Messages

11

FAQs / Zeroing script for metric / imperial with sanity.

« on: January 26, 2012, 04:21:11 AM »

This has been beaten to death and there are many people offering a tool zeroing script in imperial and metric however this usually involves using their custom screens which may contain graphic with information or images that don't suit you.

Here is a script that does not require a custom screen set, I have added sanity to check things like G20/G21 mode, check tool selection, test if probe input is configured and probe wiring faults, will stop and restart spindle (in same rotation direction) and ask if you need/want to move X, Y or Z an to place the sensor on the work piece.

The script is included in this post as code so you can easily copy/paste it or make some modification before implementing it.

Code: [Select]

' Auto Tool Zero by Dale Walsh <dale@daleenterprise.com>

Dim Initial_Abs_Inc

Dim Initial_Feed_Rate

Dim Initial_G_State

Dim Initial_Machine_Coordinates_State

Dim Initial_Spindle_CW_State

Dim Initial_Spindle_CCW_State

Dim Initial_Spindle_State

Dim Initial_Tool_Offset_State

Dim Probing_Feed_Rate

Dim Guage_Block_Height

Dim Z_Probe_Pos

Initial_Feed_Rate = GetOEMDRO(818)

Initial_G_State = GetOEMDRO(819)

Initial_Machine_Coordinates_State = GetOEMLed(16)

Initial_Tool_Offset_State = GetOEMLED(28)

Initial_Abs_Inc = GetOEMDRO(48)

Guage_Block_Height = GetOEMDRO(1001)

If Guage_Block_Height <= 0 Then
Answer = MsgBox("A positive value must be entered for the Guage Block Height", 0, "Oh-oh")
Exit Sub
End If

If GetOEMDRO(824) <= 0 Then
Answer = MsgBox("A Tool has not been selected, select a tool and try again.", 0, "Oh-oh")
Exit Sub
End If

If IsSuchSignal(22) Then ' Check whether a probe input is defined..
If GetOEMLed(825) = 0 Then

Answer = MsgBox("Do you need to Move X, Y or Z ?", 4, "Do you need to Move")
If Answer = 6 Then
Message("Tool zeroing to Material was canceled so you can move.")
Exit Sub
End If

Answer = MsgBox("Place Sensor on work piece.", 1, "Is the Guage Block Sensor in place")
If Answer = 2 Then
Message("Tool zeroing to Material was canceled.")
Exit Sub
End If

Message("Tool zeroing to Material is requested.")

' Save settings for restoring later
Initial_Spindle_State = GetOEMLED(11)
Initial_Spindle_CW_State = GetOEMLED(164)
Initial_Spindle_CCW_State = GetOEMLED(165)

If Initial_Spindle_State = true Then  ' Spindle is running so stop it
If Initial_Spindle_CW_State = Initial_Spindle_CCW_State Then
MsgBox("Your running spindle is misconfigured -> clockwise = " &  Initial_Spindle_CW_State & " and counter-clockwise" &  Initial_Spindle_CCW_State & " , please fix this.")
Exit Sub
End If
DoSpinStop()
Sleep(500)
End if

' Turn off Tool Offset if it's on
Select Case Initial_Tool_Offset_State
Case True
DoOEMButton(136)
End Select

Select Case Initial_Machine_Coordinates_State
Case True
DoOEMButton(180)
End Select

'  Get current scale settings.
XScale = GetOEMDRO(59)
YScale = GetOEMDRO(60)
ZScale = GetOEMDRO(61)

'  Set scale to one to probe.
Call SetOEMDRO(59, 1)
Call SetOEMDRO(60, 1)
Call SetOEMDRO(61, 1)

Select Case GetOEMLED(802)
Case true ' Metric System
Probing_Feed_Rate = 150
Probe_Travel = 250
Case false ' Imperial System
Probing_Feed_Rate = 6
Probe_Travel = 10
End Select

DoOemButton(1010)
Code "G4 P1"

' Perform the probe
Code "G90 G31 Z-" & Probe_Travel & " F" & Probing_Feed_Rate
While IsMoving()
Wend

Z_Probe_Pos = GetVar(2002)
Code "G0 Z" &Z_Probe_Pos
While IsMoving()
Wend

Call SetOemDRO(802 , Guage_Block_Height)
Code "G4 P0.500"
Code "G28"
While IsMoving()
Wend

Message("Tool is now zeroed to Material.")

