Messages

1141

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Hybrid Stepper Motor Driver Alarm Line Handling

« on: June 29, 2021, 07:20:08 AM »

Hi,
using the PLC is the old school way of thinking. The PLC script runs every few milliseconds and samples the signal  each
time it runs. This is called 'polling' an input, it works but is not efficient.

SwiftyJ is right, map the input in the Signal Library, and use a screen load script.

Have a look at the explanation of how the Signal Library works in SignalLibrary.pdf:

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=40051.0

Craig

1142

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need a recommendation for control board for plasma cutter.

« on: June 28, 2021, 03:50:14 PM »

Hi,

Is there any preference of USB or Ethernet to interface the Smooth Stepper?

Ethernet most certainly, aside from the fact that the USB connected SmoothStepper is no longer manufactured.

Do you have any recommendations on what break out board would be best suited to this controller?

Many are opting for the three port MB3 from CNCRoom. Its not cheap, but a good balance of input/outputs and well made.
Another alternative is either one, two or even three C10's at $23.00 each. They are single port bi-directional BoBs. You will be
required to add a little circuitry if you want opt-isolators or relays for instance, cheap but flexible.

I will be using a Proma 150 and DM542T drivers.

The Proma is suitable for use with Mach3 but a poor choice for Mach4, and you really REALLY want the THC and anti-dive that
a TMC and Mach4 give. All development on Mach3 ceased six-seven years ago....don't saddle yourself with an out-of-date software system.

It looks like the board is available with either a ribbon cable or screw terminal interface

The ESS has ribbon cable output ports only, they connect to one or more breakout boards. Its not recommended to hook direct
to the ESS, always via a BoB which will typically have screw terminals.

Craig

1143

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: analog input by pmc

« on: June 28, 2021, 07:03:04 AM »

Hi,
I thought the PoKeys populated a register in Mach with the analog-to-digital conversion at the refresh rate of the converter?

In that case the value is stored in one of Machs registers, probably created an 'owned' by PoKeys, and you can use PMC OR
PLC OR ordinary macros to access the value.

Craig

1144

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need a recommendation for control board for plasma cutter.

« on: June 28, 2021, 06:55:03 AM »

Hi,
plasma creates a lot of noise, electrically speaking, and therefore you should settle for no less than an Ethernet connected
motion controller, USB is just too noise prone.

Any decent plasma table must have good THC and all the best tables have sophisticated anti-dive strategies as well.
The majority of the cheap Chinese made controllers DO NOT support realtime THC let alone any anti-dive algorithms.

That leaves the mainly US and European made controllers. The one I am most familiar with is the Ethernet SmoothStepper by
Warp9 TD. It supports realtime THC with a THC controller like a Proma, but has very modest anti-dive functions when partnered
with Mach3.

With Mach4 however and the TMC THC controller you will have high bandwidth THC AND sophisticated anti-dive algorithms.

If you don't want or can't afford a hardware THC controller like a Proma or a TMC Mach4 has a script based THC function with
a pretty respectable 10-20Hz bandwidth, so still not a patch on a realtime THC controller, but its still a step in the right direction.
Mach3 cannot offer the processing speed to do what Mach4 does.

Craig

1145

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: wine

« on: June 23, 2021, 07:08:14 AM »

Hi,
I own and run a small business and I find trying to fund product development very hard indeed, as it has, perforce,
to be funded from business income. I do not have truck loads or even wheelbarrow loads of capital behind me so any
investment must be made out of business profit.

The problem is that you have to spend time, lots of time, just to make a profit and thence have so little time left to do
the design development you want to do. I find that I am lucky if I get one or two days a fortnight where I can do development
work, any other time must be found during weekends or evenings. Even during such times customers are demanding
that this or that be done....and its hard to argue with...after all they pay, whereas your development may not pay for
weeks/months, or sometimes ever.

Given that time particularly is so precious I have to prioritise very carefully. While a new development/design might offer good long term
sale prospects if it is going to take 200 hours design/programming time, then literally I can't afford to do it. Another design although
less attractive from a sales point of view but can be done with ten hours design/programming time is a better bet.

This is, I suspect, the same policy that Smurph was alluding to....completing the development of Mach4 on a Windows platform
BEFORE branching off into development on a Linux platform. Given that all NFS customers are to date Windows users then it makes sense
to complete that task. This does not necessarily mean that the Linux idea is poor, in fact it may well be a very  good idea, but
the difficulties finding the time/funds to make such an investment is sometimes just not possible.

Craig

1146

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: wine

« on: June 22, 2021, 07:16:52 PM »

Hi,
in order to have something to SELL you must first INVEST time and effort to make/produce the product.

I suspect in the case of NFS that effort would fall on very few shoulders and thus represent hundreds of hours for each of
the few developers.

Craig

1147

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: wine

« on: June 22, 2021, 04:30:05 PM »

Hi,

Personally, I believe Mach should develop their own Linux distribution, that way they are in control of the O/S, much like Apple. Then they could sell a complete turn key system.

That would be nice, but whom do you suppose would fund that investment?

Craig

1148

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: External button "Enable"

« on: June 13, 2021, 01:33:56 AM »

Hi,
well yes but you've already got a diagnostic indication, the Enable button in Machs screen.
If you look at the event properties of the button it changes color with the button-up or button-down,
which in turn effects a change in OSIG_MACHINE_ENABLED signal. What more diagnostic do you need?

Craig

1149

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: External button "Enable"

« on: June 11, 2021, 10:06:16 PM »

Hi,
why do you need to 'see it' on the diagnostics screen?

That would be like a beast having two arseholes, one at each end, Doctor DoLittle called it a PushMePullYou.

Craig

1150

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: sorry mach3 question

« on: June 11, 2021, 10:02:12 PM »

Hi,
I posted a response on the Mach3 board.

Note that your motion controller does not have a Mach4 plugin and therefore cannot be used with it.

Craig