Messages

61

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can someone please explain how to use Home offsets

« on: August 02, 2018, 08:01:56 PM »

Hi,
You could do it in Screen Load Script.
The first one is not Ref all Home part of Mach4 screen set  and the Second one is you add another button below the first and resize the first so it fits and call the function like the Ref all Home but with the following.
Then you can make the offsets like you need for your machine needs.
Regards,
Mauri.


In New Button
RefAllHomeWithOffset()
-- Homing Offset
offset_applied ="false";

In Screen Load Script.
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Ref All Home() function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function RefAllHome()
   mc.mcAxisDerefAll(inst);  --Just to turn off all ref leds
   mc.mcAxisHomeAll(inst);
   coroutine.yield() --yield coroutine so we can do the following after motion stops
   ----See ref all home button and plc script for coroutine.create and coroutine.resume
   wx.wxMessageBox('Referencing is complete')

end
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Ref All Home With Offset() function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function RefAllHomeWithOffset()
    mc.mcAxisDerefAll(inst)  --Just to turn off all ref leds
    mc.mcAxisHomeAll(inst)
    coroutine.yield() --yield coroutine so we can do the following after motion stops
    ----See ref all home button and plc script for coroutine.create and coroutine.resume
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecute(inst, "G1 X0.1 Y0.1 F30")
   --mc.mcCntlGcodeExecute(inst, "G1 X0.1 Y0.1 Z0.1 F30")
   coroutine.yield()
    wx.wxMessageBox('Referencing and Offset Completed')
end

62

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: The definitive answer to G93/G94 with Mach3 and Mach4

« on: August 01, 2018, 01:46:25 AM »

Hi,
If Mach4 could process the following:
G94 XYZ F G93 A F all in the one line form.
Then the this would do the same as Mach3, but better.
Simulation below of the above coded G-Code.
Regards,
Mauri.

63

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: The definitive answer to G93/G94 with Mach3 and Mach4

« on: July 31, 2018, 09:59:59 PM »

Additional information on my above note.
Below are the settings required for the processing of G93 from the Shawn E. Gano program.
You Must NOT change the Distance Units: "inches" even if you use Metric G-Code, so if Imperial or Metric use "inches".
When selecting the File use "Files of Type" "All Files"
You may have to do minor changes to the G-Code at the top to make it work, you will get pop ups advising of the issue while running the program.
Regards,
Mauri.

64

Mach4 General Discussion / The definitive answer to G93/G94 with Mach3 and Mach4

« on: July 31, 2018, 09:42:04 PM »

The definitive answer to G93/G94 with Mach3 and Mach4.
If you want the fastest cut time when performing simultaneous cuts using G94 with “A-Rotations Enables”, “Use Radius for Feedrate” and setting X Rotation Radius tolerance to +0.0001 with G94XYZA F then Mach3 is it.
If you want the best outcome, but more cut time on simultaneous cutting then Mach4 G93XYZA F is it.
On non-simultaneous cutting XZA then Mach3 and Mach4 with above settings are very close in time.
Mach3 calculates G93 mode on the fly for the A Axis, while doing G94 on the XYZ.
Mach4 does no calculation just processes the G-Code therefore on simultaneous cutting you can only use G93XYZA F mode, therefore XYZ will run slower than G94.
The best for Mach4, with simultaneous cutting, would be if you could process G-Code G94XYZ F G93A F on the same line, this would do exactly the same process as Mach3 (but this does not work).
Art was very clever in his approach to this and he knew that this was the only way of handling the issue. (i.e.) to calculate it on the fly with the Mach4 program. 

I have been doing lots of experimentation with all types of G-Code outputs as described below.
What I have found is that when using G94 or G93, XYZA Axis must send to G-Code on the same one line as per a normal G-Code Post.
Also this means that the calculation for F Speed G93 is then only calculated on A Axis and but applies to the XYZA Axis.
This still reduces the cutting time on an example like pictured below in Mach4.
30 Mins 23 Sec with G93 and 39min 33sec with G94, but is not optimal speed (like in Mach3).
If you split out the A Axis and have XYZ Axis on the one line then this will cause incorrect cutting on non-circular cuts on the simulator.
However if you use XYZA on the same line, then the cutting simulation comes out perfectly.
So all these G-Code outputs will NOT provide a good result and also results will vary between them.
G93 XYZ F
G93 A F
OR
G94 XYZ F
G93 A F
OR
G94 XYZ F
G94 A F
OR
G94 X
G94 Y
G94 Z
G94 X
OR
G93 X
G93 Y
G93 Z
G93 X
Or any other combination with the XYZA split out for the standard XYZA.
The only G-Code output that works smoothly and correctly with Mach4 is:
G93 XYZA F
OR
G94 XYZA F
If however you are just machining continual circles then it does not matter, but as soon as a Y axis movement is made like in a 4 Axis simultaneous G-Code, then it will not produce a smooth cutting result.
So in closing Non Simultaneous G-Code is OK, but Simultaneous G-Code will not be OK.

Mach3 calculated the A Axis on the fly while sending the code to the motor controller so it does the fastest process as this fully optimizes the G94/G93 process on all XYZA.
So on Mach4 we will have to be satisfied when using Simultaneous cutting with G93 XYZA F.

Regards,
Mauri.

65

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Question on 4 Axis Toolpath?

