Messages

191

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 - Modbus

« on: February 25, 2015, 09:55:05 AM »

Update:

After configuring some Modbus connection/function the stuff showed up in the .ini

Scott, original .ini has no Modbus data, so it would not be useful.

Mach4 is once again talking to my processor, so I'm good to go for porting over the Mach3 stuff

192

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 - Modbus

« on: February 25, 2015, 09:26:18 AM »

There is an orphan node in the modubs settings (inside the profile's Machine.ini).  Choose "no" or "cancel" and try to use the modbug config dialogs to get rid of it or edit the Machine.ini file.

Steve

I did not find anything in the .ini relative to Modbus except Modbus=1. I searched on 'Mod' on 'Bus' and 'reg' and found nothing relating to Modbus. What should one look for in the .ini?   This was a fresh install so perhaps there is no Modbus config data in the .ini yet?

On to success: I clicked cancel at the error message and was taken to the config screen, but it was blank as before.  I clicked on the 'add connection' icon and got an input screen and was able to set up a Modbus connection.

Closing and reopening MACH4 and the Modbus config is working and it kept the first connection, so I think I'm off and running.

Thanks!

193

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 - Modbus

« on: February 25, 2015, 09:10:14 AM »

First, thanks to Smurf for the response, I will checkout the .ini

Scott, I will send you the .ini file intact as it is possible that either your MAD software, or my incorrect use of it, cause the gremlin because it started with the MAD install
 

Now a general FWIW. While I do not yet know how useful the built-in MACH4 Modbus 'monitor' will be, I am happy to have it and will investigate. Meanwhile, this is what I am doing to 'monitor' the TCP Modbus. This is a general description of the function. Please do not ask for the code. It is not generic.

1) in the device, track the number of modbus reads
2) send that number continuously over Modbus to MACH3 (I have not done this with MACH4 yet - and may not have to)
3) read the counts in MACH and compare each number to the previous.
    A) read
    B) store the value
    C) start a timer of some kind
    D) read again (after a longer period than the Modbus speed)
    E) compare reads
    F) if the reads do NOT match, Modbus is not only running, but the data is being passed correctly. If they do match, the com is broken, the device has locked up, of Mach has stopper sending queries for some reason. 

There are doubtless lots of way to skin this cat. I am using the MacroPump to do this. In my setup, it actually is already in use for monitoring/sending E-stop to my Motor controller, and the Modbus 'monitoring' code was just added to it.

Since I do not want to pause the E-stop monitoring waiting for the next Modbus read, I am using the actual MacroPump execution loop as the timer.

So far it is working fine.

194

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MAD4MACH is released!! Try it out, and see what you think!

« on: February 24, 2015, 12:31:48 PM »

This error started after installing MAD, so on the chance it is related:

This error occurs on entry into config of the Modbus pluging

195

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 - Modbus

« on: February 24, 2015, 12:23:09 PM »

New problem.

Uninstalled all versions of MACH4

Reinstalled from new 2230

On entry into config Modbus plugin, get this message:

196

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Feature Request

« on: February 21, 2015, 10:10:24 PM »

I feel compelled to comment that it is as reasonable to compare Tormach's new system to MACH4 as it is to compare stepper motors and servo motors . . and the same useless arguments would abound.

MAch4 is specifically designed to be extensible and allow users and developers access to the data and resources to use MACH as a base for not only routine CNC, but many other specialty applications.

Tormach, following their well documented edict of preventing users form even changing a single parameter, has done little more (from where I am viewing, and I have read all of their published propaganda on this new toy)  than taken one of many thousands of public domain softwares and modified it and if you buy the official spin, 'improved' it greatly. However, unlike most who engage in the intended spirit of public domain software, Tormach's modifications are not shared with the community from whence their 'invention' actually came, but have added self serving features specifically designed and intended to keep (exclusively) their own users out and reduce their support load by restricting what users can do with their own machines.

It took me 5 minutes to get into Tormach's 'locked' MACH3. Now perhaps they will be more successful at dictating what their users may and may not do, especially if they are successful in propagating the new master into the existing field.  Pilot is a means to an end.

With such vastly different objectives, making a direct comparison is akin to comparing a cow to an acorn.


Your mileage may vary . . . .   

197

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Feature Request

« on: February 21, 2015, 04:43:27 PM »

I went into the windows files and copied NOTEPAD.EXE then put it in the mach4hobby folder and renamed it to gcedit.exe and it brings up notepad as the editor now.

Dave

Brilliant.     Also works with Notepad ++. Free and far more capable version.

198

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Feature Request

« on: February 21, 2015, 04:40:42 PM »

Yeah, you can buy a license for gcedit and it turns on tool paths and some other features. 

I'm trying to think of a reason to use notepad instead of gcEdit and I just can't.  LOL  But waaaaaaay down on my list is making the editor changeable. 

Seve

Rather vague. Are the feature I specifically referenced 'turned on' in the pro version?whatever the fee is for a 'pro' or equiv version of gcedit, but only if it has the features that I want.

As to comparing gcedit and Notepad . .  nobrainer. On the other hand compare Notepad++ to gcedit . . .  once again  . no brainer . . just in the other direction.

Incidentally, I tried the hack mentioned by PATTON, except with Notepad ++ and it worked. More then just the primary .exe is needed and I don't know exactly what as I just copied the whole Notepad ++ directory and it worked fine after that. 

One last comment that will probably get me in trouble .  as usual . . is that sarcastic responses to users who are providing feedback as to what is needed in MACH is not going to win you any champions. Judging by recent developments at Tormach, you can't afford to loose to many more.

Whether you like the comments or not, people still spent their time to provide them and some respect for that time would be appropriate, methinks.

But that's just me . . . .  

199

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MAD4MACH is released!! Try it out, and see what you think!

« on: February 21, 2015, 09:07:22 AM »

Hopefully a simple question:

The font in the Gcode box is huge when using MacgMAD profile.

Normal keyboard grow/shrink key combination don't work.

I don't see a param in the MACH4 config for this, and so far I have not found any XML for MAK4.

Where can I get to the font size param?

200

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Feature Request

« on: February 21, 2015, 08:44:04 AM »

Could we PLEASE get a Printer option for the Gcode Editor AND the LUA editor.

Thanks (;-) TP

I asked this question in the previous post before I saw this one, but you may know the answer. Is there a way to choose a different default editor as there is in MACH3? If we can choose a different editor, it won't matter how bad the built in ones are.