Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Laser modulation signal?

« on: March 06, 2013, 11:19:03 PM »

Hello,

I am playing around with a 1W laser to cut 0.005" Mylar in order to make SMT solder paste stencils... That Laser circuit is something I'm cobbling-up, it's not a manufactured item... that said, I need to pulse the laser on/off at some interval (yet unknown) that will be proportionate to the feed/speed/movement of the table... as the table speeds-up/runs/slows-down/stops.

I have a modulator that will toggle the laser on/off at a fixed rate (and I suppose that will be ok) however, if I could get a PWM signal from MACH (proportionate with the movement of the table noted above) *this* would be optimum. The modulator accepts TTL input to toggle.

Can any one suggest how this might be done from a MACH3 point-of-view?

This may be a very simple thing, but I am a software developer, not a machinist, and *not* very familiar with MACH3... if anyone can make a suggestion, that would be great!

Also, is there a standard way of turning the laser on and off from a G Code perspective? In the case of a Laser... is the Laser on/off using the Spindle on/off codes? (I suppose it doesn't matter, but I would like to hold to convention).

Thank you for any help/suggestions with this!

-charlie




 

12

General Mach Discussion / Re: Step through code/script on active low signal

« on: January 13, 2010, 03:39:43 PM »

Excellent!!! 

Thank you for the quick response!
Charlie

13

General Mach Discussion / Step through code/script on active low signal

« on: January 13, 2010, 02:08:29 PM »

Hello all, thank you for your help.

Given a VB Script that is divided up into G-Code segments... I want to be able to read the status of a parallel port pin and have it act as a "continue" signal that will ultimately step through the code.

For instance: My code will be divided into a series of locations to seek to, Another device will signal MACH3 to execute each location segment. The signal will be an active low on a parallel port pin... when this signal goes low, the next "location" code should execute and then the script pause until the next signal is received.

Can someone point me in the right direction on how to read a pin on the parallel port using MACH3 scripting (I don't think there is such a thing with G-code, but I'm a newbie). I assume this can be done with VB scripting, and my scripting would also perform the G-code location seek.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Charlie

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using G03 w/bit offset?

« on: September 11, 2008, 02:56:52 PM »

Thank you for your reply.

My VB.NET program is generating the center points and the ARC/CIRCLE commands... I'll just subtract the bit radius (writting custom app that generates GCode). Looks like it will be easier (and possibly more accurate) that way.

not sure now accurate (places to the right of the decimal) the computed compensation is good for. I'll be using a DECIMAL data type in VB.NET that is suppose to be good to 29 places total (10 to the right of the decimal)... In comparison, a DOUBLE data type is only good for 4 places to the right...

-charlie

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: Move X axis on "# of steps" or degrees (?)

« on: September 10, 2008, 11:58:29 AM »

Ahhh, I see... because 400 * 0.9 = 360. Cool.
THANKS!
-charlie

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Move X axis on "# of steps" or degrees (?)

« on: September 09, 2008, 11:24:52 AM »

Well, it works! 

Found out my stepper controller is set to 400 steps/rev. So, after setting my MACH3 UNITS to "1", I got the stepper to move 90 degrees by using: G0 X100

Thanks agian for the help!
-charlie

17

General Mach Discussion / Using G03 w/bit offset?

« on: September 09, 2008, 11:19:36 AM »

Hello,

Newbie here... (25+ years windows programming, 0 years CNC milling...)

I am milling an 0.025 circle using an 0.020 bit (haven't bought the bit yet) ... is there a command that accounts for the 0.020 size of the bit when milling so that the hole is truely 0.025 (and not 0.025 + the radius of the bit)?

I'd like to calculate my points as if the bit was 0.0, then enter a command for the bit size/offset and have everything work (i.e. let the controller figure it out).

Is there such a thing? Is this "interpolatiing"? 

Thanks!
-charlie

18

General Mach Discussion / Learning GCode... How to guide?

« on: September 09, 2008, 11:07:46 AM »

Hello,

Thank you for all the help.

Can anyone recommend a book to learn CGode. Is there a definative guide for this?

-charlie

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Move X axis on "# of steps" or degrees (?)

« on: September 08, 2008, 08:35:39 PM »

Thank you Hood and HimyKabibble I'll give it a try!
-charlie

20

General Mach Discussion / Move X axis on "# of steps" or degrees (?)

« on: September 08, 2008, 02:48:17 PM »

Hello all.

I am a newbie, so any help is appreciated.

I am using MACH3 to drive a stepper motor on a custom test jig. The stepper is holding a fixture that rotates 360 degrees... I'm using the X axis to do this (though I can change this to like the "A" axis if it makes more sense). The stepper (and MACH3) is set for 200 steps per revolution (of the stepper).

Is there a way in MACH3 to specify the movement of the X axis in "# of stepper motor steps"? I want to move the stepper 50 steps to facilitate 90 degree movements of my jig.

Alternately, is there a setting in MACH3 (or a G code, etc.) to specify DEGREES OF MOVEMENT... so, instead of selecting "50 steps out of 200" (which is 90 degrees of motion) I simply just specify "90 degrees"?

Tried my best to explain my setup.

Thank you for the help.
-charlie