Messages

4851

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 13, 2011, 01:38:21 PM »

HIYA RCaffin, I understand where you are going with the discussion. I was one of the ones that took that stand LONG ago with mach3.  When Art was programming Mach I think he had to set a limit as to what the original Base code (emc) would handle as far as nested levels. With Mach we have a repetetion limit of 999, most modern fanucs will do 9999 (;-) on subs.

Brian is aware of most of this as well. But with Brian as with Art it is basically a one man show to do the developement work. We actually burnt out Art we don't want to do the same to Brian.

In the game of DIY cnc patience and adaptabilty are the keys to happy machining. IF it won't/can't work this way TRY it from another angle untill you get want you need. AND it may not be the way you would want it to be.

Also you will find that Brian is a modern type CNCer his main thrust is CAMed code and the General USERS methods. And yes he understand it but is not crazy about the parametric code side (;-)  so we have to kinda tippy toe about the matter. Same with conditional code in the parametrics. Maybe one day we will have it but no time soon.

As with Mach3 it has evolved to an everything motion controller NOT just a CNC controller so they have to be carefull about what they may break when they go back in to do a fix. Many things have already been effected by fixes(;-). That is a reason for some to go back to OLD versions because they still will do certain functions that the later versions have trouble with.

ALso they have to make it WORK over a Very broad range of computer hardware. In modern CNC controllers the hardware is a fixed variable that never changes so you can program around any obstical you may have in hardware. NOT ALWAYS SO with PCs and the millions of variations of hardware over the years.
With the LPT version it is very easy to load up the VERY fast CPUs so bad that MACH3 will come to a crawl (;-)

 Take the driver for instance it is LOCKED in as a 32 bit driver and may never change. I believe Mach will evolve to only running motion controllers as outside hardware like everyone else has done.

So hopefully Mach3V4 will better suite the modern CNCer not just the hobbiest CNCer.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

4852

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 12, 2011, 09:18:33 PM »

I did already V7 runs fine and V6 fails.

BUT not all subs fail with TC (;-) here is an example of one that runs fine with TC.  You are running the trifecta, Parametric,subs, & nested subs (;-)

N0090 T3 M06  G43 H3
N0100 G00 X3.7195 Y3.9437
N0110 G01 Z0.800 F60
G42 P.500
M98 P1 L2
G40
N0260 G1 X3.7195 Y3.9437
N0270 G00 Z0.0000
N0280 M05 M30
o1
N0120 X3.7026 Y2.9439
N0130 X3.6710 Y2.8073
N0140 X2.7719 Y-1.0715
N0150 X-0.0074 Y-1.7757
N0160 G03 X-0.0127 Y-1.8319 Z0.8000 I0.0074 J-0.0291 F60.0
N0170 G01 X2.7240 Y-3.1110 Z0.800 F60
N0180 X3.7942 Y-5.5192
N0190 G03 X3.8508 Y-5.5139 Z0.8000 I0.0274 J0.0122 F60.0
N0200 G01 X4.4768 Y-2.8848 Z0.800 F60
N0210 X7.2253 Y-1.9610
N0220 G03 X7.2241 Y-1.9037 Z0.8000 I-0.0096 J0.0284 F60.0
N0230 G01 X4.5004 Y-1.1174 Z0.800 F60
N0240 X3.7296 Y2.8064
N0250 X3.7026 Y2.9439
N0260 G1 X3.7195 Y3.9437
M99
%

Just a side note the normal fanuc standard(Peter Smid) calls for a max of 4 sub nests and MACH3 has a repetetion limit of 999 per sub call. I have seen MACH3 get flacky above 3 nest layers

Also IF I remember correctly Art warned that Variables may not be stable deeply nested as well

What version of MAch3 are you running. The latest versions are the quirkyest I normally run V.020.

SOmetimes you just have to go back to basics on programing. One standard I stick to is IF I plan to program an exotic version like you have I NEVER plan to use TC and they rarely fail to run properly(;-).

(;-) TP

4853

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 12, 2011, 08:10:09 PM »

We will just have to waite and see what V4 brings.



(;-)TP

4854

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 12, 2011, 07:16:27 PM »

Even Art has said that Machs sub nesting is limited(;-) The fact of a stack is not a problem but what can occurs in each layer of that stack can be extemely complicated to positional tracking.

Remember the the fanucs of this world have about 40-50 years of software enginerring to create what you see today and they may run on as many as 8 processors to get it all done.


I think even Fanuc has a known  limit on nesting subs.

I think IF you were to rethink where you actually NEED to apply the TC and then turn it off after it has done its job and then reapply it as needed you will see more success with it. I don't think the idea of turning on in the begginning and leaving on until the end of the program will ever pan out in the cases of deeply nested subs.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

4855

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 12, 2011, 11:35:05 AM »

I don't think you will ever get that to work with just setting the TC  1 TIME(;-). I believe you will need to rethink the use of the ToolComp.

First ,Nice program.   I would never had tried Tool comp with it BUT if I did I would use TC a bit different. The TC should be used to move into a cut then when done Move OUT of TC. Then move to the next section and reapply it do the cut then Move out,etc,etc.

There are times when you jump through 3 subs with TC on and never made a cut. I don't think the TC in MACH3 will every be able to follow your Logic.  

I am surprised that MACH3 can even follow the SUB logic that deep and not get lost.  

(;-) TP

4856

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ang Short Rot on G01???

« on: November 12, 2011, 10:15:00 AM »

OK just to clear it up there is NO such thing as shortest rot on G1 and I would guess there never will be. It would make the machine unusable as to the A axis.

Shortest rotation on G0 does the job you just have to program for it.

(;-) TP

4857

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 11, 2011, 07:27:35 PM »

I'll have to admit the later versions seem to be terrible.

(;-) TP

4858

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 11, 2011, 05:44:23 PM »

(;-) Mach can follow ANY contour inside or outside with tool comp as long as the radius of the cutter is smaller than the smallest radius it has to follow. IF you use a cutter that is LARGER than the smallest arc then MACH will error out and NOT run the code AS IT SHOULD.

IF it ran the bad tool/code combination it would GOUGE the part and the results would be an incorrectly made part. AKA JUNK.

Now that does require you to be able to program it correctly.

(;-) TP

4859

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting cutter radius with G10?

« on: November 11, 2011, 05:04:09 PM »

I don't have a clue as to what you are trying to saying(;-)  MACH3 is a machine controller, it is not CAD or CAM. It can ONLY do what it is told to do via the Gcode program.

What is it you think Mach3 should do that it already doesn't do?

"It just seems to me that if LazyCam and CamBam can do it (for example), then it should be possible for Mach3 to do it. Mind you, some CAD programs attempt it and get bits of it wrong. I have to manually correct embedded arcs for instance in one of my most commonly used CAD programs. So maybe it wouold be hazardous to include in Mach3 it at this stage! And, it is possible to describe outlines which cannot be handled with a cutter of X mm diameter - so what then?"

(;-) TP

4860

General Mach Discussion / Re: Toolchange in turn R3.043.050 not working as suppose to

« on: November 11, 2011, 11:29:31 AM »

That I am aware of that feature has never worked in Mach3 it was never implimented in turn.

I could be wrong about this one(;-)

Best to email Andrew with the question HE is the go to guy for Mach3 support.

(;-) TP