Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Please Help!! Dell optiplex mach3 problem

« on: September 30, 2010, 10:45:31 PM »

THe one thing you have to watch with the Dells is they load up a bunch of diagnostic software so Dell can trouble shoot you over the direct connection internet. This stuff will play havoc with mach if you do not turn it off or remove it from your system.

Other than that I have 2 dells running fine here.

(;-) TP

Hi BR, I know what you mean. I actually hate dell but it was cheap. I load all my own systems in any case after a complete low level format. I won't keep any of that factory trash on any computer. This machine is going to be dedicated to Autocad, Mastercam, and Mach. I hate to waste material because a computer screws up and sends a tool in the wrong direction so this unit has no extra crap at all. Regards, Les

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Please Help!! Dell optiplex mach3 problem

« on: September 30, 2010, 08:38:13 PM »

Possibly you could get a free CNC Simulator to help look/manage the code?

http://www.cncsimulator.com/

Dave
 Hi Dave, Thanks for the link. I will check it out. I like the idea of simulating with the final control software because if it is going to fail it will be there, but it would be nice to have a bit more control over editing and such. Regards, Les

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Please Help!! Dell optiplex mach3 problem

« on: September 30, 2010, 03:50:45 PM »

Still best to run the driver test on the Dell to see what it looks like.
Hood

Hi Hood, I did that first thing with it showing excellent and a pulse variation of less than .2us at 100khz. That's why I was confused when the gcode crashed. I was concerned if Mach might have some conflicts with hardware or something that would be hard to work out. As it turns out I guess it was just the line limit that only kicked in with the parralel port active. Once disabled it runs the whole code. I really need to be able to verify the code before I invest in a license and a bunch of hardware because what I am attempting to automate will probably be in the neighborhood of over 15,000 lines long. If I can't simulate it in the software without failure I would be reluctant to make the investment. Regards, Les

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Please Help!! Dell optiplex mach3 problem

« on: September 30, 2010, 03:17:32 PM »

Hi and thanks to all who have replied. I went back to the Dell and disabled the parallel port and removed the mach3 port driver and it will now run the full code. I guess the limit doesn't kick in till Mach sees a potential connection to an actual machine, and since my Toshiba laptop has no parralel port it never loaded the driver. Now I can confirm my code and designs on the computer that will be used, before I make the investment in the necessary hardware. Again thanks to everyone for the unbelievably quick and accurate assistance found on this forum. Regards to all, Les

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Please Help!! Dell optiplex mach3 problem

« on: September 30, 2010, 09:17:12 AM »

I presume it is Turn you are running as it has a 150 line limit in Demo mode. Mill has a 500 line limit in Demo.
Hood

Hi Hood, Perhaps it could be that then. when I first load the program the e-stop is flashing. if I scroll through the code right then it appears to be correct. Once I hit the button to shut off the e-stop the code after line 150 becomes corrupted. If it is just the trial limit I can get a licensed copy and solve it. What concerns me is the fact that on my Toshiba it does not exhibit this behaviour which makes me wonder if I can even use the Dell computer at all. I just bought it and would be reluctant to buy either a license for Mach or replace the Dell till I can be certain I won't be getting into a can of worms. Thanks, Les

6

General Mach Discussion / Please Help!! Dell optiplex mach3 problem

« on: September 29, 2010, 08:06:44 PM »

This one has me stumped. I have been experimenting with Mach3 on my Toshiba laptop with vista64 for about a week. Everything seems to function normally, but it has no parallel port and I didn't want to use smoothstepper. I bought a used Dell optiplex g280 on ebay to dedicate to cnc but it will not finish a run of code. I can look at the code in any editor and it is ok, but mach3 gets to somewhere in the neighborhood of line 150 and stops cold. The window where the code is displayed shows the line it stopped on and all lines after it being identical. If I take the very same file and run it on my laptop it completes without a problem. I first ran Win7 32bit on the Dell and when the problem showed up I loaded a clean XP sp3 32bit. It still does the same thing. Drivertest shows the system as being excellent with less than 2 us variation. The system is a 3ghz processor with 1 gig of ddr2 memory and a 80 gig sata drive. I can't begin to understand why it is so different between two computers with the very same file. files are created with Mastercam and I have tried every post possible and they all do the same, so I have to wonder about the Dell hardware. Has anyone else had any problem with Dell?
     Regards, Les

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie question- using PM-DC motor as servo

« on: September 21, 2010, 11:47:33 AM »

Hi Hood,
     And again you come through with great info. I am presently studying all the info on the last recommended forum post and really starting to lean toward the Dugong. compared to the others reviewed it doesn't look as high as it did compared to the Gecko, and appears to be able to actually do what I need. I will check out the yahoo group once I finish reading all this. I am actually beginning to see a little daylight on this idea and believe I might make it actually work thanks to your great input.
     You might find my purpose interesting. I am trying to set up a cnc wood lathe to turn Tractrix horn speakers from hardwood. I built a set by hand which was a tremendously tricky and time consuming turning project, but the end result was an unbelievably clear high quality sounding speaker. they are not commercially available except as junky fiberglass castings, and I think well turned hardwood units could be a very marketable product to audiophiles. Trouble is to buy a cnc machine and gamble that amount against a possible market is a bit too scary. If I can get a homebrew up and running at a minimal cost it might turn into a very proffitable enterprise.
     Thanks again for all your help, it is proving invaluable.
          Regards,
                 Les

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie question- using PM-DC motor as servo

« on: September 21, 2010, 11:03:44 AM »

Hi Hood, I looked at the dugong everything but price looks great. Even at the price though it is looking like a very easy solution. I will check out this other forum post and see if there is more info to be had there. Thanks for all your input, it is greatly appreciated and has helped immensely in getting closer to a solution.
     Regards,
           Les

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie question- using PM-DC motor as servo

« on: September 21, 2010, 10:02:53 AM »

Hi Hood,
     Actually I am probably a bit more conservative then most having spent years as a electronics service tech. That is my main concern about the gecko since I would probably want to operate it at no more than 70% of it's highest rated voltage. That would mean a substantial speed loss and force the motors into a range where heating could be a secondary problem. The ideal would be a servo controller designed for the voltage of the motor. I will check out the link you sent. Maybe they have something suitable. Thanks for the input.
     Regards, Les

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie question- using PM-DC motor as servo

« on: September 21, 2010, 09:10:29 AM »

Thanks Ray,
       I was hoping it could be done. I am still a bit concerned about the voltage limits of the gecko units though. They have a max voltage of 80, and these motors I have are 90 which isn't a great amount but if a treadmill motor were employed for spindle drive it would be 130. Does a person just have to sacrifice rpm at the top, or could the output of the geckodrive be fed to the voltage following inputs of a secondary motor drive like the KB units. I wonder how the Geckodrive is actually controlling motor speed and acceleration. If it is varying voltage then the voltage folower inputs of the kbsi 240d isolater could track that and send an appropriate signal for any motor controller to follow. If it is pulse width modulation that is taking place it might be a little trickier. Of course in any case a person would have to work out a method of reversing the motor since that part of the loop would be lost in translation between the gecko and the signal isolator. How much loss of efficiency would a person see using the gecko at its upper limit and just losing that top end voltage I wonder?
     Regards, Les