Messages

131

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 29, 2015, 12:48:00 PM »

Hi Mark:

>>1) when a e-stop is activated, if mach 4 is in enabled mode, you cannot get back to enabled, even though the log says e-stop cleared.
        The system seems locked , until restarted.

  When you press enable do you get any message about what causes it to drop back into Estop? Is the EStop switch showing active?

>>also noticed that I have to press enable twice for the very first time, before the motors are engaged. Could this be related.
 
  No, thats normal.
 
>>2) when I reference home, the dro zeroes , without searching for the home switch, as if it thinks its already at the home location.

   Darwin does that if it senses the home is already made. Check the home switch in Darwins config to make sure "Active" is set to the condition
when the switch is pressed. All switches in Mach3 should be left at active high in their settings, no matter how they work..
Under the History button Darwin will put messages about a home, so if it thinks the switch is made it will tell you that. Also
in darwins config you have to tell it in the axis config which signal is the homing switch for that axis, if you havent set that it wont home.

  Try those things to see what they do, based on what happens Ill boot back into xp for some tests to see how mine is reacting with latest build,
last I tested was 2805.

Art

132

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Has ArtSoft Layed Off It's Programmers?

« on: December 29, 2015, 10:26:09 AM »

    
 You know, in any business enterprise there are those who stand to profit from any trouble.
You know the type, we've all seen them in the various forums, I recently kicked such an abomination
from the yahoo groups. . Its no secret there are a few with noses out of joint over Mach4's more business like and professional stature as a CNC controller,and probably even more upset to see it compete with higher levels of software. Some companies for example begin to think of a market as "theirs" and get a bit touchy about new competition.
   Such is life in development land. Over the years Ive had a few naysayers and trouble makers assail me as well, My advice on rumors?, "show me the beef". Mach4's programmers sound too busy if anything to me, Ive seen version after version rolling off the presses as various changes get made, the only rumors I hear is that Mach4 is successful, busy and likely to be around a very long time. ( and the rumors I hear may be better sourced ..).

    Tis the day before New Year,
    The morons are out,
    The rumors they fly,
    The "Horror" , they shout..
    Its almost as if they wish one to pivot,
    it seems that a village is missing its idiot.
 
yeah, I know.. but it IS new years eve...lol
Art
 
    
 

133

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 22, 2015, 03:40:45 PM »

>>Why is the PC responsible for sending out step pulses?  I believe it should be the Motion Control Board that should do that.
The PC should simply send a "command" to the board to move a motor, x number of steps at a specified speed.  And

   There is no right answer to that, when I wrote Mach3, it was because there were no motion boards that didnt cost thousands,
and everyone had a printer port. The printer port was the secret to Mach's success. Now though, I no longer use Darwin or the printer port
any more myself. I have moved on to Win7. However, theres a lot of machine out there using printer ports, so until their willing to
upgrade... Darwin can at least help..


So even I now use motion control boards..now its all a question of how efficient one is at doing so..
 
 Glad its up and running..

Art

134

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 16, 2015, 01:52:01 PM »

Mark:

 Congratz, glad its running..

Art

135

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 16, 2015, 07:38:15 AM »

Mark:

 Yeah, try 5 or 8 or something , if negating the DIR is making it step it really does sound like
reversed step/dir lines, but small pulses CAN do the same effect..

Art

136

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 15, 2015, 04:40:57 PM »

Mark:

   Did you try increasing pulse width in Darwins diags menu item in mach4? Set your step width to 5 or so to see if it helps.

Art

137

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 15, 2015, 07:20:23 AM »

Yes, your timing lines look fine. A lack of bilateral symmetry seems to indicate a sporadic device interrupt, but its not affecting you. Your
main line is red at zero and looks good. I think you should be OK. As to settings I was reffering to max velocity, just make sre its correct and not 60 times smaller than it needs to be..I cant recall how m4 sets it velocity off hand..minute or second

Art
 

138

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 14, 2015, 08:39:05 PM »

I agree with Steve, its probably the step and DIR being mixed, Id also check that your not
setting units/sec when it wants units per minute...

Art

139

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 13, 2015, 07:22:14 AM »

Mark:

    You can actually turn on the charge pump from Darwin, so perhaps the first thing to do is that.
Turn on the charge pump and set its frequency to 12.5khz.. You should then see the board is alive,
then turn on the enable, if its level is set right, you should then be able to jog..

Art

140

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: December 12, 2015, 05:10:45 PM »

Or..set active high. If unset the system assumes high it seems..

Art