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Messages - joeaverage

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2241
Hi,

Quote
[I am wondering if Mach 4 will work with my Machmotion I06 breakout board and Warp9 ethernet smoothstepper?

The Ethernet SmoothStepper has a very complete Mach4 plugin and works well with Mach4. The breakout board will work
exactly the same it always has.

Amongst the realtime supports the ESS enjoys is backlash compensation. Note that backlash compensation is a realtime
function and support must be offered by the controller. The ESS has it however the UC300 and PMDX-424 do not
for example.

Quote
Will my Machmotion pendant work? I believe it basically goes through a USB pokeys.

In Mach4 you can have one only motion controller, in your case an ESS. You could have a second board, say a PoKeys as
a secondary data input board. You may be able to exploit that and get your Machmotion pendant to work.

To my knowledge VistaCNC is the only commercial manufacturer of pendants that has invested the effort to write a
Mach4 plugin.

If Machmotion has written a plugin then they've kept quiet about it....unlikely. I would guess that they have not written
a Mach4 plugin. Thus unless you are able to exploit the trick about using a PoKeys as a secondary data source then
I'd say your pendant won't work.

You will have to re-write any macros in Lua, the Mach4 scripting language. Anthing you can get Mach3 to do....then Mach4 can
do it too, any way way more as well.

Mach4 has a Touch Off (probing) module. It puts all and any Mach3 probing stuff into the shade.

Download mach4 and run it in demo. If you do not install a motion plugin....ie stick with Sim(ulator) as it ships
with there is no restriction at all. If you load a motion plugin into Mach4 then it will run without restriction for six minutes
before stopping, requiring a re-start until it is licenced.

Craig

2242
Hi,

Quote
Not sure why you would say that moving from X0 Y100 to X0 Y200 is cutting the same line - maybe I'm going daft.

Start at x=0,y=0 and travel to x=0 y=100. Then go back to x=0 y=0 and travel to x=0 y=200. The second move traverses
over the first move.

Quote
The Mach4 Plasma module is a Lua script - does this mean that it is totally independent of the motion control board - my intuition tells me that all of the THC control is done with in the software module

My understanding is that THC is handled entirely within Mach. Thus if the Proma issues an up command it is received by the
controller/BoB and transmitted to Mach. Note the controller/BoB has done no more than pass the signal on.
Mach then detects the command and issues an instruction to the motion controller to move up one step.
At that point the controller issues the pulses necessary to move the Z axis up.

There is, to my knowledge, no out-of-band axis that has anything to do with it. In fact under default Mach axis numbering
motor six, the first out-of-band axis is the spindle?

Craig

2243
Hi,

Code: [Select]
M3
G1 X0 Y100
M5
M3
G1 X0 Y200

Does the line X0 Y200 not mean that you are re-cutting a previous move namely X0 Y100?

I don't regard myself a plasma expert but I do know that if you attempt to recut or even cross over a previously cut line
the torch will tend to dive to maintain its arc voltage. Indeed 'anti dive ' strategies separate one THC system from another.

Second question......the THC module included in Mach4 is a Lua script and as such there is significant communication delay between
your motion controller and Mach (on the PC). As a consequence the speed of response (called bandwidth by control engineers)
will be low by comparison to a genuine hardware controller (also called realtime by control engineers).

Is it possible that you are expecting a speed of response that exceeds the capacity of the scripted solution?

Craig

2244
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Using macros in mach4
« on: July 26, 2019, 06:48:55 PM »
Hi,
a very useful example of a module which contains a visual pane to prompt the user to make suitable location choices
is the touch off module. Mach4Hobby/Modules/mcTouchOff.lua

Note the file is all in Lua and is 292k long. It will take some time to digest, but this is exactly the sort of thing you are going to have
to do if your customer is a CNC dumbie or refuses to use CAD/CAM to generate his own code.

Craig

2245
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Using macros in mach4
« on: July 26, 2019, 05:24:35 PM »
Hi,
you can use either Hobby or Industrial.

The main advantage of Industrial is support. With Industrial if your customer has a problem they can ring or Email NFS
and anticipate support, with Hobby support is the forum or the ticket system. The ticket system is good but can
be lengthy, NFS staff get to it on an 'as available' basis.

It sounds like your customer is not CNC savvy. The method you are talking about is much like 'conversational programming'
or in Mach terms 'wizard programming'. In this instance I thin you will have to write the wizards. I suspect that will be
a challenge.

May I suggest downloading NFS Mill Wizard. It is a standalone program that allows you to stand at your machine and
chain together various simple operations (tool paths) that make up a job. No CAD or CAM required. It may give you
a glimpse about what such a program can offer.

