Messages

51

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why does this radius not show up on my display?

« on: March 02, 2009, 12:32:12 PM »

Turns out it is a display related problem.  The problem showed up on two of my computers so I assumed it was software.  I tried the code on my third computer and it show just fine.  "To assume is to blunder".

The problem computers are running a GeForce 8500 GT and a GeForce FX 5200.  This computer has a Quadro and shows it fine.

Hope this helps with the display code rewrite.

Regards,
Walt

52

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why does this radius not show up on my display?

« on: January 29, 2009, 02:46:53 PM »

Well, I do a lot of little stuff and this is the first time I've noticed this happening.
Here's more of the same program, only the radius that is tilted on a 45 has the problem.

N1980 G00 Z0.0800
N1990 X-2.8500 Y-1.8000
N2000 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2010 G17
N2020 G02X-2.8000Y-1.7500I0.0500J0.0000 F6.0
N2030 G01 X-2.7000
N2040 G02Y-1.8500I0.0000J-0.0500
N2050 G01 X-2.7500
N2060 Y-2.4500
N2070 X-1.8500
N2080 Y-2.3000
N2090 G02X-1.7500I0.0500J0.0000
N2100 G01 Y-2.4500
N2110 X-1.5500
N2120 Y-2.2000
N2130 G02X-1.4500I0.0500J0.0000
N2140 G01 Y-2.5000
N2150 G02X-1.5000Y-2.5500I-0.0500J0.0000
N2160 G01 X-2.9000
N2170 G02Y-2.4500I0.0000J0.0500
N2180 G01 X-2.8500
N2190 Y-1.6500
N2200 X-2.6054
N2210 Y-2.3000
N2220 G03X-2.5554Y-2.3500I0.0500J0.0000
N2230 G01 X-2.2000
N2240 G03Y-2.2500I0.0000J0.0500
N2250 G00 Z0.0800
N2260 X-2.8500 Y-2.1000
N2270 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2280 G02X-2.9500I-0.0500J0.0000 F6.0
N2290 G01 Y-1.6000
N2300 G02X-2.9000Y-1.5500I0.0500J0.0000
N2310 G01 X-1.5000
N2320 G02Y-1.6500I0.0000J-0.0500
N2330 G01 X-2.5054
N2340 Y-2.2500
N2350 X-2.4500
N2360 Y-2.1000
N2370 G02X-2.3500I0.0500J0.0000
N2380 G00 Z0.0800
N2390 X-2.3000 Y-1.8500
N2400 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2410 G02Y-1.9500I0.0000J-0.0500 F6.0
N2420 G01 X-2.4000
N2430 G02Y-1.8500I0.0000J0.0500
N2440 Y-1.7500I0.0000J0.0500
N2450 G01 X-2.2000
N2460 G02Y-1.8500I0.0000J-0.0500
N2470 G01 X-2.4000
N2480 G00 Z0.0800
N2490 X-1.7000 Y-1.6500
N2500 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2510 G03Y-1.7500I0.0000J-0.0500 F6.0
N2520 G01 X-1.5500
N2530 Y-1.9500
N2540 X-2.1000
N2550 G03Y-2.0500I0.0000J-0.0500
N2560 G01 X-1.5000
N2570 G03X-1.4500Y-2.0000I0.0000J0.0500
N2580 G01 Y-1.7000
N2590 G03X-1.5000Y-1.6500I-0.0500J0.0000
N2600 G00 Z0.0800
N2610 X-1.9000 Y-1.8500
N2620 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2630 G02Y-1.7500I0.0000J0.0500 F6.0
N2640 G01 X-1.7000
N2650 G02Y-1.8500I0.0000J-0.0500
N2660 G01 X-1.9000
N2670 X-2.0000
N2680 G03Y-1.9500I0.0000J-0.0500
N2690 G01 X-1.9000
N2700 G03Y-1.8500I0.0000J0.0500
N2710 G00 Z0.0800
N2720 X-2.3000 Y-1.9500
N2730 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2740 G02X-2.2500Y-2.0000I0.0000J-0.0500 F6.0
N2750 G01 Y-2.1500
N2760 X-2.1207
N2770 X-2.0354 Y-2.0646
N2780 G02X-1.9646Y-2.1354I0.0354J-0.0354
N2790 G01 X-2.0500 Y-2.2207
N2800 Y-2.4000
N2810 G02X-2.1500I-0.0500J0.0000
N2820 G01 Y-2.2500
N2830 X-2.3500
N2840 Y-2.0500
N2850 X-2.4000
N2860 G02Y-1.9500I0.0000J0.0500
N2870 G00 Z0.0800
N2880 X-2.8500 Y-2.3000
N2890 G01 Z-0.0080  F4.0
N2900 G03X-2.9500I-0.0500J0.0000 F6.0
N2910 X-2.8500I0.0500J0.0000
N2920 G00 Z0.0800
N2930 X-2.6500 Y-1.9000

N3080 M5 M9
N3090 G00 x0y0
N3100 M30

Cheers,
Walt

53

General Mach Discussion / Why does this radius not show up on my display?