« on: July 15, 2018, 08:24:41 PM »

Kjell,
Yes, you are correct that is what you get if you regen and not have all Zeros in the DRO displays the outcome can bear little resembalance to the correct profile when these are changed.
Even if say Mach4 as started say had Z=25 and then you loaded the G-Code it would then display an incorrect toolpath.
As I have no idea as to how the program is written to perform this task in the toolpath display of the 4 Axis, it is hard to see if a solution exists.
Brain and Steve are the only two at ArtSoft that may eventual be able to solve this for us all.
The minimum that should at least be fixed is if you change the Z height on the DRO in line with the cutter on the Job (top dead center).
In most other cases X/Y/A start at Zero.
I was at least happy that it could display and run in Mach4.
These things normally get addressed when there enough users asking for a fix or that it fails to perform the correct cut.
Regards,
Mauri.

66

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: G 05

« on: July 10, 2018, 07:56:50 PM »

KatzYaakov,
I have used CV with great success (nothing is perfect in the CNC world).
The secret is having the correct angle Feedrate with the Blend Radius 0 to 170 degrees.
I can run a very good finish with brass using a .05mm radius TBN cutter with CV.
Example F400 Z/Y/Z CV Feedrate Maximum 150 on the angles and blend radius  (0 to 179).
You can use the Wizard mcCvTuningWizardV3-3Beta and enter your desired inputs (axis selection and tolerance).
Then go into machine.ini and reduce the larger feedrates of the small angles to a smaller constant maximum number and leave the rest.
This will the produce a good line smoothing result.
I automatically change all my angle feedrates via enties on the screen.
You can test this by doing some small lettering G-Code and running it in Mach4 with CV and the settings you set above.
On my tests I have gone down to 1mm high lettering the minimum we cut.
Depending on the speed you intend to use and the type of material you use on a job the maximum number may vary, best the do a simple lettering test or the road runnner to see how close and smooth the cutting line will be.
Regards,
Mauri

67

HiCON Motion Controller / Re: Mach 4 and integra Homing issues

« on: July 10, 2018, 05:07:01 PM »

Mike,
What are your Homing/SoftLimits set in Mach4 Configuration?
I have included mine below in the attachment.
Yours will be different.
You need to have the correct Home Dir and also include the Soft Enable Soft Min Soft Max.
Regards,
Mauri.

Also another way is to install this code in Mach4 Screen "Start Script."
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Ref All Home() function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function RefAllHome()
    mc.mcAxisDerefAll(inst)  --Just to turn off all ref leds
    mc.mcAxisHomeAll(inst)
    coroutine.yield() --yield coroutine so we can do the following after motion stops
    ----See ref all home button and plc script for coroutine.create and coroutine.resume
    wx.wxMessageBox('Referencing is complete')
end

---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Ref All Home With Offset() function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function RefAllHomeWithOffset()
    mc.mcAxisDerefAll(inst)  --Just to turn off all ref leds
    mc.mcAxisHomeAll(inst)
    coroutine.yield() --yield coroutine so we can do the following after motion stops
    ----See ref all home button and plc script for coroutine.create and coroutine.resume
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecute(inst, "G1 X0.1 Y0.1 Z0.1 F30")
    wx.wxMessageBox('Referencing and Offset Completed')
end

68

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: angular axis incremental stepping

« on: July 09, 2018, 07:27:33 PM »

Hi,
As the best resolution you can get down to is 1 pulse it does not matter if the 1 degree movement has decimalized pluses, what does matter does it have at least 1 pulse.
As mentioned before if you CNC is running at the speeds I mentioned that and you have at least 1 Pulse on the movement you have selected then the issues is with the 201x or 210x that you have.

The G901/G902s synthesize 1,2,5 or 10 pulses for every received step pulse. If full-step mode is selected, 10 synthesized pulses are sent to the base 10-microstep drive, it emulates a full-step drive and everything works wonderfully. The problem is the multiplier is not not psychic; it can issue the 10 synthesized pulses only after it has received an input step pulse. This can take 50mS to complete (10 pulses with a spacing of 5mS between each pulse). If the direction is changed during that 50mS, some pulses will be in the correct direction, the remainder will be in the wrong direction. The result is a 'drift' in the accumulated axis position during CNC CV motion. Non-CNC, non-CV applications have a dwell time after each motor move so this is of no consequence.

The G203V completely resolved this issue and can run at all resolutions and speeds as long a you have at least one pulse.

Regards,
Mauri.

69

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: angular axis incremental stepping

« on: July 08, 2018, 04:45:32 PM »

thespindoctor,
What micro steps do you have set on your Gecko 201x card 1:1 to 1:10.
This card if moving fast (4000mm/min) has issues, we had them on our router table and them replaced with G203V and all issues went away.
The card sends pulses to the stepper via the Gecko, so the minimum amount of pulses depends on the micro steps you have and the 201x is not suitable for high speeds.
The better Gecko is the G203V with a 10 Micro step it works great on our Mill and Router 4 Axis.
We run the Mill 45:1 ratio and 15:1 ratio on the Router Table A Axis. (speed on the A Axis is 3600mm/min Router)
Regards,
Mauri.

70

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Vista CNC P1A-S with Mach4 - Problem

« on: June 23, 2018, 06:25:14 PM »

Craig,
Lee from VistaCNC made a Frimware that suits my version of P1A-S V3 Pendant and it fully works and has a fully functional LCD display and settings.
Very Happy.
Regards,
Mauri.