' Restore the original settings
Code "F" &Initial_Feed_Rate

Select Case Initial_Abs_Inc
Case 0
Code "G90"
Case 1
Code "G91"
End Select

Select Case Initial_G_State
Case 0
Code "G0"
Case 1
Code "G1"
End Select

Select Case Initial_Spindle_State
Case True ' Spindle is running so stop it
If Initial_Spindle_CW_State = true Then
DoSpinCW()
ElseIf Initial_Spindle_CCW_State = true Then
DoSpinCCW()
End If
End Select

' Restore the original Tool Offset state
Select Case Initial_Tool_Offset_State
Case True
DoOEMButton(136)
End Select

' Restore original  Machine Coordinates State
Select Case Initial_Machine_Coordinates_State
Case True
DoOEMButton(179)
End Select

Call SetOEMDRO(59, XScale)
Call SetOEMDRO(60, YScale)
Call SetOEMDRO(61, ZScale)

Else
'  Houston we have a problem
Answer = MsgBox("Guage Height Block is grounded, check connections and try again", 0, "Oh-oh")
End If
Else
Answer = MsgBox("Probe input is not defined in Port and Pins config, configure and try again.", 0, "Oh-oh")
End If

You can use the "Operator->Edit Button Script" menu option to install the script.

With minor modification you can also use it as a tool height setter.

12

FAQs / Re: New configuration now homing issues.

« on: January 26, 2012, 03:48:33 AM »

Yes, frustration can get the better of you at times and sometimes this prevents you from seeing the forest through the trees.

After a couple of hours sleep I read your response and decided to re-attack the problem from an analytical perspective which yielded some surprising results.

Hello DWalsh62,
If you can find what you are looking for by decompiling the code go for it! The trouble is that it is not going to help you.. There is NO setting for the pull off amount. I will tell you how homing works and then I will tell you about what is going on with your system.

Acknowledge decompiling to add/adjust would be a waste of time if the option is not present.

How it works:
1.) Machine starts by doing a move looking for the home switch
2.) Switch is found and motor decelerates (based on the motor tuning settings)
3.) Motor reverses looking for the switch to open back up at 20% of the home speed (this is what you are calling the pull off move)
4.) Switch opens back up and the motor decelerates
5.) Axis machine position is set to zero

As you can see I never said anything about pull off distance because there is none..

Understood.

What could be your issue (this is after working on problems like this for over 10 years) :
Electrical noise... How do you know that is what it is .. well I think you are telling me that it is not pulling off the home switch. On the diagnostics page please tell me if the home switch is still active after the homing is done. If the machine is on the switch you need to add some debounce to the inputs. This can be found under config general config, I would start with about 500 and see if that helps.

Here is what I tested at 1% home speed in Config->Homing/Limits (to obtain maximum error response).

1) home switches wired as Normally Open on each axis and limits wired as Normally Closed (on different inputs).
2) connect oscilloscope  to home switch and perform homing tests.
3) 34us after contact, circuit is broken for 347us (mechanical switch bounce) with installed micro cherry switch (red/black - ebay purchased).
4) test with larger cherry switch with stronger spring 17us / 841us / 214us (double mechanical switch bounce - bigger is not better) (white/black with screw terminals - CNC4PC purchased).
5) test with smaller micro cherry switch with weaker spring 29us / 289us (tan/black - ebay purchased).
6) test with proximity switch (4 random switches) 3us / 1721us  (electrical noise but no bounce).
7) test with optical switch (4 random switches) 1us / 1389us (electrical noise but no bounce).

note: cherry switches are all roller lever type, no mechanical bounce issues present in switch wired in NC configuration.

