Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: homing not zeroing axis?

« on: May 15, 2007, 11:02:14 AM »

So,

after doing more testing, and using my M3 directory from 5-14-07, I dropped in my XML from 4-30-07 (last backup point), and the homing was working perfectly fine...
I had just wanted to confirm that this was a setting issue, and not an "external file" issue that might be caused by a macropump, or an m-code/etc...

-Nate

12

General Mach Discussion / homing not zeroing axis?

« on: May 14, 2007, 07:27:23 PM »

Hey all...

my mill has recently developed a new feature!  of course, this could have very easily been accomplished by someone "fat-fingering" the touchscreen... 

but, here it goes...

started up the machine today and re-homed it.. we utilize prox switches for home switches... with homing speeds @ approx 6 ipm (if that)... @ activation of the prox, the machine reversed direction, and backed off the switch.  I looked @ the DRO, and it did NOT read 0.0 as I would expect?  I went through the entire homing process, and this occured with all 3 axis.

I fortunately, make a backup of all files on the mill every time i work on it, and so i backdated the entire M3 directory to 14 days ago, when i last considered making changes..   Powered up the machine, and it homed just like it was supposed to...  with an axis of 0.0 after the homing.

Am I just missing something really stupid here?  I checked through all my notes, and don't see that I have done anything to M3 since 4-30-07 (when my last backup was), but as i mentioned above, and operator could have "fat-fingered" something on the touch-screen.

any help would be great if someone could possibly help shed some light here..

oh, machine is running Win2k, latest release of Mach3

thanks!

-Nate

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: lpt port mode

« on: May 01, 2007, 12:44:22 PM »

ah, ok... i shall try that out then...  just wasn't sure if those modes might cause... well.. issues.  After i get the machine re-loaded w/software & such, i'll see how it does.

Thank you for the input!

14

General Mach Discussion / lpt port mode

« on: May 01, 2007, 09:19:09 AM »

Hey there all!

Working on setting up a "new" machine for Mach3 usage...  was just going through the bios... and i have the option of setting the LPT port mode...  factory default is IBM PS/2...  is currently set to "ECP" or Extended Capability Port protocol....

any thoughts/ reccomendations on this?  I am thinking i will do the PS/2 compatibility mode, as i imagine it stands less chance of screwing with Mach's control over the parallel port.

Thanks in advance for any input!

-Nate

15

Mach Screens / Re: "Active" picture possible?

« on: April 24, 2007, 02:12:23 PM »

BOOM!  it's done...

i just finished running it, and aside from little clean-ups that I have to do (@ machine shutdown, kill the LEDs that were active, etc)... works great.
I just layered all of the LEDs on top of each other on my main screen, made the off-state transparent, the On-state with a picture of the part.

So, it works great, and possibly more importantly, impresses the higher-ups too

Thanks again for the assistance all!

-Nate

16

Mach Screens / Re: "Active" picture possible?

« on: April 23, 2007, 05:20:10 PM »

ok, i have been mulling Zealous' suggestion around in my head, and i think i understand more now...   basically the "on" state for each LED (a separate one would be created for every part that could be selected), would have the picture of the part that it represents, while the "off" state would just be transparent.  I would then take all 13 part LEDs, and "stack" them on top of one another, while putting the LED activation code in the buttons I am pressing on my selection page.  Upon selecting "part X", the LED that was associated with "part X" would go to it's "on" state, showing a picture of that part, while the LEDs associated with parts Y and Z would go to their "off" states, and become transparent, negating the problem of multiple layers!

I'm going to play with this, and see how it turns out   I'll post up my results & thoughts & such as i go through it to assist anyone that may come after me with a similar problem/idea.

Thanks again for the help guys!

17

Mach Screens / Re: "Active" picture possible?

« on: April 23, 2007, 09:00:41 AM »

Wow,

lots of help coming in, i really appreciate it!

I will look into the "image LEDs"... i think the only complication I will have, is that i have 13 different parts that can/will be cut by my operators...  that could be a substantial bit of work..

Zealous,
the way I'm reading what you are saying, is that I would have a button, with the image LED on it (with the various states possible).. and then upon pressing the button to obtain the desired part, the image would change, based upon the Image LED state (ish..)
Where I'm using a separate page to select the parts, I am a little confused on how that would work...   Although, I could make a new "cycle start" button, which uses the Image LED as a picture, and then also starts the process.... hhmmm.. something to think about...

Poppabear,
I do agree that it would be much easier/cheaper way to have a new "program run" page for each part I was going to cut...  I just hesitate to do that, from a maintenance standpoint.  If i was ever in there, mucking about with stuff and making changes/updating, it would be really easy to forget to make a change on 1 screen...   Although, this is a very valid option, I appreciate you bringing it up, and I may just go with it for a convenience standpoint!

Thank you all for your input, and if others have things to say, I would still love to hear it!

-Nate

18

Mach Screens / "Active" picture possible?

« on: April 20, 2007, 12:15:04 PM »

Hello all,

I am working on a cnc router that is being placed into a factory production role, and as such, I am trying to make it as "idiot proof" as possible...

I currently have a "pick your part" screen, where the user chooses what part they want to cut from a series of photos, it loads the GCode, takes them back to the program run screen, and then they hit "go"...

I have placed a ticker in the 4th axis DRO, that changes based on what has been selected, but I was wondering if there was a way to have a "hot swappable" image on the screen...

Basically, if the user has chosen part X, I would like to call up a picture of part X on the main screen, as a verification, but if they choose part Y, or part Z, the picture of those parts would be shown instead.

I was thinking of placing LED's underneath a picture, and in my button script, setting the LED, then referencing the LED state from within the picture.. but... not seeing how i can do that.

Any insight/thoughts would be great. ( oh yeah, this is using Screen4 as my designer, making basic screens)

Thanks again!

-Nate

19

Galil / Re: Mach3 + Galil

« on: April 18, 2007, 10:36:16 AM »

I just wanted to say that I am the one who originally did the camsoft retro on that 40,000lb mill brian has been using as the M3/Galil test subject, it took me over a year of almost constant work, to get camsoft to even begin to move remotely well... then they told me i *couldn't use the keyboard for jogging.. because that's a poor-man's jogging routine*...  i went to see brian & the mill a couple months back.. and.. WOW...  i had despaired of ever seeing that thing move... let alone move smoothly!

just wanted to put a big *thumbs up* out to brian & art... now i just wish i were still working with that machine

-Nate

20

General Mach Discussion / Re: reading modbus input

« on: April 17, 2007, 08:27:19 AM »

I may give you a call Brian.. still stumped on the other issue here..  there has GOT to be something really dumb going on.. i'm sure of it...  i just haven't figured out what it is yet

and i AM working.. why else would i be posting here?

-nate