Messages

2531

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Dust hood

« on: May 02, 2019, 02:58:17 PM »

Hi,
the wxMessageBox is meant to detect if the button script has triggered or not. It does not cause the button to trigger or
in any other way affect the button or its action.

If noise is affecting the input I would expect the button to trigger, as evidenced by the MessageBox, every once and awhile.

If the fault is occurring  but WITHOUT the MessageBox then the fault is not the button input or its scrit.

The purpose of the wxMessagebox is to help you determine whats going on.

Craig

2532

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: No GCode Movement after pressing stop

« on: May 02, 2019, 02:12:07 PM »

Hi,
have you tried adding the lines of code I have suggested?

Craig

2533

dspMC/IP Motion Controller / Re: PC requirements for Mach4 with DSPMC

« on: May 02, 2019, 10:05:31 AM »

Hi,
I think the claim that Mach4 can run on XP is correct but in this case its the Vital Systems plugin that is causing
the trouble.

Quite frankly I don't see either NFS or Vital Systems getting exercised about their software running on XP.

Craig

2534

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Timer Script

« on: May 02, 2019, 08:04:28 AM »

Hi,
I've been looking at the provisions of wxTimer. It would appear that could be used.

https://docs.wxwidgets.org/trunk/classwx_timer.html

Thus a Lua statement like:

MyLubeTimer:start(-1)   would cause the previously defined wxTimer called MyLubeTimer to restart from it
previous stop time. Thus the timer would accumulate. Your m3 and m4 macros would each contain such a timer
start statement and your m5 macro would contain a timer stop statement.

In your PLC script you would test the sate of the timer, once 1 hour had accumulated the lube pump would be run.
The timer could then be reset and it would start to accumulate again.

I have yet to complete my experimentations with wxTimer to confirm my idea. If it works as I imagine that would allow
you to track spindle on time to within seconds.

As much as I'd like to do most everything in Mach4 I may just use an Arduino with its millis function for the timed events.

This adds complexity.......but then so does the programming that Brett has hinted at or the wxTimer idea that I have
outlined. The question is 'does the required accuracy warrant the extra complexity', the operative word is 'required',
not 'wanted' or 'desired' or 'I really want to skite about this' or 'my mother told me I'd go blind doing this'
BUT 'required'.

Craig

2535

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Dust hood

« on: May 02, 2019, 07:42:13 AM »

Hi,
I still suspect electrical noise is causing a false trigger event on your input ISIG_INPUT5.

A wxMeesageBox line in your button script would catch it.

On the ESS PinConfig page add some debounce filtering. You might also consider fitting a 100nF capacitor between the
input terminal and 0V at your BoB.

Craig

2536

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: No GCode Movement after pressing stop

« on: May 02, 2019, 07:33:23 AM »

Hi,
using the <Stop> button is poor practice, Mach interprets that as an immediate stop and aborts all remaining moves
in the buffer. This often means loss of reference......you might in fact be pleased you can't <CycleStart> as the job would
resume but displaced from its correct start position wrecking your job!

The correct way to pause a job is <FeedHold>. Mach will execute the moves in the buffer and then stop. Note that Mach is
still engaged with the job, you cannot jog or MDI nor will any GUI movement occur, the motion planner is still commanded
by the Gcode file you are involved in, its just that the job is paused.....but still in control.

If however you <FeedHold> and then <Stop> the motion planner is released by the Gcode interpreter and the machine should
( and does on my machine) enter the 'idle' state and can thereafter be jogged, MDI'ed, or GUI moves be executed.

The fact that you can't do that means that the machine is hung up in some other state.....and that is a mystery.

May I suggest go to:

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

Download (and maybe save) Mach4MachinesStates2.txt.

Now I suggest adding some code to the CycleStop() function that allows you to see what state Mach ends up in. It may not
solve the problem but may give you information about why its doing what its doing.

Open the screen editor and look at the events tab of the <Stop> button like the attached pic.
Note that when  you hit the  <Stop> button the function CycleStop() executes.

The function CycleStop() is defined in the screen load script. To display the screen load script look at the events tab
of the profile root like the pic attached. Veiw the screen load script by hitting the <...> button.

Scan down the screen load script until you find the CycleStop() function, on my installation about line 185.

