Messages

1711

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Auto Square Gantry

« on: January 02, 2015, 09:17:19 AM »

Well just a thought but after Reh home you could move the axis to offset it and then reset the machine coords to zero to square the axis.

NOT the best way but should work. Gerry Has the best solution to FIX the switches to square the gantry properly.

Just a thought , (;-) TP

1712

General Mach Discussion / Re: Adding additional I/O

« on: January 01, 2015, 03:22:46 PM »

The second LPT port does not HAVE to drive axis you can set it up to do Inputs as well. Check the manual (;-)

(;-) TP

1713

General Mach Discussion / Re: Moving the tool after cutting to a location automatically

« on: January 01, 2015, 03:18:58 PM »

The best way to do this is to be able to RefHome your machine at startup. This allows the machine to KNOW exactly where it is at any time.

Set Setup a  Park Position as Gerry suggested. Then use the G28 to reference your Park position. At the end of your Postcode add in a G28 before the M30 call. Then the machine at the end of the cut will automatically GOTO the Park position. That way IF you want to change your park position you only have to change the G28 location and NOT have to redo the post code each time.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

1714

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Screen Set Ideas

« on: December 30, 2014, 09:01:30 PM »

Daniel I started working with LUA long before M4 came about. Sheetcam uses Lua for post and plugins. I still cannot prgram in it. I can only manipulate some of it from time to time and make things work.

As with you I also gave up on Lua until a good manual happens along. EVEN with that the best I will be able to do is cut and paste some code segments and make something work IF there is enough to work with in the manual.  The manual along will probably not do much without some GOOD first hand examples of it working in Mach4.

As to something you asked me about I don't have a clue what that was. Please refresh my memory.

Craig you are not just sharing the things you learn  IF you were you would also be SHARING the code that makes it work THAT WAY someone else may learn from it. What you are doing is setting yourself up as the Mach4 Guru so you can $ell your Good$ to the genearal public as you KNOW they will never get it as most of us don't. (;-)  AND there is really nothing WRONG with that other than you keep shoving that in our faces and proclaiming us as lazy mouchers. AND that is ok too as what goes around will always come back around.

Daniel what you say about LinuxCNC is exactly true and M4 may share the same fate if it does not change as I hear the exact same verbage used HERE with M4 as I did with LinuxCNC. IF you want it, LEARN to program it yourself.

NOW do "I "have to depend on M4 ? M3 ?  Not in the least . I do like M3 as it is fun to play with and create things WITH. NOW do I profit from either one ?? NOT one thin penny have I made off either. COULD I ? OH YEA I could.   I dedicate most of my time helping others to  learn CNC and helping other make a living from it, free of charge.

So craig I will leave it with ya. Show them how good you are pal. Maybe it will help you make a living with it. OR not.

But that is just me your values may vary, (;-) TP

1715

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Screen Set Ideas

« on: December 30, 2014, 12:58:19 AM »

Craig you can US  kick in the genes or the jeans you CANNOT make a programmer out of everyone.   IF you could then LINUX CNC would have taken OVER the DIY CNC world MANY years ago. (;-) Might want to leran that lesson.

IF Mach4 does not come out as developed as a normal CNC system "should be" it will suffer the same fate as LinuxCNC has. Only a few will be able to Program it at the system level with LUA.

The MAJORITY of users are hobbiest not system level programmers. They are looking a for basically a TURN KEY system not somthing they HAVE to program with a high order language. Heck the learning curve is HIGH enough as it is WITHOUT having to learn a NEW language Just to be able to do what they want.

They need an ADVANCED Mach3 not another LinuxCNC.

Been there seen it all before, (;-) TP

1716

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 and saving DRO's on power loss/power down

« on: December 30, 2014, 12:40:50 AM »

Mach3 saves settings on shutdown so there is nothing to save settings on a power loss . A UPS will help IF mach3 AND the machine run off the UPS. You must of course stop and shut down Mach3 as soon as possible.

There is a General config setting to save DROs on shutdown as well as fixture settings.

(;-) TP

1717

VB and the development of wizards / Re: coil winding machine

« on: December 29, 2014, 05:25:39 PM »

Try  G92 A0.000 at the end of your file just before the M30. It should reset the A to 0.000.

As to a conversati0on program builder you could develope a Wizard to design the coil build as to width and number of layers and wraps per layer.

Are you winding on Forms ??

(;-) TP

1718

General Mach Discussion / Re: Just a general question…

« on: December 29, 2014, 04:13:01 PM »

I found it on a ACER PC, look at the task manager while you are running the AXIS steadly IF you see a different change in the graph at the same time the motor sounds change it may be that.

you can look in the PC Bios for anything involving variable CPU speeds. I believe they use it for power consumption control or something related. It had the OPTION to turn it off.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

1719

General Mach Discussion / Re: Just a general question…

« on: December 29, 2014, 02:13:55 PM »

Just a thought but check that the CPU is not changing speeds on you.

Been there on that one.

(;-) TP

1720

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Guitar Strings.

« on: December 29, 2014, 01:29:56 PM »

Here is a BIT of info on the winding variables.

http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/2014/11/making-great-guitar-string.html

(;-) TP