April 11, 2015, 05:22:26 AM »

You'd be far better off using a screen editor and putting the code straight into the buttons

297

General Mach Discussion / Re: ative low or active high??

« on: April 10, 2015, 12:20:04 PM »

Yeah - this is a bit of a sweeping statement really because even if *most* drives were active low, that statement takes no account of the fact that your BOB (for example) *may* be inverting the signals before they even get to the drives.

The way to do this correctly of course is to simply follow what the manuals for your various hardware say.

However if your machine is running OK I wouldn't worry about it. You can always try swapping it and see if you notice any difference in the performance of your machine.

298

General Mach Discussion / Re: ative low or active high??

« on: April 10, 2015, 04:53:22 AM »

I must have been having a bad hair day. Bloody hormones!
Sorry
Dave

 

Anyway - back to Fred... (you still with us there Fred?)

Machine setup Page 4.7 says i must tick the active low button on in ports and pins  but i see my
setup has active low off ?? is this a serious issue?
What difference does it make?? anything i could detect when using the machine

Page 4.7 of what Fred?

You'd have to say which pin/function you're talking about to be able to answer this with any meaning.

299

General Mach Discussion / Re: ative low or active high??

« on: April 09, 2015, 05:28:41 AM »

I'm sorry, but I disagree.

Sorry David - I'm not clear exactly what you're disagreeing with.

High is higher than low

Can't argue with that. Exactly where did I suggest otherwise?

either can be used as an active signal.

Exactly what I said.

It would be very confusing to have a high signal that is say 30v and a low signal that is 300v.

I absolutely agree, exactly where did I suggest otherwise?

I stand by everything that I ACTUALLY said.

300

General Mach Discussion / Re: ative low or active high??

« on: April 09, 2015, 04:12:45 AM »

LOW does NOT mean OFF and HIGH does NOT mean ON.

Low can be used to mean ON or OFF and High can be used to mean ON or OFF. That's exactly why the term ACTIVE(high or low) is used. If a system is set ACTIVE HIGH then it means just that, ACTIVE when HIGH. If on the other hand a system is set ACTIVE LOW then it means just that, ACTIVE when LOW. i.e. we use the term ACTIVE rather than ON because it's more meaningful and also helps to avoid the mistake of thinking HIGH is synonymous with ON and LOW is synonymous with OFF.

What change will you see if you were to change the active setting of something? It depends entirely on what that something is. If for example it's a direction pin then all that will happen is your axis will go the opposite way it did before. If on the other hand it's a spindle relay pin then it will be off when it should be on and vice versa. If however it's a step pin then it MAY make no difference whatsoever or it MAY stop your system from working properly.

i.e. Some active settings are down to you and how you've designed your system and changing them should have obvious and predictable results, a spindle relay for example. Others though should be set according to your hardware data sheets - a step pin for example.