Messages

2031

General Mach Discussion / Re: MACH 3 X+_ issue

« on: September 15, 2019, 11:44:02 PM »

Hi,
please confirm that it moves in only one direction when you use MDI comands to move in either direction.

If so you need to use a multimeter and measure the Direction output of your breakout board, it should be logic high
in one direction and logic low in the other direction. If that checks out then you need to look to your stepper driver.

Can you substitute the Y or Z stepper driver for the potentially faulty X axis stepper driver? It would either rule in OR
rule out the driver.

Craig

2032

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Upgrade Mach3 to Mach4 using smoothstepper and Machmotion I06?

« on: September 15, 2019, 09:24:49 PM »

Hi,

This MACH4  Standard screen  dampened my enthusiasm for switching over to 4

 Hoping to find a currently available screen set that looks more like MACH 3

I personally feel the absolute opposite, I prefer Mach4's standard screen sets to any Mach3 screen.

Note also that there are about six-eight screen sets that ship with Mach4 not counting wxMach, the most basic screen of all.
Have you tried them all?

When all said and done what I really REALLY care about is how the machine works and the quality of the parts I can produce,
the 'look' of the screen is way way down the list.

Craig

2033

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Upgrade Mach3 to Mach4 using smoothstepper and Machmotion I06?

« on: September 15, 2019, 07:27:23 PM »

Hi,
is your laptop screen very small?

I us a laptop for development and sometimes to run my machine, it has what I would describe as a standard
size screen without trouble.

Craig

2034

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor tuning, please take it easy on me I'm new to this :)

« on: September 15, 2019, 05:34:39 PM »

Hi,

That sounds like it's going to work well, are you looking for another 2 it sounds like you only have one at the moment?

Yes, only one at the moment. Partly budget, partly I wished to establish how it works in practice. I may well for instance require a gear
reduction, in which case I really want to know BEFORE spending more money.

Do you know much about smooth stepper boards, I would like to get a better quality break out board and smoother stepper like the Warp9 ess one. With this i presume I can use a more modern computer with windows 10 and use the Ethernet port and drop the parallel port?
I'm presuming the pc connects to the smooth stepper with the Ethernet cable then the smooth stepper to the break out board with a parallel cable?

I've used an Ethernet SmoothStepper (by Warp9TD, don't be fooled by a Chinese ripoff) and Mach4 for five years, highly recommended. Yes you can use just about
any PC you like including laptops and 64 bit OS's including Windows 10 which were precluded by Machs parallel port.

Yes you hook one (or up to three) parallel port boards by parallel cable to the ESS.

C10 breakout boards at $23.00 each are a cheap option. They are bi-directional. Note they do not have any relays, PWM output or opto-isolated inputs. If you want
those you have to add the handful of electronics parts to do so OR buy a more sophisticated board. I use Homann Design MB2's (from Australia) which are very similar
to the C10, ie bi-diectional, no PWM, relays or opto-isloated inputs. They are very flexible.

CNCRoom do a three port board (MB03 approx $180) especially for the ESS, all ports are developed but require you stick with the circuit arrangements and pin-out choices
made by the manufacturer. You lose some flexibility, on the other hand you get a quality, sophisticated and complete breakout board solution in one hit.

When I transitioned from a parallel port, with which I'd had great success, to the ESS, I able to increase my G0 axis speed by 33% without losing steps and run a little
cooler. I had not expected that smoother more consistent pulses that you get with an ESS would have been that significant....but it was. As far as I am concerned the parallel port
is for those on a budget or those who just aren't bothered about a lesser standard of performance.

Craig

2035

General Mach Discussion / Re: MACH 3 X+_ issue

« on: September 15, 2019, 02:43:50 PM »

Hi,
will the X axis move in both directions if you use MDI?
For example:
G1 X10 F50
G1 X0

Craig

2036

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor tuning, please take it easy on me I'm new to this :)

« on: September 14, 2019, 08:01:39 PM »

Hi,
I have taken delivery of the Delta 400W B2 series servo and drive. Its fantastic.

I was of the opinion that I would have to use a gear reduction (3:1 to 5:1) to match my existing steppers and integrated low lash
planetary 10:1 drives. The manufacturers spec on the Vexta stepper and gearbox is 705 oz.in. That results in over
1400kg (force) of stall thrust, really rather more than my machine could hope to contain. I was of the opinion that
if I had a servo/gear reduction that could deliver half, say 350 oz.in, that would be still every bit good enough for my mill.

The manufacturers spec on the 400W servo, without gear reduction is 1.27Nm (cont) or about 166 oz.in Now that I have the servo
in hand I'm thinking that I may try direct coupling it. That would save the cost of a low lash planetary gearbox which would
be advantageous. What I have discovered is that while the continuous rating is 1.27Nm the overload rating makes it behave
as if its considerably more torquey than its spec.

When you load a stepper to near its max spec it starts losing steps when it does not stall completely. A servo on the other hand
just 'digs' in and produces the torque demanded until it current overloads or faults following error. In short the overload
capacity really allows for a servo to 'punch well above its weight'.

I have to shift house over the next two weeks and so will have to put this on hold for a while....but I am extremely impressed
with this servo and drive. I want one more for the X axis, and another but with a electromagnetic brake for the Z axis.

Craig

2037

Mach4 Plugins / Re: XHC WB04 plugin

« on: September 14, 2019, 04:02:43 PM »

Hi,
it was always intended that the manufacturer of the pendant or other Mach4 gadget would write their own
plugin, after all the manufacturer understands their hardware better than anyone else.

NFS is keen for manufacturers or other individuals to do so, after all the more pendants and other gadgets available
for use with Mach4 the better for Mach4 users. To this end if you sign a non-disclosure agreement with NFS, protecting
their investment in Mach4, then you will get all the inside gen to make your own plugin.

Why don't you as NFS?

Craig

2038

General Mach Discussion / Re: As I’m new to cnc

« on: September 14, 2019, 03:54:57 PM »

Hi,
for a new build I would recommend Mach4. All development on Mach3 ceased six years ago.

Note that Mach4 really requires an external motion controller like an Ethernet SmoothStepper or a UC300.
There is a parallel port called Darwin for Mach4 ($25 license fee applies) but it is limited in real time supports.

At the current time the Ethernet SmoothStepper has the best mix of realtime supports of all the Mach4
motion controllers with backlash comp, lathe threading, spindle PID, laser vectoring/rastering, realtime THC
and all the usual homing/limits/squaring/probing supports you'd expect of any motion controller.

Craig

2039

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Override control hardware

« on: September 14, 2019, 05:09:33 AM »

Hi,
the ESS does not have an analogue-to-digital converter on board.

In absence of ADC use a rotary encoder, sometime also called a digital potentiometer as an MPG input.

Craig

2040

General Mach Discussion / Re: Go to Zero extremely slow, please help

« on: September 13, 2019, 04:23:46 PM »

Hi,
yes that is normal, the homing speed is set in the Homing/Limits page.

Craig