Messages

161

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 work with Pokeys 55 or 56 ?

« on: July 31, 2019, 09:29:42 AM »

The answer to my original question here is no. The pokeys 55 is not going to work out with Mach4.......

I am looking into a newer model.

162

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Confused on setting up Spindle FWD & REV to get relays working on BoB Using ESS

« on: July 31, 2019, 09:27:28 AM »

I got the spindle all up and working finally last night. It ended up that all that was needed is the step and direction outputs to be on. This is basically like it said in the Mach3 manual that I quoted above. The other stuff was not needed. It seems that the reason the spindle would not work is that the generic spindle motor settings in the Warp9 literature would not let it run with my setup. I ended up setting it to the same settings I had in Mach3 and finally got it all working.
The next challenges will be:
Setting up the oiler
Tool changer script
Updating to a current pokeys and getting all the setup done for the physical buttons and switches

163

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Confused on setting up Spindle FWD & REV to get relays working on BoB Using ESS

« on: July 30, 2019, 12:55:09 PM »

I may have solved this one. I called the BoB supplier. Apparently I was missing a key piece of literature for my BoB. I couldn't find a ports and pins setting for the spindle CW/CCW relays anywhere. They sent me one. Now this gives me some info to move forward. It looks like it uses the step/dir to make the 0-10v but still needs the relay outs for the direction....I think.

The Mach3 manual also has a statement that was somewhat confusing me. It says that if you are using step/dir for the spindle that you do not need to use the spindle relays......which is not really true in this case.
"5.3.6.2 Spindle Relay Control
............If you control the spindle by Step and Direction, then you do not need these controls. M3, M4, and M5
will control the pulse train generated automatically.
If you do not want to use this function, check Disable Spindle Relays."

Hopefully this info will get me going tonight....

164

Mach4 General Discussion / Confused on setting up Spindle FWD & REV to get relays working on BoB Using ESS

« on: July 30, 2019, 10:49:59 AM »

I think I have everything figured out for the spindle motor except I can't get the BoB relays to come on for forward and reverse signals to send out to the VFD. I am using the OB for step and direction to go to the BoB.

First of all, what ports and pins of the ESS actually send out these controls? I cannot find this anywhere. It seems like you need to know ports and pins to set it up or something.

I assume I need to set something up with the Spindle Fwd and Spindle Rev in the Output signals, but I am not sure what settings to make here.

The documentation for the ESS says this, but gives you no specifics on how to set it up:
"You may also assign the relays for Spindle On, Spindle Fwd and Spindle Rev as desired at this point."

You can also find this info, but it tells you nothing about setting them up other than when they come on:
Spindle related outputs.

Spindle Step or PWM: This will take the commanded spindle speed in RPM and convert it to an output signal with a duty cycle between 0% and 100%, which your spindle speed control module will convert into an analog voltage (typically 0v to 10 V DC).  This analog voltages is used by your VFD to run your spindle at the commanded RPM.
Spindle Motor Dir:  This output retains the current spindle direction even when the spindle stops.  It only switches state when a direction change is ordered (which prevents spindle direction glitching).
Spindle On: This output is active when the spindle is active
Spindle Fwd: This output is active when the spindle is running forwards (CW)
Spindle Rev: This output is active when the spindle is running in reverse (CCW)

See attached pic for the settings I am talking about.
Do I need to set anything for Spindle - Unused? Why is this even there if it is unused?
Do I need to set anything for Spindle Motor Dir?
Do I need to use the Spindle On?
I assume my issue is that I do need to set something for Spindle Fwd and Spindle Rev, but I am not sure what. I assume to enable them and I guess pick ESS for Mach Mapping?? What do I pick for pin mappings? 

165

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach3 XML Wizard not reporting the correct information ?

« on: July 30, 2019, 09:52:01 AM »

I think I know why the spindle is not doing anything. I think the relays are not kicking on the BoB.
Somewhere I need to find the settings to enter this stuff with the ESS and Mach4:

This is from my Mach3 setup.....
Go to Config / Ports&Pins / Spindle Setup / Relay Output. Enter “1” for M3 output # and “1” for M4 output #.

166

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach3 XML Wizard not reporting the correct information ?

« on: July 30, 2019, 01:49:33 AM »

 I pretty much got everything working except the spindle and the control panel stuff now. Not sure what is up with the spindle.......too late to keep working on it now.

167

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach3 XML Wizard not reporting the correct information ?

« on: July 29, 2019, 10:29:24 PM »

I thought the point of this wizard was so you could read your running Mach3 xml and help you port over the settings to Mach4?

I found other things wrong after this also, and I double and tripple and quadruple checked I am looking at the correct currently used Mach3 xml.

I finally kinda gave up on it. Now I am saving screen shots from mach3 and opening and closing between mach3 and mach4. This is certainly not an easy "give it a shot and see how you like it" thing......lots of setup and much different. Getting there though.

Looking that info for Mach4 won't do me a whole lot of good yet.......spending the whole night so far just trying to match the settings up

Right now I am stuck on how Machmotion uses an E-stop. The switch is connected directly to their IO6 breakout board. I think it directly kills the charge pump or something, and then they are using an oemtrigger or something to send a message for Mach3.....not really sure yet. Trying to decode all of this.
It looks like hitting the E-stop switch turns on Pokeys 18.....

 I wish I had multiple monitors on this thing. Trying to view all these windows on one screen that is not that high res makes this very time consuming.

168

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach3 XML Wizard not reporting the correct information ?

« on: July 29, 2019, 08:55:37 PM »

I am trying to use this wizard, but the values it gives are not the same as what is actually in my Mach3 setup

Any explanation for this?

169

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ESS settings vs control configuration settings?

« on: July 29, 2019, 08:27:00 PM »

I may have just answered my own question. I scrolled way down in the steps I am following and found this......
Mach4 Step 5 - Input Signals Tab:

Mach's Input Signals tab should be fully populated from the values you entered in the ESS config, you should not need to do anything here.  NEVER SET A SIGNAL ACTIVE LOW HERE, ONLY SET A SIGNAL ACTIVE LOW IN THE ESS PINS CONFIG!

I guess it pulls them in from the ESS plugin.....lots to learn...

170

Mach4 General Discussion / ESS settings vs control configuration settings?

« on: July 29, 2019, 08:23:38 PM »

I am trying to setup a mach3 machine to work on mach4.

I have the ESS plugin installed and I am working through the instructions. However, I am confused because there are Control Configurations Settings for ports and pins, but there is also ports and pins setup in the ESS plugin.

Do I need to set these the same in both locations as what my Mach3 seems to only have in one location, or does one override the other?