Messages

621

General Mach Discussion / Re: OEM# for slow jog rate DRO

« on: April 11, 2010, 11:12:21 PM »

Thanks....I was just going to post that I found it.  Right at the top of the list.  I guess it's been a long day.

622

General Mach Discussion / OEM# for slow jog rate DRO

« on: April 11, 2010, 10:50:35 PM »

Hi all...

I'm wanting to create a button that toggles the slow jog rate between 1% and 100%.  I can't seem to find the DRO number for that DRO in the list.  It's the one on the MPG fly-out (when you press TAB) just under where it says "Slow Jog Rate".  Can anyone help me out with that OEM DRO number?

Thanks very much.

623

General Mach Discussion / Homing slaved axis

« on: April 10, 2010, 06:33:04 PM »

Hi all...

On a gantry machine if I have and X and A axis and I use RefCombination(9), will it home the first switch to hit home then the other switch?   Or will it always home the X first then the A?  If the latter is true, I'm wondering what happens if the A switch hits home first.  Seems that it would over-run the A switch a little and home the X, but then with the A switch already activated, how would it then home the A side?  I'm considering changing to a two motor system and want to make sure I understand how slaving works.

Thanks very much.

624

General Mach Discussion / Windows 7 Opinions

« on: March 27, 2010, 07:52:26 PM »

I have an interesting issue.  I have some software that I wrote on a Vista machine using VS2008 in VB.NET.  The software works fine on Vista machines but won't even start on a XP machine.  It just says an error was encountered and must close.  Seeing as how XP is now 2 generations past, I was thinking of going to a W7 machine.  What's the general consensus there?  IS W7 working OK with Mach?  I did read some issues with 64 bit, so I would stick with 32 bit.  Thanks.

625

General Mach Discussion / Re: Thoughts from plasma cutter users...

« on: March 12, 2010, 04:43:26 PM »

Have you tried executing an M03 with the plasma machine off?  IE: Just cycle the relays without the torch actually firing.  If it only freezes when the torch actually fires it's most likely noise/grounding issues.  Are you using a THC?  Are all inputs opto-isolated?  

626

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Plugin Idea - TCP Listener

« on: March 10, 2010, 11:44:41 PM »

I have an idea for a plugin.  A simple TCP listener.  This would just listen for incoming data on a specific port.  When data is received, it would parse the string which consists of a function code, a delimiter and a command string.  Function codes would be an integer and would tell the plugin what to do.  Codes could be something like this...

10001 = Jog
10002 = eStop
10003 = program run
etc.....

So a data string could look something like this...

"10001:X1.125Y3.375"

The plugin would parse this and jog the machine to the coordinates specified.  For functions not needing any other data, like eStop, the right side of the delimiter would be ignored.

This could be a very generic plugin that would enable non C++ savvy people to communicate with Mach.  I've been fumbling around in C++ but it's just not my thing.  I can write a TCP listener in VB.NET in 10 minutes.  A plugin like this would allow any program written in any language capable of TCP communication to communicate with mach.

I'm using the SDK .NET plugin written by Ed.  My plan is to keep plugging away at it, but at this point I can't even get a generated sample to debug, which makes writing the program just about impossible.  I have a cool application written in VB.NET and to write it in C++ using the SDK is just way beyond my immediate means, but I would like it to communicate with Mach.  I can easily add TCP connectivity to the app and I figured writing a TCP listener using the SDK would be a fairly small project.

Anyway...I'm going to keep at it, but if anyone else wants to have a go, I'd be eternally grateful.  At this point I'm still trying to get a handle on the file structure of a C++ project (.h, .cpp, etc.).  I haven't even got into actually using the SDK, other than generating the sample apps with Ed's plugin.

627

General Mach Discussion / Re: program

« on: February 18, 2010, 01:43:24 PM »

I like VB.Net, but that's not an option for things like plug-ins.  For that you need C++.  I haven't tried C# with the Mach SDK but it may also be compatible.  C++ really isn't my thing, so I'm hoping someone will build the Mach classes into DLL's, AcxtiveX objects or whatever it takes so they can be used in VB.NET.   

628

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing, machine co ordinates and touch off

« on: January 31, 2010, 03:42:26 PM »

I do it a little differently...

N0110 (Operation: Reference Torch)

N0120 F15

N0130 G31 Z-1           //Plunge Z until probe switch activates.  Max of 1".

N0140 G92 Z-0.1080         //Reset Z to 0 - switch offset.

N0150 G00 Z0.1800          //Retract Z to pierce height

N0160 M03          //Start torch.

This is the way I've been doing torch referencing on the plasma and tool referencing on mills and routers for years.  My Z plunges on a negative move.  If it's not working, I'd be suspect of the G100, or the G100 plug-in.  I've never messed with one, so I can't offer anything in that regard.  

629

General Mach Discussion / Re: 2nd parallel port card issues

« on: January 30, 2010, 06:30:05 PM »

Just out of curiosity, why did you lose the Smoothstepper?

630

General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing, machine co ordinates and touch off

« on: January 30, 2010, 05:43:02 PM »

Try changing the torch switch to a probe input, then use G31 instead of G28.1.  The only change in your code would be this line...

N0110 G28.1 Z3.00

Would change to this....

N0110 G31 Z3.00  (if your Z plunges on a positive move)
N0110 G28.1 Z-3.00  (if your Z plunges on a negative move)