Topics

11

Mach4 General Discussion / Lua 5.3? Yes, No, When?

« on: March 01, 2015, 07:34:05 AM »

Is the version of Lua in MACH4 user upgradable? If not, then is there a schedule or ETA for implementing new versions of Lua?

12

Mach4 General Discussion / Needing help with Wizards

« on: March 01, 2015, 06:19:54 AM »

Hello 'Screen Set Ideas' thread!

I am porting a 4th axis motor controller over to MACH4 from MACH3 and the last task in this is to write a Lua script to collect operational parameters from the user and pass them (over TCP Modbus) to the controller where they are stored (originally in EEPROM, now on an SD card).

But first, let me take just a minute here for some well deserved kudos. When I last visited MACH4 last summer (on release of the demo), it was a big deal to get Modbus going and add a button here and there on the screen. I have only had a few minutes to peruse this thread, but the level of work being done is just astonishing to see. I have noted a couple of 'non programmers' who are now doing high level programming and displaying truly impressive accomplishments here.     

OK, so enough of that. I've mucked up this post now, so I will start another with some details of my task and some questions to get me started in the right direction.

13

Brains Development / Running a Script from a Brain in MACH3 - is this fixed?

« on: January 08, 2015, 01:04:54 PM »

I read an old thread here which described using 1034 and/or 301 calls but as with the posters in that thread, I cannot get this to work. I followed the  examples exactly with no success,
so I assume it is broken.

Mach ver .66 or .67 does not run the trigger macro using 1034 call nor can I do the OEM Trigger method described.
What does work is setting the trigger macro and running doOEMbutton301 from VB script. This runs the trigger script, but this choice is not on the list of EOM button choices in the Brain editor.

Using a macropump got the task working, but would prefer to trigger a macro from the Brain (initiated via Modbus register).

I'm hoping the methods described in the old thread have been superseded by something new. Can anyone provide a current, functional way tom accomplish this task?
 

14

Mach4 General Discussion / MACH4 - Modbus

« on: May 06, 2014, 11:51:07 AM »

Just wanted to get a thread started with Modbus in the title.

So far, I have not been able to get Modbus working. No help from the developers except to claim that Modbus works 100% and that there is no documentation available.  I asked the developers for a brief explanation of the procedure, but did not gat an answer.

I can get MACH4 to connect with Serial and TPC, but there is no Modbus communication. I have searched the internet and the forum for any clues, conversation, documentation and have found no information at all.

Has anyone gotten Modbus running with MACH4?

 

15

Mach3 under Vista / Use of Embeeded Widows OS - Good, Bad, or Ugly?

« on: January 21, 2014, 07:37:58 AM »

It has recently come to my attention that Tormach uses Embedded Widows XP on their CNC computer (what they call the 'controller').

It is my understanding that the Embedded OS is targeted at purpose build devices with a very limited scope. Examples might be a modem, a router, perhaps a kiosk in the mall, a variety of 'smart' products from thermostats to coffee makers, but certainly not a general purpose PC .

So I am wondering if there are any gurus out there that can provide some dialogue on this. Advantages? Disadvantages?

I have read the Tormach 'white papers' and 'engineering notes' of the thinking behind using Embedded Windows XP on their computers, but the information used to justify the move is far outdated and no longer valid relative to computer timing and interrupt issues.

16

Brains Development / How are variables used in Brains - variable as Brain input locks up MACH

« on: January 17, 2013, 07:20:01 AM »

I have watched the videos and read a few threads and read Poppa Bears excellent docs . . and just now dis a series of searches  . . . but I can't find what is probably a Brain 101 task so hoefully someone can shed light on this for me.

In case there is a better solution than variables, my goal is to use the plug-in enabled modbus, but I have a lot of data passed to modbus with the SET/GET which I understand does not work with the plug-in enabled version.

