Messages

11

Brains Development / Brain termination equivalent to

« on: July 20, 2009, 06:32:59 PM »

I have "Ready" signals wired to MACH Inputs from 4 servos.  I can't wire all the ready inputs to just the MACH estop input and also I want MACH to indicate what device is not "ready".  If any device faults or becomes not "ready" I want Mach to react just like it received an external estop.

Enable1 is wired to all the motor controllers which allow starting and stop the motors as fast as possible (braking) if disabled.  An estop switch and relay with aux contacts also disable/ stop the motors wired directly to the controllers.  An e-stop aux. contact is also wired to the one and only MACH E-Stop input.

A simple BRAIN with the 4 servo "ready" inputs "OR" terminated to ENABLE1 will stop or disable all the servos but doesn't disable MACH which continues motion output.  I've tried to terminate the brain to LEDs, BUTTONS, everything having to do with 'ESTOP" but nothing seems to work. 

What termination will stop all motion and flush the motion queue?  This seems like such basic fuctionality that I must be missing  something.  Thanks.


Kurt

12

SmoothStepper USB / Device Monitor Screen and Quadrature output

« on: March 16, 2009, 02:42:14 PM »

I'm converting a 3 axis mill from stepper to servo motors using SS and have the following questions.

1.  The Device Monitoring Screen has display box for 5 encoders.  Are these motor feedback encoders or MPG's?  Where would you connect five encoders to SS and what function would SS do with the information?  Does SS provide  S/D velocity or position corrections during coordinated axis motion?  Besides motor feedback for spindle speed and Z axis position on Terminal block 3 used for threading, are there any advantages  for X and Y position feedback to SS?

2.  My servo drives accept differential step and direction or differential quadrature (A+-,B+-) input.  The drives will work with single ended S/D (not recommended by the drive mfg.) which is how they are currently running.  The SS config has option for quadrature drive output on all axis.  Would this be single ended output?  Is differential output possible in S/D or quadrature?

3.  Can someone explain what AXIS DIAG- Diffs and Tlts for X,Y,Z are in the Device Monitoring Screen?

4.  Can someone explain what Probe Reg for X,Y,Z ,A are in the Device Monitoring Screen?

Hood,
Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge on this forum.  I very much appreciate your contributions.

13

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G31 Parameters to improve probe accuracy

« on: December 15, 2008, 12:42:41 PM »

I don't know where the mach tip compensation is.  Is there a .dll plugin I need to install and is there a screen .set file with the procedures/ DROs etc?  Is it a wizard?  The parameters I use to store the 4 compensation values are fixture X and Y values.  I never have used more than G54 and G55 and whenvever I have looked at the fixture table I've always seen all the other values just zeroed.  I don't have accurate home switches to trust a saved fixture other than as an approximation, so I don't really understand the advantages of all the fixtures, except now to use as remembered parameter values.  Thanks again for your help vmax

14

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G31 Parameters to improve probe accuracy

« on: December 11, 2008, 11:49:14 PM »

Thanks vmax for your help.  I did figure some things out most importantly of which is that parameters are VB variables and not really a part of the g-Code.  I mistakenly thought that parameters like #1023 or even #2000 were specific to G31.  

I store the probe dia as a tool dia so that's no problem there and I know the diameter to about +-0.0003".  The inaccuracy is in aligning the tip in the spindle with the probe alignment mechanism, tool holder, collet, and the spindle taper itself all having some inaccuracy.  So just randomly inserting the probe in the spindle gives me an accuracy of maybe +- 0.004 which is close enough for somethings but not everything.

So I made a screen button that probes a 123 block that claims to be accurate to 0.00005" and  touches off the 4 different sides of the probe tip
Xleft, Xright, Yforward, Yback.  With the known 123 block dimensions and probe tip diameter, it calculates 4 different probe radii to use.  I store these radii in parameters #5301= XleftRad, #5321=XrightRad, #5302=YForwardtRad, and #5321=YBackRad.  I do not know if it correct to use these paramaters for storage but it seems to work and these parameter numbers are remembered when restarted.

On all  other X/Y probe buttons, I changed the calculations to use appropriate GetVar(53XX) in place of ProbeDiameter/2.

15

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / G31 Parameters to improve probe accuracy

« on: December 10, 2008, 08:05:57 PM »

I'm trying to find more information on G31 Straight Probe Command.  What I specifically want to accomplish is to improve the accuracy of my probe in X,Y.  The Mach user guide mentions that parameters can be entered to setup the "effective radii" of the probe tip, but doesn't say which parameters or how to enter a value.   

My plan is to table mount a known accurate shape, then probe it to calculate and set the X+-,Y+- compensation parameters. 

If someone could direct me to a complete documentation on G31 Code, I'd appreciate it.  Also I'd like to know if G-Code with parameters like G31 is specific to Mach3 or universal.  Although the Mach3 Mill guide has a very good programming reference, does anyone have a recommendation for G-Code reference?

Thanks,
Kurt