Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: Gecko 540

« on: April 12, 2011, 04:10:11 PM »

OK, redid everything again. Ran the code and again it went south. I set the backlash and everything was fine, uploaded the code and went south again. It really seems like it's the code. I ran some other code and the only thing really different is that I have offsets in the code. Here's the code, see what you think. Now just remember I ran three parts on this code and parts came out perfect.

%
G20 G40 G54 G80
T01 M06 (.125 Endmill)
G00 G90 X-.01 Y-.01 S4500 M03
G41
G00 Z.001
G01 X0. Y0. F.2
G00 X-1.0625 Y.1875
G01 Z-.01
G01 X0.
G02 X.1875 Y0. R.1875
G02 X0. Y-.1875 R.1875
G01 X-2.125
G02 X-2.3125 Y0. R.1875
G02 X-2.125 Y.1875 R.1875
G01 X-.9
G00 Z.1
M00
%

The Z axis is moving .026" instead of the .001 on line 5. Even though the steps are set at 40,000 which is where it is supposed to be set. I imagine all axis are doing the same thing.

12

General Mach Discussion / Re: Gecko 540

« on: April 12, 2011, 01:09:01 PM »

Yes Jeff the steps are set at 40,000 and it sounds like there should not be a heat problem as I just have the controller leaning up against the wall. I will probably end up putting a heat sink on it anyways but was just running a few old ham radio parts for someone so I figured it could wait. I redid everything last night, it ran fine. Then uploaded the code for the part and it went bad again. I think I will remove the backlash and try that again tonight, if it still messes I am going to rewrite the code and see what happens. Can the code file somehow get corrupted if something happens while running? I guess I should mention that I reformatted the computer and reinstalled Mach then set it up and ran the part. I hope it is not the backlash as I want to keep the accuracy.

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: Gecko 540

« on: April 11, 2011, 07:06:11 PM »

Thanks! I will have time to mess with it tonight. I restarted Mach after setting each axis backlash and those actually saved. I'll try setting restarting after setting the step after each axis and hopefully that will take care of it. Not sure where to set the motor tuning, have always just left it where it was after installation, the steppers are SureStep 23079 and from I remember it operates the controller at pretty much it's max so I guess it makes sense to have a heat sink on it. Do you know where I could get a heat sink for it? I guess I could make a primitive one on my MSI mill but not sure what aluminum and so on to use.

14

General Mach Discussion / Gecko 540

« on: April 11, 2011, 02:54:30 PM »

Everything was running good and walked outside after I started some then came back and the tool went of path. Not sure what exactly happened so I zeroed to a different spot and started the code again and everything was way off. I went into Mach3 and redid the steps and checked backlash, it was off so I redid the settings but they won't hold into memory for some reason it looks like. Now the day this happened it was about 80 degrees, could this have something to do with the temperature? The controller is not in an enclosure but I have no moving air on it. I remember reading about not needing a heat sink unless it was in an enclosure. Is this right? Is this software or hardware related?

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutter Comp

« on: April 05, 2011, 11:07:15 PM »

Decided to rewrite the code and tried a few different things and it seems to work. I guess I should have done that but between school and remodeling just haven't had much time and was getting frustrated. Thanks ger21 for all your input. I have a few small bugs to work out but I think I'm gonna send the code out to the mill and give it a shot. Still kinda confused about the reverse axis but hey, I can work on that later I guess. I have messed with LazyCam a bit, read some of the manual and it works pretty good but need to figure out the cutter comp on that too.

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cutter Comp

« on: April 05, 2011, 10:11:50 PM »

G41 is what I want but I'm to the point where I will write the code around the comp. just so I don't have to do all the math. LOL As far the Y position I am placing the tooling right above the X0. Y0. point for now because of the problems I have been having. Below is some code I have ran in a HAAS with no problem, thought I would try it to see if I would have the same problem, yes I had the same problem. I tried using a lead in point before and had problems with that too so I have just been trying different things.
I had the advanced comp turned on and had the error. I think I will just rewrite the way I would as if it was being wrote for a HAAS, maybe I just didn't have something exactly right. Anyways, here's the code I know runs on a HAAS but won't run on Mach. See what you think. Thanks!