CONCLUSION:
issue is mechanical switch bounce and cannot be completely removed but a 1.0uf cap + 1N4148 diode will reduce this considerably to acceptable level while allowing for quick recovery due to low voltage.
electrical switches have electrical noise but can be filtered out and bounce is non-existent.

SOLUTION:
replace mechanical switches with optical switches with LC (inductive / capacitive) or RC (resistive / capacitive) filters (DC passing) results in optimal performance at minimal cost.

NEXT STEP:
create small PCB with 5V supply regulation, filter networks to support eight optical/proximity switch I/O, two probe switch/sensor I/O and one tri-channel digitizing I/O (never know what I might be doing in future).

Now as far as you thinking that we are not responding ... I could see that there where people looking at your post as soon as you put it up.. ALSO we have full time support staff to see that if you contact us you will get taken care of in a reasonable time. I don't see the need for being so nasty, it is okay because I forgive you I know it can be frustrating when setting up a machine and you need to get parts done and you are dealing with software issues. Best of luck and if you need help please feel free to contact me directly.

Thanks
Brian

If it isn't apparently obvious, I am also apologizing for my outburst, my frustration excuse is insufficient to warrant/justify it and I never gave you the opportunity to advise on the problem which you deserved.

13

FAQs / New configuration now homing issues.

« on: January 25, 2012, 05:21:40 AM »

I have been using Mach3 for some time, first with a Sherline mill then with a custom made cast steel VMC.

These machines had 20TPI screws and home switches and ref-all-home would break the switch contact and then backs off roughly 1/2 of a turn (0.0250in) and the switch requires only 0.0220in of travel to unload so this worked good.

Due to the need of a micro machine with high precision and accuracy I employed 50TPI 0.3750in DIA screws and home switches and now I am unable to home the machine since the 1/2 turn results in only 0.0100in of travel which is insufficient to unload the switches.

I have googled this to death and poured over the manual but I can't seem to find anything that tells me where to set the amount of back-off

Please do not offer solutions or ideas that do not involve config settings and if you don't know the answer please don't offer possible solutions to try, I don't have any more time to play with this and the frustration has gotten the better of me.

If you tell me there is no settings in the config for adjusting the amount of back-off I can accept that and resolve this another way which you may not like.

I see great potential with this software but it's short-comings are a pain in my ass and relying on you (ArtSoft) to provide a fix in a timely manner far exceeds the time I have to resolve this.

I have a history of fixing things on my own in a manner that offends the creators of the software because they wont resolve it in a timely manner and wont allow me access to the source to fix it so I end up doing the educational examination of the code by decompiling (yes I own IDA-Pro and know how to use it) and fixing whatever is wrong with it and while EULA's have provision that prohibit this, the DMCA has laws, rules and regulations that protect me from prosecution if I do it under certain conditions and at my age, I no longer care who I piss off when I need something fixed because it doesn't work right.

Yes, I have been threatened by many companies with lawsuits, have had legal departments harass me (Apple is a good example that comes to my mind) yet I have never been served or prosecuted, unlike most, I am not intimidated by lawyers or legal departments and a letter from a lawyer or legal department isn't worth the stamp they placed on it when they have no legal standing to prevent me from my intended goal, my thoughts, I will do it with your assistance, under an NDA if you are insecure or on my own if you wont fix it or allow me access to the code to fix it myself.

Bare in mind, if I do it on my own I am not bound by any obligations NOT to discuss the process, my results, concepts or the process involved but at least I have the courtesy of telling you in advance that it will be resolved even if you refuse to fix it or allow me under your control/supervision to fix it.

ArtSoft, not happy reading this??  I'm not happy that it's not working so we're even, if the solution isn't already available, what happens next is entirely up to you, this is not a feature request you can shelve till you're ready to add it, I need it now and don't care how it gets done or who fixes it as long as it gets fixed.