Messages

71

PoKeys / i think i killed it!

« on: January 25, 2009, 03:49:39 PM »

hi,

i was doing my usual bit of sunday afternoon tinkering today and i think i may have killed my 55t, i think i have applied to high a voltage to one of the analogue inputs.

the computer instantly lost recognition of the device and neither mach or the pokeys program will recognise it, the two leds on the board still come on when it is plugged in but as  i say nothing recognises it, guess i have fried the cpu? does this sound familiar to anyone?

if it is that what should i do about and indeed can i  or the manufacturer fix it or do i just have to scrap it?

any help would be appreciated

thanks
matt

72

Brains Development / Re: can i make an axis move?

« on: January 06, 2009, 02:25:05 AM »

scott,

glad i could help in some way, where do you think would be the best place to post try to speak to brian about his plugin? there was thread i found when searching the site about this that recieved no replies but nothing else?

thanks

matt

73

Brains Development / Re: can i make an axis move?

« on: January 05, 2009, 02:27:14 PM »

scott,

i have made the z adjust on the fly using the following "fast and dirty" method.

If you open the plasma profile that is with the standard download of mach 3, go to the config inputs page and scroll down the list, there are 3 inputs called "thc on" "thc up" and "thc down", i have assigned hot keys to these inputs to test its operation.

Back on the program run screen in one of the lower boxes where tool info or something appears in mach 3 mill there are some plasma controls, there is a thc on button ans a couple of other things.

In order to allow the axis to be moved up and down using the hotkeys assigned this button must be clicked on and the "thc on" input must be activted ( this is normally connected to the plasma cutter and recives a signal after the arc has pierced the metal and is ready to move, mach normally waits for this signal before executing the next command, just ensures the arc is stable and any voltgae/current spikes have settled after the pierce) then the hotkeys will move the axis up and down.

The only other thing is im not sure if you need to be in plasma mode in the general config window, i propably am in it if it wont work.

Im currently working on getting the brain to react to an analogue input and activate these inputs so it all works but have been a bit busy.

My description probably stinks so shout if you are unsure, the other thing i wondered is i assume when you refer to "brian" you mean brian barker? Just asking since there is a thc plugin authored by brian barker which i have looked at and appears to do something similar to what i am talking about and i wondered if this wasthe man to ask about how to use / manipulate it?

Thanks alot, hope this is turning out to be interesting for a few people

matt

74

Brains Development / Re: can i make an axis move?

« on: January 04, 2009, 02:21:45 AM »

hi,

ive been fidddling a bit more and yes you can, the only trouble is to do it you have to use the torch up and down inputs, Found in the input signals config page and these are simply on or off so there is no way of implementing the pid loop, unless you could control the duration they are on and off for, pwm in other words but i cant see how to do this with a brain so im trying it with just the on/ off commands. Ive not had much time to mess lately but im havent got pat the thing where once you have told a brain to press a button then youve got to tell it to stop pressing it at the end of the brain or it just runs on endlessly, have been looking at some of scotss counting examples etc and i think the answer is in there but i just havent got to doing it yet. Let me know if you have any thoughts

matt

75

Brains Development / Re: can i make an axis move?

« on: December 28, 2008, 02:53:51 PM »

yes this is for a plasma z axis

the anaologue input is coming in from a pokeys device on modbus address 125

not bothered to work out the exact scaling factors yet, i was messing about to see if it could be done, i simlply have a pot connected at the mo to try to make a simple program that will make the axis respond to the pot position forgetting the pid loop for a minute

i have been trying bits and pieces it currently does this relyably

reads the value (Mod 125)

divides by 5

writes it to userdro 1001

Compares user dro1001 to user dro1002 (user entered value in the mach screen)

Here is where i stumble

I have tried writing this value to the z position dro but it wont seem to let me, any user dro is ok but not z position

ive also tried setting a crude threshold value and jogging the axis one way or the other depending on the value relative to the threshold, this works ok until a program is running then the g code seems to over rule it

ive also tried feeding this back into the thc up and down inputs, i can make the led slight but again has no affect on the axis, maybe there is some other criteria i must satisfy for these inputs to work, conicedently what do i do if i want to trigger an input from a brain, i guess i must enable it in the ports/pin window, is that it or do i have to specify a port or pin?

im in the process of trying to get the brain to write g code to move the axis through a macro - simple if the value is above the threshold then write one code and another if it is below the threshold but need to brush up on my scripting etc first.

Id be interested to see how you could do it, clearly reading the forum you are very capable with brains so i thank you for your help

matt

76

Brains Development / Re: can i make an axis move?

« on: December 28, 2008, 02:11:27 AM »

yes thats what im looking to do or a variation on it!

77

Brains Development / Re: can i make an axis move?

« on: December 27, 2008, 05:12:46 PM »

ok so a few more details,

i was looking to make an axis move with a proportional response to an input, ideally id like to implement a pid loop with adjustable gain through dros, that part is no trouble since i can read oem dros into a lobe and write the pid loop into the function box which gives me an output value but i cant work out how to make the axis move in response to this value, i would be a start if it were just one way for posative and the other for negative rather than a proportional response.
not sure if you have any ideas?

thanks
matt

78

Brains Development / can i make an axis move?

« on: December 27, 2008, 01:07:54 PM »

hi all,

ive been looking at the list of options for lobe termination to try to find an option that will move an axis and i cant find it, it may be obvious so i thought i would ask the people who know, if it cant be done could i do it with a macro pump or vb script, forgive me im not too familiar with them since ihave concentrated on brains up to now.

Thanks in advance

matt

79

PoKeys / Max voltage on analogue input

« on: December 26, 2008, 05:17:53 PM »

Hi,

ive been messing about with my new pokeys 55t and have set up the analogue inputs, in the instructions on how to do so (from a thread here i beleive) it suggests that the 3.3v pin on the board is used to supply power to your pot, however  recall seeing in the destruction manual that each pin has a max of 5v i think. So i was just wondering what the max i could supply to an anolgue input was since  dont want to connect it to 5v and kill it since im well pleased with it?
Probably showing my ignorance but whilst im asking how is the best way to isolate an anologue input, i cant opto isolate it since its analogue i guess so what can i do to try to stop any noise or cock ups hurting the board, ne ideas?

thanks a lot