Messages

411

Modbus / Re: Uncomannded motion with Homann pendant!! Please HELP!!

« on: January 29, 2009, 06:51:58 PM »

Hi Chuck,


Please do. It is very unlikely that the Pendant itself is doing this. It is most likely to be in Mach, the plugin or the interaction between the plugin in and Mach3.

You can test the Pendant hardware by using the mbReader program that can be  download from the ModIO Yahoo group file area. It displays all the data comming from the pendant and will shouw any erroneous data.

Just download all the files in the directory, install mbReader and load the MP-01.mbs file.


Cheers,

Peter.

412

Modbus / Re: Uncomannded motion with Homann pendant!! Please HELP!!

« on: January 29, 2009, 06:13:15 PM »

Hi Chuck,

I'm sorry to hear of you problems. Has this just started to happen? And have you upgraded Mach3 recently?


Can you do this check. Select the settings page. There is a display of the MPG count. Can you record what is happening to it when the axis is running amuck.

heers,



Peter.

413

Modbus / Re: ModIO and serial plugin

« on: January 26, 2009, 03:25:40 AM »

Hi,

Yes you can use it with the plugin support enabled. You can write brains to process the information to/from the plugin. There is also a ModIO plugin that can also be used.

Cheers,

Peter.

414

General Mach Discussion / Re: printing brains

« on: January 21, 2009, 10:27:18 PM »

Hi Keith,

One thing you can do is have a number of smaller Brains. Break it up into logical modules.

Remember that all the Brains are continuously run so lots of smaller Brains is better.

Cheers,

Peter.

415

Modbus / Re: CRC Error with Modbus Test on RS485 against a Teco SG2-20VR-D

« on: January 21, 2009, 05:28:53 PM »

Hi Dave,

I'm glad you finally got it working.

Cheers,

Peter.

416

Modbus / Re: Does Mach R3.00 support ASCII or RTU modbus?

« on: January 20, 2009, 08:43:23 PM »

Peter -

Outside of the built in Modbus test application in Mach3, do you have a recommendation for a application for testing Modbus manually?

Thanks,
david

Yes ModbusPoll, thats what I use. 

http://www.modbustools.com/modbus_poll.asp

Cheers,

Peter.

417

Modbus / Re: CRC Error with Modbus Test on RS485 against a Teco SG2-20VR-D

« on: January 20, 2009, 08:40:19 PM »

I am trying to interface a Teco SG2-20VR-D (user manual here: http://www.bb-elec.com/bb-elec/literature/manuals/SG2PLR_UserManual_0707m.pdf and modbus manual here: http://www.bb-elec.com/bb-elec/literature/manuals/SG2_V-typeModbusProtocol_0807.pdf) with Mach3. 

Here is what I've done so far:
*  Configured the unit to have slave address "02" using the "LAD Version 1.9" using the RS-232 interface (separate from 485)
*  Installed 120ohm resistors on the 485 line
*  Configured a USB to 485 adapter to COM6
*  Under the "Modbus Confugration" screen, Port Num: 6, Baud Rate: 38400  8-2-N, Do NOT use RTS for transmit, Timout of 1500ms
*  Click the "Test Modbus" button
*  Port Num: 6 and Baud Rate: 38400, Slave Addr: 2, Start: 100 (hex), Num Regs:1, input registers
*  Click "Open" and it responds "No error"

Here are my questions:
*  Why is there no option for stop, parity and data bits on the "ModBus Serial Control Monitor" page?
*  Why would you need to re-enter Port Number and Baud Rate again on the monitor page if it's on the Configuration page?
*  What does the slider bar under Discrete Input(s) do?
*  What is occuring when you click "Report Slave ID" and "Read Excp Stat" buttons?  When clicking "Report Slave ID" mach3 returns "receive timeout".
*  Why do I get "CRC Error" when I attempt to read?
*  Is there a difference between slave address "1" and "01"?
*  My PLC uses RTU, not ASCII - is Mach3 using RTU or ASCII?  Is it configurable?
*  Is there any simple way to peek at the data on the 485 serial line?

On a side note... I've watched the modbus videos and read everything I could find on the mach site with the word "modbus".

