Messages

2251

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: May 01, 2014, 07:59:58 PM »

HIYA Steve,  Yes an EMPTY G02 call is fine as it is setting a mode. I do not know of many that would do it that way but yes I agree

BUT G02 X0Y0 is NOT just trying to set a modal call but trying to do an arc with NO I Js. THAT should throw an error on load. HOW else would you know  that you have a block  of bad code UNTIL you crashed the machine ?

The strange A axis creeping is a random thing with the SAME gcode program sometimes it does it somtimes it does not But normally it is with a sub or a macro. Normally if the G65 call has an "A" parameter call then it MAY do it. I will see if I can make it do it everytime or at least give you the code that does it sometimes.

(;-) TP

Hiya Brian , Arcs in G16 (;-) What would be the point ? the G16 does polar point to point moves around a center point. Like for doing a Bolt hole circle. I was testing to see IF you could cut a circle at each polar point in the pattern. It really should have errored out but instead it TRIED to do an Arc with IJs in the code.

2252

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: May 01, 2014, 12:07:29 PM »

Hiya Steve here are a few more items that have a glitch.

1.  On arcs G2/G3 and the IJs are missing you get NO error it just skips over the line and proceeds.

2. On G16/15 functions it tries to process ARCS without an error message. G16 moves are strictly G0/G1

moves and the arc call should have errored out in stead of trying to run.

3.  In G84 it does not allow G95 mode UNLESS the spindle has the speed sensor working. The G95 mode with drilling and tapping is the perfered mode as it makes it easy to program the proper feedrate. AN option to run with the CALLED(programmed) Spindle speed is needed as Many kneemil type CNCs do not have a spindle index signal for rpm indication AND it is difficult to install one as they have split spindle shafts at the mid gearbox and the TOP shaft RPM is different that the actual spindle.

Occationaly I see A axis movement in gocde functions that do NOT have A axis movement code in them. SOmetimes it moves sometimes it does not move A axis. When it does move it is just a very slow creeping move.

2253

General Mach Discussion / Re: Multiple G-Codes on Mach3

« on: May 01, 2014, 10:44:11 AM »

NO only 1 Gcode program per load. NOW you can stack up serveral files in 1 program BUT you have to delete out any mid file M30,m20,etc as those will stop the file at that point.

(;-) TP

2254

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: May 01, 2014, 10:32:50 AM »

HIYA Graham, Steve told me that the E parameter was a reserved word and was not used in the Mach version SO there MAY be a difference in the G65 local parameter list. If so that throw a little KINK in directly uses the mass amount of MacroB macros out there BUT it may just be a simple conversion if all one has to do is shuffle around the parmeters a bit.

For once you programers did create something I understand, macroB , conditional and SUBs (;-).

Happy as a pig with a new slop barrel, (;-) Sad as a lost puppy because it cost so much. OOB  ( Out of Budget)


HIYA Steve thanks for staying up so late last night. Another glich in using the Gcode editor is when you exit it or for that matter any outside function it does NOT clear the Message line out. It leaves the last message stuck there. That makes you have to manually clear the history out so so can KNOW if the message you see is valid to the Gcode reloaded.

So far loading mach4 under Admin rights has cleared up the problem of the Gcode editor crashing or locking up.

Do you have a list of the Local G65 Parameters "A=#1 B=#2 C=#3 etc??

I agree with the DRO entry it IS a pain to deal with from a control panel entry.

(;-) TP

2255

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: May 01, 2014, 02:49:48 AM »

HIYA STEVE, I ran itno a problem with this macro. IN the G65 call  Instead of the Parameter "A(#1)" being used to set the starting point angle for the macro Mach4 is trying to rotate the A axis to 45 deg at a VERY slow rate.


    O0008 (Main program)
    N005 G54 G90 S800 M03 T02 F100(Select coordinate system, absolute mode, start spindle, get next tool ready)
    N010 G00 X3.0 Y2.5 (Rapid to center of bolt hole pattern)
    N015 G43 H01 Z.1 (Instate tool length compensation, rapid up to workpiece)
    N020 G65 P1008 X3.0 Y2.5 Z0 R1.75 D0.75 A45.0 H8.0 C81. F50 (Machine entire bolt hole pattern with drilling cycle)
M30


    O1008 (Custom macro to machine bolt hole circle)
    #101=1 (Initialize counter)
    #102=#1 (Initialize current angle to A)
    #103=360 / #11 (Constant for incremental angular distance between holes)
    #104=#26 + 0.1 (Constant for rapid approach plane)
    #105=#26 - #7 (Constant for Z bottom position of hole)
    N1 IF [#101 GT #11] GOTO 99 (Test if loop is finished)
    #110=#24 + COS[#102] * #18 (Calculate X position for current hole based on current angle)
    #111=#25 + SIN[#102] * #18 (Calculate Y position for current hole based on current angle)
    G#3 X#110 Y#111 R#104 Z#105 F#9 (Machine current hole)
    G80 (Cancel cycle)
    #101=#101 + 1 (Step counter)
    #102=#102 + #103 (Step current angle)
    GOTO 1 (Go back to test at loop beginning)
    N099
 M99 (End of custom macro)


(;-) TP

2256

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: May 01, 2014, 02:17:26 AM »

Well Jimminy crickets MACH4 Conditional does work (;-), Been waiting on that for about 10 years now. IS the syntax the same as Fanuc as far as operators

EQ = equal to
NE = Not equal to
etc
etc

In my testing I will just compile a single list for you when I run across them again.

Have to drag out some Fanuc MacroB macros to test(;-)

(;-) TP

2257

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: May 01, 2014, 01:21:12 AM »

HIYA Steve the error codes are not just a problem in Mcodes(;-)

Try G02     (with no I or Js) it does not error out here it ignores it and goes on.  And there are more.

So with the current mode of conditional I can use the G60 to create an exact stop then call parameters that are ONLY available at that time. My current Fanuc macroB is very rusty BUT it should not take long to knock the dust off of it(;-) I spent a long time converting macroB to Machmacro now I have to go the other way(;-)

I switched Mach4 to ADMIN rights and the crashing of the Gcode editor has stopped for now.

(;-) TP

2258

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: April 30, 2014, 11:33:26 PM »

Another problem with the Gcode editor is sometimes when you return to Mach4 it locks up mach and crashes OR it closes and then tell you it cannot load a file at this time.

Some times it works just fine

? (;-) TP

2259

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: April 30, 2014, 11:21:23 PM »

HIYA Steve M99 Pxx it is. When I tried the M99Qxx it just ignored it with NO error code and it just seemed to work. I do notice that there is liitle to no error codes in the gcode side it will take just about anything and just ignore what it does not know and go on without erroring out or wwrning you there is bad code.

Another item When trying to create a new program from edit Gcode you cannot open a new  file. You must first load an OLD program then edit and rename.

Also you say you can turn on comments in config but MY version does not have a mach config, it is greyed out and you cannot access it.

2260

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo

« on: April 30, 2014, 10:43:42 PM »

HIYA Steve, while you are looking at teh exscape sequence could you take a look at the values entry sequence ? As is on a line say tool #3 when you enter in a value an press ENTER it skips DOWN to the next Tool # line instead of to the right in order to finish adding values for THAT tool #.

It makes it very clumsy to add tool /fixture parameters as after each entry you then have to shift back up then move over to the right in order to add the next tool parameter.

I tested the M99 P## earlier but it stuck in the loop over and over in the sub call BUT the M99 Q seemed to work ok. Maybe I muffed the test somehow I will go back and retest the sequencing again.