Messages

341

FAQs / Re: LImit and home switches

« on: November 27, 2014, 09:34:28 AM »

if you look here. On the diagram you see a simple potential divider.

Vin would be your 24V

suitable values for the resistors Z1 and Z2 would be 18K and 4.7K respectively

Vout would then be connected to a Mach input and would be at 5V

You'd put your switches in parallel between the 24V source and Z1

With all switches open, the 4.7K resistor would pull the input down to 0V

With any switch closed the input would be at 5V

342

FAQs / Re: LImit and home switches

« on: November 27, 2014, 09:06:33 AM »

2) you could use a simple 2 resistor potential divider to drop 24V switch network to 5V

343

VB and the development of wizards / Re: A axis T/C help with VB script to only move to next tool through sucessive num t

« on: November 25, 2014, 07:07:35 AM »

As I said in reply to your PM you can shorten that code considerably. Also you could try keeping your shortest path method but take out the backlash by slightly over-shooting on reversals and then correcting. This is untried but should do the trick.

Code: [Select]

selectedTool = getSelectedTool()
currentTool = getCurrentTool()

If selectedTool <> currentTool Then
  code "G53 G1 A" & ((selectedTool - 1) * 45) - 10
  While isMoving()
    sleep 10
  Wend

  code "G53 G1 A" & (selectedTool - 1) * 45
  While isMoving()
    sleep 10
  Wend

  SetCurrentTool selectedTool 
End If


You could reduce the value of 10 to just greater than your backlash if you want.

344

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Simple homing How?

« on: November 06, 2014, 01:57:57 PM »

But why so many people are making macros for homing?

good question but you'd have to ask them

TBH unless you're doing HD plasma, precision and plasma don't really happen in the same sentence.

I'd throw the sheet on the table, kick it kinda close (got some steelies?), set a zero by eye and cut. Life's too short to be homing plasma.

345

General Mach Discussion / Re: On Off toggle switching for mach3 functions?

« on: November 05, 2014, 04:30:33 AM »

Your problem is that this would have to be a two way thing. Not too big a deal to get a toggle switch to be seen by Mach as a momentary but what about the other way around? Mach obviously can't flip your switch. So you flip coolant on - you hit a limit or whatever - coolant goes off - your switch position still says it's on. You now have to physically toggle all your switches to make sure they match the actual state again. Surely the whole point just flew in the waste bin. Now if you had motor driven switches... 

346

VB and the development of wizards / Re: How to stop gcode("") by activation of signal?

« on: November 04, 2014, 05:27:57 AM »

Ah well that's OK then - screw the folks who wasted their time eh?

347

VB and the development of wizards / Re: How to stop gcode("") by activation of signal?

« on: November 04, 2014, 04:35:02 AM »

See what I mean about X Y?

Y = How to stop gcode("") by activation of signal?

whereas

X = How do I get Mach to do index homing?

348

Building or Buying a Wood routing table.. Beginnners guide.. / Re: Working router table, options to increase travel speed ?

« on: November 02, 2014, 04:08:54 AM »

1) Go to servos if you want to. Just don't blame the steppers. It's not their fault you've mis-spec'ed the ballscrews. 
2) Yes. 5mm lead ballscrews on a router wouldn't be my choice. 10mm is much more like it - I use 20mm.
3) Pointless (IMO).
4) Works for me.

349

General Mach Discussion / Re: motor settings

« on: October 31, 2014, 02:24:07 PM »

There is no toolpath that reliably exhibits the problem.

That's just nonsense. Up your accel and/or max velocity and try a few rapids and I'll guarantee you you'll get to the point that it will stall with monotonous regularity. The question is how little would you have to increase either to make it happen. That will give you an indication of how close you are to that point currently.

reducing my microsteps on the driver to say 1/8 which is half reduces the detail in my engraving / V carve.

Do you want to try to get to the bottom of your problem or do you want to have a reason for not trying everything I suggest? You can always put them back. BTW it's VERY arguable that your 16 microsteps is giving you no more resolution than 8 but I won't go there as I doubt you'd be convinced.

How do you turn off the toolpath display?

Take a look at the diagnostics page.

350

General Mach Discussion / Re: G31 causes an endless loop

« on: October 31, 2014, 11:39:15 AM »

Just for the hell of it can you remove your license file from the Mach3 folder, move it to the desktop or something - i.e. make sure you have a safe copy somewhere. Restart Mach and check the about box to make sure you're in demo mode and try your wiz code again.

Is there a debug mode I can turn on so that I can report more information for troubleshooting?

All dev and bug fixing has ceased on Mach3.