%
O00001
(Big D)
(T. Gaskill)
(9-13-09)
(X0=Left of stock Y0=Front of stock Z0=.05" Below top of stock)
(Stock 2.7" x 2.7" x1.5" Depth)
(Material Steel)
G20 G40 G54 G80
T01 M06 (Shell Mill)
G00 G90 X-1.6 Y1.35 S400 M03
G00 G43 Z0. H01 M08
G01 D01 X4.3 F3.
G00 Z.1 M09
M05
G28
G20 G40 G54 G80
T2 H2 M06 (.5")
G00 G90 D2 X-.3 Y-.3  S1500 M03
G00 G43 Z-1.1 H02 M08
G01 X.1 Y0. G41 D02 F10.
G01 Y2.6
G01 X2.6
G01 Y.1
G01 X-.1
G00 Z.1 M09
M05
G28
G20 G40 G54 G80
T3 H3 M06 (.125")
G00 G90 X.725 Y.6  S2500 M03
G00 G43 Z-.03 H03 M08
G01 Y2.1
G01 X1.425
G02 X1.975 Y1.6 R.5
G01 Y1.1
G02 X1.425 Y.6 R.5
G01 X.725
G00 Z.1 M09
M05
G28
G20 G40 G54 G80
M30
%

17

General Mach Discussion / Cutter Comp

« on: April 05, 2011, 09:40:18 PM »

Having problems setting up cutter comp. Whenever I add a G41 or G42 I get a cutter gouge error. I was taught to program on a HAAS but it seems like if I run a simple program like below it's the only way it runs BUT I can never put cutter comp in the code because it messes up. Now the below code will run but like I said if I add code to make it run on a HAAS then I get nothing but errors. I usually write code in Discriminator and test code in that and this code works, just doesn't have a G41 or G42. I have read the manual and did a few things I have seen wrote here but nothing seems to work. Can someone please point me in the right direction? Oh, another problem is that I had my X axis going the opposite as the screen was showing so I reversed the setting and now when I manually operate the tables goes the reverse way I tell it to. Everything else seems to be working OK, so far. Backlash is set, surprisingly the was none on the Z axis.



G01 Z-.01
G01 Z-.04
G00 Z.1
G00 X-2.125
G01 Z-.04
G00 Z.1
G00 X-1.0625 Y.1875
G01 Z-.01
G01 X0.
G02 X.1875 Y0. R.1875
G02 X0. Y-.1875 R.1875
G01 X-2.125
G02 X-2.3125 Y0. R.1875
G02 X-2.125 Y.1875 R.1875
G01 X-1.06
G00 Z.1
M00

18

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: AutoCAD and LazyCam

« on: February 25, 2011, 08:09:42 PM »

Hey ger21, I ended up doing what you mentioned about tracing the picture in AutoCAD and it seems to be the best route to go, Thanks for the suggestion. I'm still having problems with inserting a G41 or G42 for cutter comp. It throws the code off when I a dry run in MACH so I decided to just try a cut and see what it does. I'll let you know how it goes. Is there any other controller software that I could try with a Gecko G540? I like MACH3 but it seems kinda complicated for the most part. Thanks again!

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Setting Tool Offsets

« on: February 22, 2011, 05:23:55 PM »

Thanks! Still having some problems but at least that is taken care of now.

20

General Mach Discussion / Setting Tool Offsets

« on: February 21, 2011, 11:04:53 PM »

Read the documentation and I guess I'm not seeing how to set the tool diameter. I'm not really worried about tool height offset right now but can someone tell me where to put the tool diameter at and to save it? I have the cutter comp in the code I wrote but of course without putting in the tool diameter it won't apply that to the cut.