Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: How do I install CAM post processors

« on: January 26, 2013, 03:41:27 PM »

So just to follow up, I eventually went with MeshCam.  I've demo'ed it and so far anyway it's just what I was looking for, in the price range I was looking for. 

12

General Mach Discussion / Re: How do I install CAM post processors

« on: January 04, 2013, 01:25:09 AM »

Ah, I see the add on wizards only work with the official version.  So I just purchased my full version of both tonight.  So I should be good there.  I assume I'll be able to figure out that install (I hope) 

But I still need help with what to do with the bobcad_post.zip.  Thanks!

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Jogging in the Zed goes the wrong direction for a tiny amount

« on: January 04, 2013, 01:16:32 AM »

Ok, so I was about to connect up the logic analyzer tonight and debug, but then when I powered up, it worked perfectly.  Then after maybe 20 min it started failing again.  I think that's the smoking gun.  Seems like a bad solder or something else heating up that is causing ohmic connection.  I let it cool, and again it worked perfectly.  No changes to config of mach3, no changes to wiring or connection changes to motors. 

Time to talk with sherline about the CNC driver box.

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General Mach Discussion / How do I install CAM post processors

« on: January 04, 2013, 01:13:28 AM »

Hi,
   So I'm very new to milling.  I milled my first pocket ever with the wizard tonight into some wood.     I'm wondering about how to move eventually to using CAD/CAM.  I found this page:

http://www.machsupport.com/posts.php

   And would like to try out the bobCAD demo.  But I don't see what to do with the Bobcad_post.zip.  I looked at the mach3 install pdf and the manual pdf.  I don't see any info on it but maybe I just missed it?

   Also, side question, how do I purchase (and install) the "Mach3 Addons for Mill"  I don't see any link in the artsoft website.

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Jogging in the Zed goes the wrong direction for a tiny amount

« on: January 03, 2013, 09:46:05 AM »

having never used a Sherline, just guessing here.
Assuming you are in Sherline Mode.
Many breakout boards accept 3.3v and are externally powered which provides 5v for the I/O, if all else is OK, this may not be a problem.
I never turn anything off to make config. changes.
The pulse polarity can cause problems if reversed, but the dir polarity sould not make much difference.
Lots of Sherlin folks here that will most likely help you out.
Greetings,
Russ

Hi,
   So here is the spec:  http://www.sherline.com/8760pg.htm

   It doesn't appear as if my 3.3V is a problem.  I'll have to go back and make sure my low voltage was lower than 0.5V which I think it probably was.  Also, the thing is that ONLY the Zed direction is failing, and even then, when it fails it's not a massive failure.  Its just this tiny period of time where it goes in the wrong direction.  I will hook up my logic analyzer tonight and get a graph output of the PC controls for a good (X and/or Y) and bad (Zed) case.  That should completely rule out mach3/configuration/PC port issue.  Then it would be just the CNC box which could be bad.  I need to talk with Sherline if that's the case since I don't want to really touch anything in that box without their input first.

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jogging in the Zed goes the wrong direction for a tiny amount

« on: January 03, 2013, 08:08:53 AM »

Also, are you running a licensed install ? or the Demo version ?
Pirated SW does strange things similar to this too.
Russ

Hi,
   I'm running the demo.  I've only been up and running for a few days now.  I plan on buying the software but was just checking out the system.  I had linux CNC loaded on ubuntu on this machine but the learning curve was a bit steep on their instructions.  My friends at the real machine shop I know use mach3 and told me about the videos and I'm very very happy now learning on this program.  Can't wait to watch more vids.  :-)

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Jogging in the Zed goes the wrong direction for a tiny amount

« on: January 03, 2013, 01:32:25 AM »

Thanks.  Good idea.  Let me try a new usb keyboard. 

One thing I did notice after playing around more.  It seems worse when I have Zed reversed.  I.e. all the way up zero, and down towards the table being negative.  That's how I want to obviously run it, but it seemed to work fine if I was running NOT reversed?  Again though, it may be just intermittent.  Its very hard to tell due to the problem seeming to come and go.

The other thing it may be related to, is a question I have.  Do I need to turn off the CNC driver box any time I'm changing the pin settings or the polarity (reversed or not reversed)?  I assume it's a good idea if not absolutely required.  And again maybe that was part of my problem?  I'll keep looking.

Even when its "working" it seems to me that the direction voltage may just not be fast enough out the printer port?  That may be consistent with the issue only being in one direction?  Could the rise voltage maybe take longer or shorter than the fall votage?  I did put the meter on the pins on the side of the cable that plugs into the cnc box, and I only saw 3.3 V high and 0.6 or lower for low.  I used pin 25 for a ground, so is my computer not putting out the required 5V possibly?  Any idea how to raise that?

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General Mach Discussion / Jogging in the Zed goes the wrong direction for a tiny amount

« on: January 03, 2013, 12:00:12 AM »

Hi,
   So I have a sherline 3 axis metric mill and their CNC driver box with 4 outputs (I'm not using the "A" output).  I grabbed the xml for the setup from the xml ftp site Mach3 has.  The X and Y motors run quite smooth both in 50% and 100% (shift key) jogging.  I can change directions without issue.  But on the Zed axis, I page down and it goes down every time, but if I try to go up after going down previously, the only way to get it to really go up is to do a quick tap of the page up key a few times.  Then it will go up on subsequent presses of the page up key.  Very strange. 

   So to debug it, I've tried a few things but they all seem intermittent.  I unplugged Z motor from the Z output and instead connected the Z motor to the the "A" output of the cnc driver box.  I updated the pins in the pin config of course, and then Z was working.  Seemed perfect so I figured my Z output of the box or PC port was bad.  But then it started doing it again.  So I tried swapping the X and Z and similar story.   

   What is very odd is the behavior when it fails.  I just can't switch from jogging Zed down to then jogging it up without the difficulty.  It goes down even when I try to go up until I tap quickly the up jog key on the keyboard a few times.  It's like its remembering that I'm going down.  Note that switching  from jogging up (after I finally get it working) to jogging down always works the very first try.

    I will try to reverse the zed direction now to see if then I have the opposite issue. 

   I looked and I don't think I have any "backlash" turned on.  But I'm quite new to mach3 so I could be wrong there? 

   So do I have a bad motor, a bad cnc box, a bad parallel port, or just a bad mach3 setup?  ANY HELP APPRECIATED! 

Justin

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General Mach Discussion / Re: Is there a way to Auto Zoom to the work area?

« on: January 02, 2013, 12:41:14 AM »

This user had the same question at the very bottom of this thread:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=12227.0

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General Mach Discussion / Is there a way to Auto Zoom to the work area?

« on: January 02, 2013, 12:40:30 AM »

Hi, I'm new, and I was watching the videos on homing.  I liked how the "display mode" toggle button was showing the whole table, and then auto zooming to the road runner gcode area.  Is there a way other than scroll wheeling all the way in to see just the tool path of the work area.  I.e.  auto zoom to the work area?  Right now even in ALT-4 tool path screen, if I toggle the display mode button, it just shows the table outline or not. 

Thanks!
Justin