Messages

651

General Mach Discussion / Re: Would like to hook up a touch pad

« on: November 07, 2010, 09:31:49 AM »

I dont think the AutoZero button on the screen has any script in it, so it would need to be edited to add the script.
Afraid I have never used the Auto Zero as I set my tools up when off the machine via an integrated setter that I made. However a lot of people have used the auto tool zero method and if you do a search for AutoTool zero on the forum and I am sure you will come up with some info.

Hood

Am I thinking of the same thing Hood? With mine set up, I go to the offsets (Alt5) page and under gage block height. I install .06125 in my case (the thickness of my pc board touchplate). Upon touching the plate the Z resets to the height placed in the gage block height. Works great for me if that is what you are trying to do.

652

General Mach Discussion / Re: Would like to hook up a touch pad

« on: November 07, 2010, 09:18:47 AM »

To elaborate a little more. I select enable probe on port 1 pin 15 (this is whether I am using a touch plate or probe, however the active low state changes for each device). Also when looking at the diagnostics page with your touchplate connected and touching together resembling a tool touch (completing the circuit) the "digitize" led should be changing as you touch the 2 together. Sorry if this is all obvious. I needed a lot of walking thru and still do.

653

General Mach Discussion / Re: Would like to hook up a touch pad

« on: November 07, 2010, 09:10:47 AM »

I'm from Parkersburg,WV. I have been tiring most of yesterday to get a tool touch pad to work on my Mach 3 cnc. I built a cnc router about a year ago, and now have hooked up a MP2CP pendant from Texas micro circuit and it all works fine. I would like to use the touch pad that I see other mach3 user using. I have hooked up a wire to pin 15 and one to ground and would like to use the auto zero button already on on the screen, will this not work. And do I get the program for this, really not sure what I'm doing any help would be good.

Did you select pin 15 in "port & pins"? What happens when you go to the diagnostics page? Do you see the led red or green?

654

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sherline rotary table on a 3 axis mill running Mach3.

« on: November 01, 2010, 07:26:15 AM »

Cnc Wrapper and BobCad both have a wrapping feature. Others I am not sure of. Besides the hand coding that I have done with the rotary table, I  have never really used it. I did do a small cylinder with some engraving around it mostly as a test.

655

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sherline rotary table on a 3 axis mill running Mach3.

« on: October 29, 2010, 10:15:36 AM »

Rich, Funny you show that. I run my Sherline table with my Hobby Cnc Pro controller and it works great. Recentlly I configured a G540 to another machine of mine (Dyna DM2400) and all 3 axis work except the A though I am not sure why just yet. I would enjoy doing a back to back test of the Hobby Cnc Pro against the G540 with the same power supply. I like the G540 and its simplicity but havent seen any performance advantages. I cant really compare apples to apples though since the machines are entirely different regarding leadscrews and gear reductions. I dont really want to do the comparo, just curious of the differences. I really havent tried to analyze the issue or even double checked that output of the G540 with a known good configuration for a stepper (swapping x,y and or z into the A port and changing the tuning values). I was in the process of building jumpers and other small wiring jobs and briefly tested it. Because I am using the stepper on 2 different machines, my jumpers can and or will vary the pins and hopefully it will work. Not high on the priority list just yet.

656

Promote and discuss your product / Re: Mach3 as 3d printer software

« on: October 28, 2010, 11:02:34 PM »

I have been watching videos over the last 2 months or so about Mendel and Darwin. I thought using my Sherline/A2Z mill would be much better than trying to cut metal with it. Lets jump in! I would like to try. First steps while you work on the interface? Heater, extruder?

657

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sherline rotary table on a 3 axis mill running Mach3.

« on: October 27, 2010, 10:52:50 PM »

Btw I use my Sherline rotary table occasionally as you intend to do. It is actually pretty fun and allows the Sherline to actually cut pretty fast in relation to not spinning the part. I am/was just beginning to hand code to accomplish wrench flats and such. Quite different than Cad but still cool. Enjoy.

658

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sherline rotary table on a 3 axis mill running Mach3.

« on: October 27, 2010, 10:50:09 PM »

For a first post, you jumped in big. A axis? Were you having any problem with the first 3 prior or have you just not used it too much yet?

659

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sherline rotary table on a 3 axis mill running Mach3.

« on: October 27, 2010, 10:21:02 PM »

It doesnt prompt you, It lets you select an XML or create one from an existing file. You then edit a copy of one so your original is unmolested (and if your settings dont work you can return to a successful profile/XML). Try to always leave the Mach Mill/ Mach turn etc as it is original, edit a copy. Dont ask me why I know that. Also before long most of those settings will mean something. It takes a while. If you look at the top of the screen when Mach is open, it will have a series of options (File, Config, Function Cfg's, View etc). This is where all of the settings changes will be.

660

General Mach Discussion / Re: Sherline rotary table on a 3 axis mill running Mach3.

« on: October 27, 2010, 10:12:00 PM »

Go into Mach 3, Ports & Pins, disable X, enable A, assign the pins that were on X to the A axis. You should be able to leave the pins set up this way and just switch between which axis are enabled. Both X & A wouldnt be able to be enableed a the same time since the pins are the same. You will also have to gfo into general config also in Mach and select angular for your A axis. Then go into motor tuning and select 360 for the steps, accel and velocity will have to be tinkered with until it behaves correctly.