« on: January 29, 2009, 11:39:09 AM »

N2420 G0X-2.2500Y-2.0000
N2430 G01 Y-2.1500
N2440 X-2.1207
N2450 X-2.0354 Y-2.0646
N2460 G02X-1.9646Y-2.1354Z-0.0080I0.0354J-0.0354
N2480 G01 X-2.0500 Y-2.2207

The radius on line 2460 doesn't show on my display.  It does cut properly.

Here's a similar bit of code that does show correctly.

n1 g0x.2929y1.7071
n2 g2x1.7071y.2929i.7071j-.7071

I'm using 3.036.

Thanks,
Walt

54

General Mach Discussion / Re: setting up a reflective object sensor for dummy's

« on: January 20, 2008, 06:27:00 PM »

Yup, I was totally shocked.  I thought that .0005 aperture would make them even more accurate than they usually are.
It's on a Taig so it's not like inertia is affecting it.  With the ball screws I have it it right now, the machine is accurate to .0002 over it's entire envelope and usually repeats to .0001.  But I don't count on those home positions.

 I don't keep it as clean as I should.  Doesn't take much dirt to put you off a couple thou so maybe that's it.  I don't worry about it, I just double check everything if I need the accuracy.

Cheers,
Walt

55

General Mach Discussion / Re: setting up a reflective object sensor for dummy's

« on: January 20, 2008, 05:27:24 PM »

I used a sensor like that for the tach on my spindle.  It worked right off the bat for me.  I think it might be a focus thing.  I aimed mine at a hex nut that I had painted flat black then put a bit of aluminum tape on each of the flats.  It was very sensitive to the focal length.  Once I got it adjusted to the right distance, it worked fine.

I think your round shaft may be the problem.  Try putting your shiny bit on something raised so it has a different focal length.

I use optical switches for my home and limit switches as well.  They only have a .005 aperture but I've still never gotten better that plus or minus a thou on homing repeatability from day to day.  If I need it any closer than .002, I just use the homing to rough it in then indicate the part.

Cheers,
Walt

56

General Mach Discussion / Re: Erratic Toolpath Display

« on: January 20, 2008, 05:17:28 PM »

No, this computer is not hooked up to a machine.
I've tried setting the motion mode back and forth to no avail.
As suggested, I did a clean install.  It helped a great deal but didn't completely cure it.
Here's what it looks like now:



I find it even odder that it would only partially cure the problem.  Has to be something in the computer.  At least it's at a tolerable level now.

Thanks for the suggestions,
Walt

57

General Mach Discussion / Re: Erratic Toolpath Display

« on: January 17, 2008, 11:16:42 PM »

Well, I found no way to disable the onboard graphics.  I did find a rather trivial setting in the bios that sets whether it looks to the pci or the agp first.
Didn't seem to make any difference in the performance at all.  The entire card made very little performance difference just going by the seat of my pants.

So, I added more memory.   It had 3/4 of a gig.  I took out the 1/4 gig strip and put in a 1 gig card.  Very little increase in performance and absolutely no difference in the jagged display from Mach 3.

I'm thinking it must be some setting I've made in Mach3 but I sure can't find it.

Any other suggestions?

Regards,
Walt

58

General Mach Discussion / Re: leadscrew motor power

« on: January 15, 2008, 05:06:39 PM »

If you are using steppers, yes, they do develop more torque at slower speeds.

50mm is huge and 14mm is really steep.  If it were me, I'd wait and look for something in the range of 25-30mm x 5mm.

Regards,
Walt

59

General Mach Discussion / Erratic Toolpath Display

« on: January 14, 2008, 04:49:00 PM »

What causes this?



One of my computers has always had an erratic toolpath display.  I've always blamed it on the el-cheapo built-in video.

I just installed a Quatro and get the same result.

Thanks,
Walt

60

General Mach Discussion / Re: Soft Limits Stop Short

« on: July 19, 2007, 01:37:16 PM »

Well the problem, if you can call something so trivial a problem, disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared.  Today, everything is once again working flawlessly.

Regards,
Walt