Messages

21

General Mach Discussion / Automation Direct Photo switch

« on: April 22, 2008, 12:17:09 PM »

I am trying to use an NPN photo switch as an X axis home switch.  I have it connected into a Campbell breakout board.  The problem I am running into is that the input is flickering.  I have a couple of thoughts that I am hoping somebody can either verify or kill. 
1)  First, the switch is rated 10-36V.  The board is 11.6V, close to the bottom edge.
2)  The other is the opto isolator may not be able to react appropriately with a 250Hz signal. 
3)  The Campbell board indicates it is setup for inductive or mechanical switches.  I am sensing wood, so inductive is out, and I would prefer non-contact in this application.

I read on one post that a guy put a 1k ohm resistor between the signal and ground to limit the bounce, any thoughts?

22

General Mach Discussion / Re: modbus serial plugin enabled Scratching my brain over Brains?

« on: March 06, 2008, 05:53:49 PM »

Arnie,

Did you get this one figured out?  I am having the same issue, except mine WAS working, and now I can't get it going.  Very frustrating.

Roger

23

General Mach Discussion / Lost Modbus

« on: March 06, 2008, 05:44:43 PM »

It seems I lost modbus.  Let me explain.  I have Mach3 running an Automation Direct DL06 PLC.  The PLC is the slave, and was working fine.  I started writing a sequence in the PLC, switched back to Mach, wrote an LED to call the virtual bit in the PLC (which I inadvertently made a loop), and I ended up locking up Mach and the computer.  I rebooted, and had lost all access to the modbus.  I have been trying everything I can think of to get my modbus back, but no luck.  They are matched at 19,200 baud, 8-N-1.  When Mach starts up it begins polling the PLC (I see the Rx light on the #2 port), but the Tx never comes on.  Either Mach is sending bad info that the PLC doesn't understand or the PLC is getting good info that isn't making it to the correct location.

I have deleted everything out of the PLC, and has only "END" at the end of the first line.  I cleared the memory out of the PLC thinking there must be a loop of some kind.

Any ideas are welcome.

Roger

24

Modbus / Re: Using a modbus input in ports & pins

« on: March 04, 2008, 12:11:40 PM »

OK, the clock speed delay makes sense.  My dilema is that I need to perform a sequence of operations before I can home.  In this machine, the part to be cut is an 8' x 24' panel, and the panel moves.  What I want to do is drive the panel past the home sensor (left to right), clamp onto it, then use the stepper axis to back it up and find the home position.   Can I use a brain to drive the panel in, trip the home sensor, clamp it up, then trigger the "home axis" function?  That would be the easiest, then I can just rewire the one sensor directly into my breakout board.

25

Modbus / Using a modbus input in ports & pins

« on: February 29, 2008, 12:32:31 PM »

I am trying to use an X home limit from the PLC.  I would like to use it as part of the normal X home function, but I can't configure it appropriately in ports and pins.  Is it possible to add a modbus IO in ports and pins?

26

General Mach Discussion / Latch circuit attached to the reset

« on: February 12, 2008, 12:34:23 PM »

I am trying to build a latch circuit that is associated with the reset button.  I have a conveyor with 20 zones, each is controlled through a relay output on the DL06.  I have manual buttons set to turn each zone on and off.  I have it set that it will only function with the reset actuated, but I need it to drop the output if the reset or the estop is hit.  Should I do this in VB or with a brain, or in the PLC logic?

27

General Mach Discussion / Re: Modbus IO buttons

« on: February 08, 2008, 03:31:04 PM »

I got it working.  It was a matter of clicking the right boxes.

Thanks for reading.

28

General Mach Discussion / Re: Modbus IO buttons

« on: February 08, 2008, 10:43:16 AM »

Thanks Scott,

I got the button to work, and can watch it pushing the output through the "view brain" function.  Very cool by the way.  I still am having trouble actually hitting the output.  My outputs start on slave 1, address 2048, and there are 16 on the base DL06.  In the "test modbus", I can force the bits using 2048 and up, and it works.  In the configuration, the top in the chart is listed as the inputs, discrete, 20 of them starting at 2048.  The second row is the 16 outputs, starting at 2048, and the third row is the first add-on card. 

I am not very strong on the word vs. bit, so maybe that is my first issue.  As for the PLC, there is no code at all.  I had it in there, but I couldn't hit the outputs through modbus if they were terminated on a rung, so I cleared it all out, and i could force the bits through the "test modbus".

Roger

29

General Mach Discussion / Modbus IO buttons

« on: February 07, 2008, 06:59:48 PM »

I am trying to setup control buttons for outputs in my DL06 PLC.  I have communication, but I can't figure out how to make a button force a specific output.  My output range starts at 2055, so I put that in the OEM code, and nothing.  Do I have to build a brain for each button?

Thanks

30

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: February 07, 2008, 06:57:37 PM »

Hi all,

I am Roger, and have been building a CNC chainsaw for the last couple of years.  I have been in and out of it, and now I am on it full time.  This chainsaw is going to be used in the house building industry.  I live in southern Oregon and have been an automation engineer for about 11 years.  I have lots of questions, and am going to see if I can't stretch the boundaries.