Messages

141

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ruminations on Computers for Mach

« on: April 15, 2010, 11:10:31 AM »

Hit CTRL-ALT-DEL and bring up the task manager and take a look at the runing processes. Anything you don't recognize - do a search for that name on the web and determine what it does and if you need it. Some processes can be terminated without anything compailning,others refuse to ... Worst that can happen is that you need to reboot.

142

Tangent Corner / Re: Using a PC to control a DL06 PLC

« on: April 14, 2010, 05:13:56 PM »

you might try a binary encoding scheme. for 9 positions you need 4 bits (allows 16 combinations, of which you will use 9, with zero being a park position ) with zero being a park position, and then another bit to tell it when you have a valid position loaded to start the sequence. A bit back to the PC saying cycle complete, and maybe a bit back to the PC for InCycle.

The other way would be to try ou the Ethernet hardware, would be a bit of expense, but makes it easy transfer more data quickly.

DL06 is a nice brick, Might look into the Omron CP1-H series as having more capabilities, along with the OPC server lite makes for a real smooth way to control things from your PC. Serial or ethernet. Omron will cost more, but you get a lot for the extra cost.

143

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using System Rotation and G41 G42

« on: April 14, 2010, 04:52:36 PM »

I have taken this same program and run it with System Rotation set back to zero and it functions as written. With system rotation of 90 or 270 dgress it is as if MACH is confused about how the axis are rotated and so it wanders around making strange arcs and spirals and not followint he programmed profile.

My fix was to write a little basic program to swap the axis and adjust the G2-G3 so that it would not need system rotation. Also wrote a small Basic program to mirror the pattern across either the X or Y axis and these programs run just fine.

Pete

144

General Mach Discussion / Re: Calculating Step For Mach

« on: April 12, 2010, 03:58:52 PM »

Is this a spindle motor?

145

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help, how to solve/find out X axis from "lost steps" ?

« on: April 12, 2010, 03:56:22 PM »

Check out the coupling (however you get the power from the motor to the screws/gears) and check to make sure that everything is properly tight. If you have anything loose and slipping no tuning or other adjustmants will eleminate the problem. Check all mechanical connections int you drive and then go to motor tuning.

146

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ballbar test

« on: April 12, 2010, 03:50:50 PM »

A ball bar test the accuracy of a machine, or to certify the positional accuracy of a machine. Unless you have some need to prove teh accuracy of the machine you won't need the ball bar. You will want to test all axis against a good dial indicator at first, you may find that you are a step or 2 off based on whether you are using english or metric screws/gear racks/etc. and you may find that you have to make small adjustmants on each axis because minor inaccuracies in you system.

What kind of machine are you running, and what are you trying to do with it?

147

General Mach Discussion / Re: toolpath occasionally, randomly goes in strange directions

« on: April 09, 2010, 04:45:28 PM »

Is this happening when you use G41/G42? And are you using the Local System Rotated set to some value other than 0 Degrees?

148

General Mach Discussion / Using System Rotation and G41 G42

« on: April 09, 2010, 04:27:25 PM »

Are there any known issues with G41/G42 when using a Local System Rotation of something other than 0 degrees? I am trying to cut an artsy shape where the inside lines are cut without cutter comp, but when I turn cutter comp on to cut the outside I get some really strange moves that are well outside the expected.