Messages

1001

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Machine / Production State

« on: November 18, 2021, 07:31:49 PM »

Hi,
I think you are confusing Mach4 and Mach3, they are quite different internally.

State= Idle , or State=Run are all concepts that are confined to Mach4. You don't have or need an SDK in Mach4 there is
a built-in API that can interrogate Machs internal state.

Craig

1002

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: Which control board for CNC?

« on: November 16, 2021, 10:46:03 PM »

Hi,
I use, and like, an Ethernet SmoothStepper by Warp9TD ($180). It has a complete plugin for both Mach3 and Mach4, so when you decide to step up
to Mach4 you can do so seamlessly.

Craig

1003

General Mach Discussion / Re: Find No XHC NcUsbPod!

« on: November 16, 2021, 10:43:09 PM »

Hi,
buy a US or European motion controller. Chinese manufacturers often use pirate software and once they've got your money they don't care
about you at all.

Craig

1004

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Setting zero positions for G30

« on: November 16, 2021, 04:33:12 PM »

Hi,
it would be possible to write a program that detects and indentifies the correct pound variable.

My idea is something like this:

1)G30 P__ X__ Y__ Z__ A__ B__ C__, but write say G30 P0 X1.23456789  where the number associated with the X axis is just some random number.
2)Then I would test each and every pound variable that seems in range, say #5000 to #5500, and test for the value of X being equal to our random number.
3)Assuming a match I would then write a second random number and again test for a match which would confirm the correspondence to a particular pound variable.

The testing of each pound variable could be done in a loop to automate it all.

Craig

1005

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Setting zero positions for G30

« on: November 15, 2021, 10:58:23 PM »

Hi,
I am of the opinion that the pound variables listed in the Mach4 Mill GCode manual are incorrect.

These are I believe correct:
G 30 P2 XPOS       5351
G 30 P2 YPOS       5352
G 30 P2 ZPOS       5353
G 30 P2 APOS       5354
G 30 P2 BPOS       5355
G 30 P2 CPOS       5356
G 30 P3 XPOS       5361
G 30 P3 YPOS       5362
G 30 P3 ZPOS       5363
G 30 P3 APOS       5364
G 30 P3 BPOS       5365
G 30 P3 CPOS       5366
G 30 P4 XPOS       5371
G 30 P4 YPOS       5372
G 30 P4 ZPOS       5373
G 30 P4 APOS       5374
G 30 P4 BPOS       5375
G 30 P4 CPOS       5376

and these were excerpted from the Pound Variables list:
https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=40051.0

Craig

1006

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Modbus sending same register twice

« on: November 11, 2021, 10:57:41 PM »

Hi,

Is this something I have to write as a lua task?

Yes. Mach4's registers is a place where data can be shared between chunks/modules/Mach's core/plugins and external devices.
If you wish to have a piece of data communicated to another device then you must have Mach update the register.

For example:

local registerHandle=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,"....path....")
mc.mcRegSetValue(registerHandle,.....desired_value....)

If you wish that Mach quasi continuously update the register then put the code in the PLC script.

Craig

1007

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach3, Win 7, No limit switches, NEW MONITOR & suddenly the Z axis is crazy.

« on: November 10, 2021, 02:58:47 PM »

Hi,

If I bring the head up, I get postive numbers in the DRO.

That's what I would consider normal. If you zero the z axis at the work surface then any negative number represents a depth of cut
whereas a positive number indicates clearance above the work surface.

Craig

1008

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 or 4 on a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 running Windows 10?

« on: November 10, 2021, 02:53:12 AM »

Hi,
I too have heard that a Surface Pro differs from a genuine Windows OS that Mach does not run well, if it runs at all.

My machine is equipped with a dual core Atom single board PC, no graphics card and 3G RAM, and it runs Mach4 no troubles at all.
You don't need a powerful PC to run Mach, my machine is well less than recommended by NFS, but it works fine.

To use Windows10 you must use an external motion controller like an ESS or UC300, a parallel port will not work, but any un-cluttered PC
should work fine....just not Surface Pro.

Craig

1009

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Modbus control huanyang GT vfd

« on: November 08, 2021, 06:28:20 PM »

Hi,
the whole point about putting the code in a macro IS NOT TO EFFECT THE SPEED.....it is a means for you put put the code
in a 'sandbox' so you can play with it until you understand it and get it to work, just throwing random corrections at the code will not do it.

Double check the Register Diagnostics, it shows that function2 Is included in the path.......what evidence do you use to support the contention that its
not part of the path?

Craig

1010

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Modbus control huanyang GT vfd

« on: November 08, 2021, 06:23:59 PM »

Hi,
have you single stepped through the code?

Craig