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Messages - mhackney

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21
Here's a simple question - if I remove all wiring to the probe, I mean disconnect it from the G540 and the ground, but keep the Mach4 and PMDX-411 configuration for probing - shouldn't a G31 initiate a probe cycle? For sure, the machine would crash because there would not be a signal that the probe was activated but shouldn't Mach4, the 411 and G540 all "think" a probe is there (this is a NO probe)? Well, I did this experiment and get the same bad results described above. So this really does point to an issue with Mach4, the PMDX driver or the 411 itself.

Are there any other tests I can do or is this a lost cause and I need to abandon hopes of using a probe or go elsewhere?

22
Thanks Bill. What is odd to me is that exactly the same hardware and configuration works under Mach3 but not Mach4. This - to me - points to the driver and/or the Mach code itself. Some folks apparently get it working with the same setup I have, so that is even odder. It shouldn't be this brittle. I've been a Mach user for 15 years and this is the first problem I have not been able to solve - and it is a silly simple problem. The PMDXSmartBob doesn't have noise filtering but I have installed a capacitor to filter noise. It wasn't needed under Mach3 but I added it when I first experienced this problem.

The other thing that perplexes me - my probe can be unplugged from the control box. If I unplug the probe I get the same behavior. Unplugged, there are 6" of wires inside the box and it is noise filtered. What *should* happen, is probing should work but would - of course - crash if I didn't estop since there is no way to trigger. But this doesn't happen with the probing macros or G31 - I just get the screen flickering and hang. I've captured debug logs and there is nothing special in them that indicates a problem. Just very perplexing.

23
G31 has the same behavior.

I pulled out an old machine with Mach3 installed and using the same SmartBob and probe, everything works properly. After 10 years with Mach3 I have to say I am underwhelmed with Mach4 and all of its issues. Definitely a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" situation for me. I think it is time to move back to 3 or find another option.

24
Running latest Mach4 release with PMDX SmartBob on a windows 10 machine. Homebrew CNC router with a Gecko G540. Been working fine for a few years and now I'm attempting to install and configure a simple touch probe. The probe is connected via a 2 pin connector I installed on my control box so I can disconnect it. I configured Mach4 and I see the probe triggering properly when I touch the alligator clip to the probe. So I know that is all working. However, I notice that the probe LED (diagnostics panel) sporadically flickers when the probe is not touching anything. If I disconnect the probe from the controller, it does not flicker.

I discovered this while debugging the machine not probing. When I initiate a simple probe Z, the Mach4 screen does an odd flicker pattern on a bunch of the displayed controls and then reports "ERROR: No contact with probe". I thought maybe the odd sporadic flicker indicated a problem so I disconnected the probe from the controller. The Probe LED now does not flicker at all. But if I attempt to probe Z (and I had my hand ready to hit ESTOP since the probe is not connected and can't possibly trigger) the same screen flicker and error message occurs. So now I don't think the issue is the probe. I can't find anything on the PMDX forum or FAQs but did find this thread here (with no resolution given) https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=39830.0

The input is set to PROBE (pin 13) and not PROBE1.

Anyone have any suggestions for debugging or solving this?

Cheers,
Michael

25
PoKeys / Re: odd Pokey issue...
« on: April 26, 2015, 11:56:40 AM »
Matevž, where is the "Let PoKeys handle MPG jogging" option? I can't find it in the PoKey config screen in Mach.

Regards,
Michael

26
PoKeys / Re: odd Pokey issue...
« on: April 26, 2015, 10:05:09 AM »
Thanks Matevž. I'll give both of those a try.

Cheers,
Michael

27
PoKeys / odd Pokey issue...
« on: April 25, 2015, 09:46:27 PM »
I have installed a Pokeys 56U in an aluminum control panel box and configured it do do a few simple things to start:

1) an MPG
2) a 3 position rotary switch for step increment
3) a 4 position rotary switch for axis select (x, y, z, a)
4) two buttons: feed override up and down
5) three buttons: Start, Stop and Hold

I'll add more later but I wanted to start with these. I've verified that all of the functions 2-5 in the list work properly in Mach with the plugin. The MPG also "works" to jog but does not do step mode jogs. I discovered some oddness that when I jog in MPG mode, then go to CONT mode and use the keyboard and then back to MPG mode, the MPG does not work. I have to hit the eStop Mach button and then clear it and then the MPG mode works again. I also noticed, and this is the very odd thing, that the Mach speed override spontaneously decreases - even if I'm not doing anything, the mill is not running and I am just watching the screen. I haven't been able to correlate this to anything I do with the functions above. But, if I disable the Pokey plugin, this does not happen. I then re-enable the plug in and disabled all of the Pokey functions. In this configuration, the speed override also spontaneously decreases. I've tried plugging the Pokeys into a different USB port but the problem still exists.

Not sure what to do about this. My pokey is mounted in the aluminum box panel. There are some other electronics in there - most noticeably the spindle speed controller (KBM-125) and 2 wall warts for 12 and 24V. I am not running the spindle motor when I observe this issue. Everything is grounded to the aluminum box which is then grounded.

Any suggestions on what to do or what might be going on?

Thanks,
Michael

28
Thanks for the explanation Hood. The motor control is a Gecko G540 all-in-one stepper driver BoB. Basically, plug and play.

cheers,
Michael

29
Hood, thanks again!

So, changing backlash comp (turning it on and off) in both the Milie and 540B profiles has no effect. HOWEVER, as you suspected, the pulse width DID have an effect. I set the Millie pw to 15 & 2 and the problem has gone away.

I know I did not touch that setting in the upgrades so I'm not sure how it got reset. But, that's it. It's always the little things right? And it only seemed to affect the Y axis, which is also a bit weird. But it is what it is.

Quick question, the PW field label says 0-5 but when I tried 5, it still skews (although not as badly). Is that just a mislable on the field?

cheers,
Michael

30
Thanks Hood, I think we cross posted! I just noticed that the 540B has blc implemented too. I can try those experiments now.

I've been using the Millie profile for months with no problems. I don't believe I touched the pulse width but I did disable backlash comp as part of the upgrade.

If backlash comp were the issue, I would expect to see the skew in all 4 subroutines and especially #3 but I don't. I purposely made the moved distance the same in each for that reason.

But, let me enable blc and try it and also the pulse width.

cheers,
Michael

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