Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Still being driven mad by arcs

« on: December 30, 2011, 04:26:48 AM »

Hi

Well I found the answer and it was using the multiplier in the servo drive. Once I set that to a multiplier of 1 I get 100% accuracy. The only difficulty that gave me was that I needed to increase the kernal speed in Mach3 to get decent rapids... in the end I changed my computer for a more modern one and all works very well. I still keep my rapids to less than 1M/m just to (hopefully) avoid big crashes.

Other than that the Granite servo driver seem superb - I have not even opened the enclosure in 9 months.

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 10, 2011, 06:52:40 AM »

At the rate I do things a decade is neither here nor there! Does G96 work with feed set as mm/min?

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 10, 2011, 06:01:27 AM »

And the answer was.......... The COM port on my motherboard was not giving any output in real life despite the software thinking it was working. I added a PCI card and it worked first time.

Modifying the XML turned out to be very easy indeed. Just a couple of changes to the motors and outputs - The manual perhaps could be improved.

The board is a very nice way of controlling the VDF - Randy Ray from Texas Microcircuits popped up on my e-mail and offered good support so highly recommended.

I have just read the thread on constant surface feed - is it still the case that G96 will not work with G95?

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 04, 2011, 11:24:04 AM »

Many thanks - I am working my way through the port settings unfortunately other than the Baud rate I do not know what the hardware settings are.

When you say set up the spindle control with the plugin, other than the XML what are you referring to

Many thanks all - this forum is a lifeline!

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 04, 2011, 05:17:20 AM »

I have made progress....sort of! I downloaded a serial monitor program that lets me see the data sent and received. Mach3 is happily sending data to the serial port just as it should so the plugin and xml are off the suspect list. Unfortunately that leaves the board! ......Or the port settings?? The Baud rate is ok.

Still no response from the vendor.

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 04, 2011, 02:53:03 AM »

Thanks Hood. Its a bit hard to work out which settings in that XML are necessary to make the board work and which ones are optional. Worse still that XML is for a mill and I want to use it on a lathe.....Never mind patience patience

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 03, 2011, 04:16:09 PM »

Hi this is the XML I am trying to use - I have made no changes that I know of since downloading

I have checked the Baud rate in Device Manager on Com1 all settings the same as the manual recommends

Restarted

checked the fuse

Nothing changed - no LEDs on board....

Getting a bit

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 03, 2011, 01:25:04 PM »

I am not sure I tried restarting after activating the plugin - I will give that a go

I think I got the baud rate right - that is in the general properties of Mach3 right?

Windows says that my com port is working I will have another look see

I am glad its not just me with that manual!

I have sent an e-mail asking the vendor for help - if he gets back to me I will post the answer so others can find it

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 03, 2011, 12:28:45 PM »

You have got it in one....Nice board though if I can get the damm thing working. I downloaded their XML - nothing. I then altered mine - nothing

The instructions do leave you a bit clueless - I managed to wire up the mains ok.....

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle speed control - serial port

« on: October 03, 2011, 08:32:50 AM »

yes fuse and power are ok

I will get back to you with the XML that texas MC provide