Messages

691

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 running on Networked PCs

« on: December 17, 2009, 02:43:06 PM »

Do not try to load files stored on a network drive into Mach. While it will work fine most of the time any slight network delay can cause problems. Copy the gcode file from your network drive to the local machine. I keep a folder on the desktop for the files I am going to cut.

692

SmoothStepper USB / Re: How often SS update motion velocity?

« on: December 14, 2009, 09:43:53 AM »

The SmoothStepper can generate a pulse stream up to 2 MhZ (the SmoothStepper output). Mach sends the SmoothStepper a series of commanded positions, the SmoothStepper buffers them and then generates the needed pulse train to move your machine. You can adjust the SmoothSteppers velocity update rate to match the requirements of your needs as well.

693

SmoothStepper USB / Re: E-Stop issue

« on: December 13, 2009, 10:42:17 PM »

I would suspect that you have a noise problem. It is very unlikely that an appliance in your house is causing an issue unless it is a really big appliance connected to the exact same circuit. A more likely candidate is poor grounding or your spindle motor. One way to test to see if it is the spindle motor is to air cut a program and unplug the spindle. If it works fine then you have a spindle noise issue, if not then you perhaps have a grounding issue.

694

General Mach Discussion / Re: strange results with laptops.

« on: December 02, 2009, 07:02:05 PM »

I second what Hood said. I've jumped through all the hoops trying to get Mach to run on a laptop through the parallel port and its just not worth the effort; there is a 90% chance of it not working properly 'no matter what' on a laptop. With a SmoothStepper I have only ever heard of one single laptop (a Toshiba) that would not work.

695

General Mach Discussion / Re: another parallel port question

« on: December 02, 2009, 10:27:49 AM »

Nope, not HSS. The FR4 PCB laminate would chew up HSS in short order. I sell the solid submicrograin carbide bits made by PreciseBits: http://soigeneris.com/PreciseBitsPCB.aspx.

696

General Mach Discussion / Re: another parallel port question

« on: December 02, 2009, 09:52:12 AM »

I'm using the Wolfgang spindle and I purchased my bits from you Jeff!

So you'll have the spindle speed you need then! I know when I started milling PCBs I was feeding too fast as I was being impatient, and like to help other folks avoid the mistakes I made. Glad to hear your using the PreciseBits 

697

General Mach Discussion / Re: another parallel port question

« on: December 02, 2009, 09:31:09 AM »

Yep you are just fine at your current kernel frequency.

What spindle speed are you using when routing PCBs? Assuming that you are using 'V' bits for trace isolation using a feed of about 1"/min per thousand RPM will get you the best combination of cut quality and bit life. This is the range recommended by my bit supplier that they came up with from testing and it is what I use and recommend to folks I sell bits to. For instance on my Taig mill I am limited to 10K on the spindle so I route PCBs at 10IPM. My max traverse speed I keep down to 40IPM. If I had a high speed spindle I could open the mill up as with the SmoothStepper/G540 combo it will easily do 100 IPM.

698

General Mach Discussion / Re: another parallel port question

« on: December 01, 2009, 11:04:02 PM »

You should run at the lowest kernel speed you can that will allow you to generate the maximum pulse rate you need for your machine. In other words stay with 25 kHz UNLESS it will not pulse fast enough for your needs. A faster kernel speed than what you need will not improve a thing.

If you want to calculate out your max pulse frequency start with the max velocity of your machine.

Max_Velocity(IPM) * Steps/Unit = max_step_min  (a.k.a. #steps in one minute at max velocity)
max_step_min / 60 = max_pulse_frequency

Your kernel frequency needs to the the lowest choice you have that is greater than your max_pulse_frequency.

699

General Mach Discussion / Re: another parallel port question

« on: November 30, 2009, 12:36:17 AM »

There are a few ways you could go...

1) Use a USB wireless networking dongle. I went this route with the PC on my mill. I have no illusions that it is a fast as a good PCI card wireless interface but it is perfect for grabbing nc files from my server or an occasional trip to the web to look something up. I bought a Netgear USB 802.11 dongle for about $15 with free shipping from Newegg.

2) Do away with the parallel ports all together and get yourself a SmoothStepper. You'll have more than enough I/O for your needs and a smoother and faster pulse stream to boot.

700

General Mach Discussion / Re: Unstable stepper pulse

« on: November 29, 2009, 08:08:00 AM »

probably because Americans spell it with a Z or should I say a Zee

LOL. Reminds me of a movie I was watching recently where one of the characters was musing about Brits adding a 'u' to all sorts of words like 'colour'. (I think the movie was "Three men and a baby".)

You have to love it though. We get all sort of international students at the university who learn 'British' English and then have to learn 'American' English when they get here to the states. Bad enough that they have to converse in a foreign tongue but then we have to throw in all the different 'versions' of English as well. It could be worse, Indians have it tough with hundreds of different languages and dialects in one country, some of them with an obnoxious number of alphabet letters.