Thanks!

Hi,

The answer to your questions;

*  Why is there no option for stop, parity and data bits on the "ModBus Serial Control Monitor" page?
- It is on the previous setup page.

*  Why would you need to re-enter Port Number and Baud Rate again on the monitor page if it's on the Configuration page?
- Decause that's the way it is. The page is probably copied from an appication supplied by the Modbus library provider,

*  What does the slider bar under Discrete Input(s) do?
- It allows you to continuously read the data, instad of having to press the read button. The further to the right it is the fast uit reads.

*  What is occuring when you click "Report Slave ID" and "Read Excp Stat" buttons?  When clicking "Report Slave ID" mach3 returns "receive timeout".
- It is sending the Modbus command Report Slave ID. Your device does not implement it, so it does not respond, hence the timeout.

*  Why do I get "CRC Error" when I attempt to read?
- Excellent question. This is the cause of your problem most likely.

*  Is there a difference between slave address "1" and "01"?
- No.

*  My PLC uses RTU, not ASCII - is Mach3 using RTU or ASCII?  Is it configurable?
- Mach is only RTU. Does not do ASCII

*  Is there any simple way to peek at the data on the 485 serial line?
- Not really. What you could do is download the trial version of Modbus Poll and try to use that to talk to your devicce. It can display what is being received and may help in solving your problem.

Cheers,

Peter.

418

Modbus / Re: Does Mach R3.00 support ASCII or RTU modbus?

« on: January 20, 2009, 07:29:50 PM »

It's not completely clear if the default for Mach3 if modbus communication is ASCII or RTU.  Anyone know?

Hi,

Mach3 only supports RTU. It does not support ASCII.

Cheers,


Peter.

419

SmoothStepper USB / Re: Smoothstepper Kills Man - VIDEO!!!

« on: January 19, 2009, 07:06:30 AM »

I am verry happy to stumble on this post.  I am a machine retailer with mach3 soft controller and was thinking of using the smoothstepper board untill I have seen this post.  I think we will still keep on using the trusted pdmx-122 board with the charge pump circuit untill this bug is out of the smoothstepper board.  When machining safty is the most important thing to keep in mind.  I would not be happy if a customer stops by my door telling me he lost one or more body parts becouse of a wire someone tripped over.  We often install machines when the machines are on a different powerbreaker then the pc is on.  It would be easy possible the fuse of the pc is down and the machine is still hot.

You may be fooling your self if you assume all is well if the charge pump is present. If you look back through the Mach yahoo archive or mabe the Master5 (The original CNC software Art wrote) group, you will see that the charge pump ois not there for as an emergency stop feature.

The purpose of the charge pump signal is to cater for the twidling of the the parallel port outputs during the PC power up, and to detect the the Mach software is running.

When the PC powers up, there can be some twiddling of the parallel port outputs, presumable as the bios checks whats there and sets up the port mode. This can cause the steppers to move a couple of steps, changing the axis position. This is annoiying if you shut the machine down at a known position and expect it to be in that position at a restart.

Thesecondary purpose is that the chargepump informs the BOB that Mach is running. It DOES NOT mean that Mach is running correctly. Yes you can configure Mach to remove the chargepump when you press the ESTOP button on the Mach3 screen. But to rely on this is fooling yourself. I've had an axis runaway, and had to hit the "Real" ESTOP button, removing power from the controller.

Cheers,

Peter.

420

General Mach Discussion / Re: USB or ModBus communication

« on: January 14, 2009, 06:22:40 PM »

If you want to use Modbus on a USB physical medium, you would have to get a converter that will convert serial to USB, (NOTE: sometimes it is a crap shoot to find converters that will not screw up the data, often you have to slow down your speed because of the conversion overhead).

Scott - What USB to 485 "dongles" have you had good luck with?  If not USB, what would you recommend for PC to 485 interface?

Hi,

The one I use and recommended to Scott is
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/usb-comi-single-port-usb-to-rs422-rs485-serial-adapter.html

I've had good success with it. I'm sure you could sources it in the USA if necessary.

Cheers,

Peter.