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Messages - garyhlucas

151
The mind reader function still doesn’t work well either.

152
First you will have to pick up X0, Y0, and Z0 exactly as when a motor fault occurs your true location is gone forever. Then scroll down to where the problem occured and then back up to some point where the tool is above the part.  Turn the feed and rapid overrides way down so the machine moves very slowly. Put Mach 3 in single block then try ‘Start from here’ and be prepared for a crash! Single block should allow to to step through the  code one step at a time. Good luck!

153
I am interested in what you are doing because I have a lathe bed, spindle, and tailstock mounted to my mill bed making the Z axis the X and the X axis is lathe Z. The Y of course is then tool height offset.

Haven’t played much with this yet. If a G0 Y1 in the code does the Y axis move? So can Y movements be added to the G-code after a tool change?

154
Feature Requests / Re: Laser Cutter and PPI
« on: October 12, 2017, 11:31:28 AM »
PPI sounds like the laser version of spindle speed. Can you use the PWM output?

155
What do you mean “gyro”? Can you tell us more about the device? This doesn’t sound much like an appropriate task for a g-code motion controller. I can see easily doing this with just an Automation Direct BRX PLC with an analog pot joystick connected  to two analog inputs and then use the high speed outputs to drive step and direction input servos. No PC needed. The PLC would have no problem recording the motion and saving it to an SD card.

I like and use Mach 3, but I also build all kinds of automation projects and you might be able to do this with Mach 3 or 4 but it will take a heck of a lot more time to do.

156
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How do I get to the center of 2 edges?
« on: October 09, 2017, 07:38:25 PM »
Allen,
I learned something new here, didn’t know mach 3 would accept divide by 2 in a DRO! However I have always done what  you want to do by dividing the DRO value by two and entering that value. Interested in seeing what are told by others.

157
If your machine uses steppers on power up it may jog a tiny bit to line the motors up with an exact physical step. So you are likely to get an error of up to about 1/2 motor full step, whatever distance that is on your machine. It is still very useful to have dials on each axis.  Write down the dial values before running. Then you can get the machine close to your zero points and use the dials to move it to the exact position.

158
General Mach Discussion / Re: Gear Reduction question.
« on: October 07, 2017, 11:37:50 AM »
Code like this:

G0 Z.25 (rapid approach)
F5
M1 (pause until start is pressed)
G1 Z-.25 (press stroke)
G0 Z2 (rapid retract)
M30 (rewind program top wait for start)

159
General Mach Discussion / Re: Gear Reduction question.
« on: October 06, 2017, 12:46:35 PM »
The ballscrew will make a huge difference in speed and force. Since you are using a stepper I suggest you implement advance speed, press speed, and retract speed. Hydraulic presses all do this. Possibly a button that causes the advance speed when held, press when released, then when full stroke is reached you get fast retract to a settable starting height. This gives both high force and high speed.

160
General Mach Discussion / Re: Gear Reduction question.
« on: October 05, 2017, 07:11:12 AM »
Your motors have a current rating. Exceeding that continuously can damage the motor by demagnetizing it. It will still run but with way less torque. Steppers are continuous power devices so they consume the same power whether driving a load or not. So they heat up. Most decent stepper drivers reduce the current when not actually moving the motor.