Craig

2246
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: TOOL changer problems after update
« on: July 26, 2019, 02:44:56 PM »
Hi,
every Mach API function has a return code. When programming you should get into the habit of testing the return
codes to trap errors. Aside from anything else it will help you identify the offending function call.

Code: [Select]
LUA Syntax:
rc = mc.mcSignalWait(
number mInst,
number sigId,
number waitMode,
number timeoutSecs);

Description:
Wait on a signal to change state.

Parameters: Parameter Description
mInst The controller instance.
sigId A valid signal ID. (NOT a signal handle)
waitMode An integer specifying whether to wait on the signal to go high (WAIT_MODE_HIGH) or low (WAIT_MODE_LOW).
timeoutSecs A double specifying a timeout period.


Returns: Return Code Description
MERROR_NOERROR No Error.
MERROR_INVALID_INSTANCE The mInst parameter was out of range.
MERROR_INVALID_ARG sigId or wiatMode is out of range or timeoutSecs is negative.
MERROR_NOT_ENABLED The control is not enabled.
MERROR_TIMED_OUT The timeout period was reached without a change of state.

Note the syntax:

rc=mc.mcSignalWait(.........)

rc is a numeric value, with each number meaning a different thing.

And note the possible return code enumerations:
MERROR_NOERROR
MERROR_INVALID_INSTANCE
MERROR_INVALID_ARG
MERROR_NOT_ENABLED
MERROR_TIMED_OUT

Of these MERROR_INVALID_ARG and MERROR_TIMED_OUT are likely to give you most grief.
The return codes are a number, MERROR_NOERROR is equivalent to 0 whereas MERROR_TIMED_OUT is
equivalent to -40. A full set of return codes and their numeric equivalents are here:

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

To test a return code do something like this:

local rc=mc.mcSignalWait(inst,mc.ISIG_INPUT7 ,1,0)
if rc==0 then                                  --No error
end
if rc== -2 then
        wx.wxMessageBox('Function failed-invalid arg')
        return
end
if rc== -40 then
         wx.wxMessageBoox('Function failed-timed out')
         return
end


Craig

2247
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Using macros in mach4
« on: July 26, 2019, 02:11:07 PM »
Hi,
you cannot write or edit Gcodes. Gcode is an industry wide machine control language.

You can write macros however. They will each have a name like m100, m105, m120 etc. These can then
be used throughout the Gcode program.

Craig

2248
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: TOOL changer problems after update
« on: July 26, 2019, 03:56:27 AM »
Hi,
have you tested the return codes?

There is one in particular that crops up 'MERROR_NOT_NOW'. You need to check for it.

Craig

2249
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 and Warp9 ESS
« on: July 24, 2019, 03:12:16 PM »
Hi.

Quote
I don't think Mach4 Hobby can be loaded on to 2 different machines, is that correct ??

No, you may have up to five licenced PCs for one Mach4 Hobby purchase.

If you get a new PC, log on to the NFS website and release the licence form the outgoing PC and licence the new
one. You may have up to seven such transactions in a two year period, so it pays not to be profligate but within
that limitation licencing is flexible and generous.

Craig

2250
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 and Warp9 ESS
« on: July 24, 2019, 07:09:43 AM »
Hi,
this is a good place to start.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=29878.0

Its a bit dated but still it will get you started.

First download the latest ESS mach4 plugin (and the signature file) and load them into Mach4Hobby/Plugins directory.
Now open Mach4 and open the Mach4 Control page, enable all thye plugins you might require. Restart Mach.
Note that certain fundamental settings when made in Mach then Mach needs to restart BEFORE those new settings take
effect, they're read in at startup........no startup.....no read.

Now select the ESS as 'Selected Motion Device'. Restart Mach.

Don't try to hook every thing up at once...you'll confuse yourself, do one small item and then test it. Once you have it right
THEN add another item.

When you use the ESS configuration page many of the settings you make there will simultaneously be made in the Mach Control
plugin also. Thus you need only set the item once in the ESS plugin and can leave Mach to take care of itself. Regrettably that
is not entirely true, there are some settings that can ONLY be made in Machs Control plugin, unfortunately you will have
to experiment to find out which.

Another trick to which I have already alluded is the occasional restart of Mach. When you close Mach all settings get flushed
to your .ini file. When you restart all of the settings will be read anew from the file.

On the ESS Ports & Pins page set up in input pin for an Estop. Connect that pin to the Estop signal on the Inputs page.
Hook up an Estop switch and you should have a working Estop. Test it....don't move on to other inputs
or outputs until you've worked out how to get the Estop button working.

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