Code: [Select]

---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Cycle Stop function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function CycleStop()
    mc.mcCntlCycleStop(inst);
    mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0);
local machineState=mc.mcCntlGetState(inst)
local machineStateName=mc.mcCntlGetStateName(inst,machineState)
wx.wxMessageBox(machineStateName)
    mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, "Cycle Stopped");
end

Note that I have added a few lines of code that you wont find in your function:
        local machineState=mc.mcCntlGetState(inst)
        local machineStateName=mc.mcCntlGetStateName(inst,machineState)
        wx.wxMessageBox(machineStateName)

I have added these lines simply as a diagnostic. Whenever you hit the <Stop> button  hopefully the machine will stop and
a messagebox will appear showing Machs state, on my installation the state is 'idle' ie Mach is free to jog, MDI etc.

What does your installation do?

Craig

2537

dspMC/IP Motion Controller / Re: PC requirements for Mach4 with DSPMC

« on: May 02, 2019, 03:57:01 AM »

Hi,
I'm just guessing here but XP, depending on which service packs are installed may not have the later .NET components
required and regarded as standard environmental components for the Mach4 plugin 'M4DSPMC.m4pw'.

Is there a particular reason that you wish to use XP....it is getting pretty old school now.


Have you considered a PC such as this:

https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1585.html

4 G RAM and 64 G eMMC with Windows 10 (Enterprise) and an Arduino co-processor all for $209.
Sure the eMMC is not quite a sprightly as a genuine SSD, but given that even a large Gcode file is  less that 10MB
who cares? Windows Enterprise is a step up from Windows 10 Home. You can't turn off automatic Microsoft updates
with Home but you can with Enterprise......and you don't want an update when cutting a part because the PC will drop
Mach like a hot potato do the update and wreck your job.

I run Mach4 on a Dual core Atom running at 1.8GHz with onchip graphics and 4 GB DDR3 RAM with
Windows 7 Embedded (Standard) and it goes great. The Latte Panda is a little slower at 1.44GHz but quad core.
I think it will do a great job on Mach4.

At $209 for the hardware and Windows 10 (Ent) activation why would you bother with XP?

Craig

2538

Mach3 under Vista / Re: New setup for USB board by BSMCEO4U-PP Bitsensor

« on: May 02, 2019, 03:29:00 AM »

Hi,

Generally I have had good experiences with most of the Chinese items I have bought and I don't harbour any resentment for the supplier

Overall that is my experience also. There are certain product categories where that is not the case, cheap electronic devices
in particular.

I'm glad that you are prepared to consider the idea I presented, its not the first time I have recommended such a course
and some people have lambasted/criticized/hated me for it. I certainly understand how someone would be offended
by me pouring cold water on their new device. I take no satisfaction from doing so, but those people who have gone
on and bought a quality controller have complemented me on the advice and gone on to have an enjoyable and productive
CNC hobby whereas those who do not tend to fade away......perhaps with their CNC dream.

I suspect your machine is well made with very useful components and parts, a lot of Chinese made CNC gear is very
good value for money. Combine that with a quality and well supported controller like an ESS and you'll be golden.

Craig

2539

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Timer Script

« on: May 01, 2019, 02:43:09 PM »

Hi,
I think the PLC script runs as an interrupt routine. The interrupt interval might be 50 ms but the PC looks to be
taking 12 ms or so to respond to the interrupt and reset the timer which results in a 62 ms delay between script runs.

Relying on the PLC script interval as an accurate timing mechanism is not realistic. In this case does it matter unduly
if the lube pump runs after 1hr spindle time or 1hr 5 min?

Craig

2540

Mach3 under Vista / Re: New setup for USB board by BSMCEO4U-PP Bitsensor

« on: May 01, 2019, 03:48:49 AM »

Hi,
I'm sorry to say that those Bitsensor boards are not particularly good and you will get no manufacturer support.
They are cheap....but that's about all to recommend about them.

Ask yourself.....' If I had to throw away the Bitsensor controller and bought a new US or European made unit ($150-$250)
would this machine still be good value...ruggedly built, good wiring and supplies and steppers?'

I would recommend an ESS (Ethernet SmoothStepper, $190, and two C10 BoB's at $23 each) or a UC300 (approx $150
and two C10 BoB's at $23 each), the addition of a little circuitry for PWM and relay drives and your machine would
come to life in a big way!

Craig