Therefor I need an alternate way to pass the data and using variables seems ideal except that any attempt to use a variable as input to a Brain 'rung' results in MACH locking up. 

Variables is a valid choice on the Brain editor dialogue box so I assume that I am just doing something wrong.

Any guidance will be much appreciated.

17

General Mach Discussion / BT30 spindle from scratch - with power drawbar and ATC of course

« on: July 21, 2012, 08:57:08 AM »

Every time I have seen yet another 'power drawbar' thread, it has been here in the general section, so I'm starting here. If it needs to be moved, so be it.

I've been talking about this for a long time but there are a number of pices to the puzzle that have to come together and finally they are all in the sand box so its time to play.

Requisites were BT30, power drawbar (pneumatic only), Servo driven spindle, access to certain ATC parts. Ths big holdup was the Servo driven spindle, but I finally have that now. The new servo spindle drive is demonstrated in this 'intro to parametrics' video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu61oBY5-rw

I have had the pneumatic cylinder and some other stuff for quite a while from when I was contemplating doing an R8 power draw bar. I abandoned that idea after a lot of research. I recently found a source for the 'fingers' that go on an ATC and hold the BT30 adapters.

A stumbling block was the $500 stud gripper for the BT30. There are two types of gripper that I know of; finger type and ball type. Either needs to be hardened and properly tempered to perform safely. I know how to do that, but I no longer had a furnace (sold with the prototyping shop many moons ago). So I have aquirde a furnace. I still have to install the new automated controls, but the 50A 220V wiring is completed.

Meanwhile, I havecompleted the first amd most essential component, the above mentioned stud gripper. I went with the ball type. It works perfectly so all I need to do is turn doen the sleeve and harden the components. I have successfully completed my first scratch built spindle for my 4th axis, so I will use the same techniwues and new tools to make the mill spindle. Compared to making the stud gripper, everything alse should be fairly simple.



The center piece (hold the balls) is S7 tool steel while the 'sleeve' is A2. The sleeve OD is 'mill finish' as it has not been machined yet.




THe next two photos show the gripped in open and closed positions. I have colored the bals red becuase otherwise it was very difficult to see what was actually happening. This was the first round prototype and it works perfectly    so these actual parts will be hardened and used in the spindle.

18

VB and the development of wizards / Getting some odd values from MACH variables - is this normal?

« on: July 21, 2012, 07:38:47 AM »

Admittedly some rather esoteric stuff, but I am pulling the Z axis DRO using "GetOemDRO(844)"

The Screen DRO shows .100 and the actual position is the result of a "G0 Z.100" move.  The variable read returns something like 0.09999999999*********xx

In the app, I was comparing a user entered value (0.100) with the DRO value (should have been .100) and of course it returns false. A work around was easy enough, but I was just wondering if this is normal or if I have done something inadvertently to effect MACHs internal calculation.

SECOND anomoly is that in  SetParam("VelocitiesZ",<value>) the value is not what gets put into the param. It is a divisor or somthing like that. I was shooting for a value of 16, but the resulting setting in the system was 960 I think. Ultimately thru experimentation I found that a value of 0.5 yeilded the desired speed of 16.

 I am just curious if one or both of these behaviors is normal or a glitch in dev ver 062.

19

General Mach Discussion / Is B and C axis G1 feed rate broken?

« on: July 18, 2012, 08:00:00 AM »

Search turned up nothing useful on this.

Problem:  B axis (C has same behavior) G1 feed rate is dog slow no matter how feedrate or Rotation Radius is set.

Example: set A, B, and C identically. rotation radius .001 on each. All are set as rotary axis, not inhibits, etc.

A obeys set feedrate wil G1 move, B and C do not.   

Is there a reason for this behavior?

20

VB and the development of wizards / PeriodicScripts - - - do these work? No luck here.

« on: June 27, 2012, 05:32:44 PM »

Title says it all. Programmers manual shows start, stop and Is. Nothing seems to work for me.