Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: Getting keygrabber to work

« on: May 28, 2011, 08:43:15 PM »

Ok, Got keygrabber to work on keyboard. I had been tesing it by changing numeric values & entering into MDI. All that happened is that the entry key stopped working, but when I translated to f10 & f11, by pressing the 1 & 2 keys, the feedrate increased & decreased as it was supposed to.

Still drawing a blank with the MinI-pac. Programming codes using the WinIpac utility is very unpredictable & still not able to get any response from keygrabber.

Don

12

General Mach Discussion / Getting keygrabber to work

« on: May 27, 2011, 09:31:51 AM »

I have spent many hours trying to get keygrabber to translate keys & to run the ipac (MinIpac) programming utility.

With the Ipac plugged into the usb, I get the unable to communicate message.
Via the ps2 keyboard connector, programming proceeds until near the end & I get a crc error.

I have tried numerous times to translate keycodes via the ipac keys & the keyboard & then typed into the the MDI command line but the characters come through unaltered no matter what I enter into keygrabber.

Tried 2 computers & 2 different downloads of Mach3. Windows xp. Entered  keygrabber in mach shortcut

Can anyone help     Regards,   Don

I am also having difficulty getting the MiniPac shift key to work butmanaged it on someone elses machine with Ipac2. Keygrabber or programming would not work with that one either (usb---same computer & windows)

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: keygrabber problem with ipac2

« on: May 24, 2011, 11:33:17 AM »

I have the same problem, or is ther another way to program non conflicting codes into keygrabber?

Thanks,   Don

Mach 3 mill. Current download.

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: Input pin preconfiguration

« on: May 21, 2011, 05:34:18 PM »

Thanks Hood. It must be my age.

15

General Mach Discussion / Bridgeport series 1 drive problems.

« on: May 21, 2011, 05:30:59 PM »

I am hoping to use the original drives on a series one Bridgeport, at least initially, allbeit at reduced rapid & accel if required.

They require quadrature input so I selected Max Cl mode & set acceleration & max speed for smooth operation & positioning without position loss. All seemed ok so I set up a series of rapid moves on x & y to see how they performed.

After a while, either x or y would badly misposition, move in jerks or stop moving part way through a move whilst the other axis, if selected, completed the move resulting in collision with the limit switches or stopping short when returning home.

I removed the x axis motor & jogged it & after a number of moves, it will stop moving or, at certain lower feedrates, not move at all (this may be due to the low inertia loading of the motor).Tried reducing the motor speed & acceleration but no change The quadrature output from the breakout board is a very good 5 volt square wave with good phase relationship & does not change when the motor stops.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

If a drive change is required, what do you recommend. Do I need to change the motors as well?


Thanks,          Don

16

General Mach Discussion / Input pin preconfiguration

« on: May 21, 2011, 04:49:26 PM »

I am trying to use input #1 for a z axis slowdow limit, but it is preconfigured as guards open. I cannot find where to change this. I have looked in config-ports & pins & general config. Can anyone help?

Thanks,  Don

17

General Mach Discussion / Re: Slowdown limit

« on: May 10, 2011, 07:19:03 AM »

I will incorporate the macro as I am not the person who will be using the machine.

Ihave a lot to learn about Mach3, but the documentation takes a little while to locate and I find the old grey matter a bit slower than when I started with valve & transistor mainframe computers in the early 1960s.

Many thanks,  Don

18

General Mach Discussion / Re: Slowdown limit

« on: May 08, 2011, 05:35:31 PM »

Thank you Hood & BR549 for the replies.

BR549...That is along the lines I was thinking. If you can send me the macro it would be very much appreciated. Have not got into macros yet but could not quite see how to achieve it with a brain. The documentation is a bit sparse to say the least.

Don

19

General Mach Discussion / Slowdown limit

« on: May 07, 2011, 05:52:29 PM »

On the Bridgeport series 1 quill there is a slowdown limit ahead of the home limit. The home limit has very little over-run.

How can I configure the slowdown limit to decelerate the Z so it does not run into the home limit at full speed when referencing the axis?

This has probably been discussed before,but I have not  found it.

Don