Messages

781

Feature Requests / Re: Print to Cut functionality & Mach3 on router

« on: April 28, 2013, 01:14:24 PM »

Hi Tweakie

As I understand it the problem is that you've used the phrase "linear" distortion and Petr has used the phrase "non-linear distortion"

Imagine an image printed on a rubber sheet which is then pulled at many different points in all sorts of directions with different force.

At least that's how I understand the problem.

Ian

782

General Mach Discussion / Re: No response from limit switches

« on: April 28, 2013, 07:42:34 AM »

please post your xml and your 'ref all home' macro

Ian

783

General Mach Discussion / Re: No response from limit switches

« on: April 27, 2013, 06:03:52 AM »

 

784

General Mach Discussion / Re: No response from limit switches

« on: April 27, 2013, 05:41:50 AM »

Had a play with this and I think I've figured it out. In the xmls posted the E-stop is set to pin 13 active high. But the A axis limit is also set to pin 13 but active low. To me this should mean it is impossible to get Mach out of reset - and yet you can.

It turns out either by design or accident that if you create this impossible situation Mach automatically sets both auto limit override AND manual limit override on - thus although the diagnostic leds light Mach ignores the limit. Try for the moment just disabling the A axis limits and then there is no conflict so Mach does not then "auto" set the limits off.

The "real" solution of course is NOT to create this impossible situation with the E-Stop pin.

Ian

785

General Mach Discussion / Re: External Estop Requested

« on: April 26, 2013, 01:34:27 PM »

If you are correct (not suggesting you aren't) and you have 100Vac on the PE (earth) connection of your driver and if the driver is in a metal case (which hopefully it is) then I assume you have 100Vac on the case too. This is generally not a good thing.

As far as you're thread title goes - personally I'd say that's the least of your problems. If it were me I'd turn that puppy off right now. Zapp Auto sell them so it may be worth having a chat with them, but my guess FWIW is they're a) banjaxed and b) dangerous.

Ian

786

General Mach Discussion / Re: Have a few problems, need some help please.

« on: April 25, 2013, 09:51:29 AM »

Is there any other programs that might work with my 3040T triaxial engraving machine? The command codes my machine can read are g-code/.nc/.ncc/.tab/.txt.

Not really sure what you're asking here John. It's Mach3 that reads and processes the gcode not your machine. If you're asking for a recommendation for a replacement for Mach3 you're probably asking in the wrong place.

That said arn't you giving up a bit quick? You only posed your question yesterday. I've never used LC so I can't help you with that one but why not try to load the roadrunner.tap file first and see if you can load all that (it's 4000 odd lines long). (Let's take LC out of the loop for a moment - one thing at a time).

Ian

787

Feature Requests / Re: Print to Cut functionality & Mach3 on router

« on: April 25, 2013, 02:58:33 AM »

If I understand the problem correctly we're talking about an AUTOMATED PRODUCTION RUN system where we're printing and cutting out 10s/100s/1000s?  off. At least that's what the OP's second link infers. (the first link is broken).

Each printed image has to be automatically registered on the cut bed. But the system has to deal with RUN-TIME X,Y displacement PLUS skew PLUS distortion.

So I think it goes something like this: You have a cut path which has been created from the original artwork. Then a print is delivered to the cut bed, a camera then follows the cut path and makes note of where the registration marks are in relation to where they should be. It then modifies the cut path to match THIS particular instance and the knife does it's job. Then the next print is loaded and the whole process is repeated LIVE.

I may of course have got completely the wrong end of the stick

Ian

788

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: MachIII GCode Leadin questions

« on: April 24, 2013, 08:33:02 AM »

but... whatever means are used to get leadins/outs into your code, they are just G1, G2, G3 moves or combinations thereof (as has been said).

That's why I had a little poke to post your code and then we could point them out to you.

Ian

789

General Mach Discussion / Re: reference Script

« on: April 24, 2013, 08:21:44 AM »

The code "g0 x10" won't get executed because Mach is still waiting for the movement queue to empty before it will execute it. All the script does is show that VB is NOT hung and that it is isMoving that is not releasing. That more or less proves (to me at least) that the homing sequence is not only not working as it should but that it is NOT returning control to Mach either.

Ian

790

General Mach Discussion / Re: reference Script

« on: April 24, 2013, 06:36:30 AM »

It looks to me like you're correct - there's a problem with the plugin. The homing behavior you describe in your first post is wrong. It should set machine zero AFTER it's backed off the switch AND come to a stop.

Try replacing your while isMoving construct with this:

Code: [Select]

while isMoving() and (X < 100)
  X = X + 1
  sleep 100
wend

This will release the while loop after 10 seconds regardless.

This is NOT a fix for the homing problem - it will just show that homing is not finishing and therefore Mach is not releasing the isMoving semaphore.

Ian