Messages

31

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Laser pointer, offset X-Y and set zero but whitout moving the tool incremental

« on: June 05, 2023, 04:53:13 PM »

Hi,
I would suggest that you instantiate two registers X_AXIS_OFFSET, and Y_AXIS_OFFSET and make them persistent.
That will allow you to populate both registers with the exact offset for each axis. It might be for instance that you intended the X axis offset to be
3 inches , but when its all bolted in place its 3.024 inch, well that's OK just put the the correct and exact number in the register.

Now you write a macro that zeros the X and Y axes combining the two registers using the API above.

Mach4 has built in macros so clearly you don't want to overwrite any of those. I make it a rule that any of my own macros are m100() or above,
and then I can be reasonably sure that none of my macros will clash with any internal macros.

Can you tell me what axis no. you have assigned the X and Y axes to?

Craig

32

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 Warp9 ESS Homing causing Mach4 to exit

« on: June 05, 2023, 04:37:23 PM »

Hi,

For some reason I had to turn on the homing switches for motor1 & motor2 also but that's OK as I'm now going to wire in those two switches anyway.  I just normally like to add and test one item at a time.

That makes sense. When you ask Mach4 to <Ref All> it will start to do so only to find that there is no home switch assigned for a particular axis and it will crash.

If you do not have a switch wired for an axis at the present time you need to check the <Home in Place> box for that axis  so Mach4 has a viable operation to perform
rather than home an axis for which there is no switch.

Craig

33

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 Warp9 ESS Homing causing Mach4 to exit

« on: June 04, 2023, 05:58:14 PM »

Hi,
do your two switches do double duty as Limit switches, as well as Home switches?

If they are may I suggest disable the limits on that axis and try again.

I've been using mach4 and an ESS for eight years, and when I home I have no difficulty. Having said that I have only one home switch per axis, ie I do not
have double motors.

Craig

34

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Laser pointer, offset X-Y and set zero but whitout moving the tool incremental

« on: June 04, 2023, 06:28:35 AM »

Hi,
yes, thats pretty straight foward, I'd use this API:

Code: [Select]

LUA Syntax:
rc = mc.mcAxisSetPos(
number mInst,
number axisId,
number val);

Description:
Set the Position of an axis by changing the fixture offset.

Parameters: Parameter Description
mInst The controller instance.
axisId The axis ID for which to set the position.
val The axis position (in user units).


Returns: Return Code Description
MERROR_NOERROR No Error.
MERROR_INVALID_INSTANCE The mInst parameter was out of range.
MERROR_AXIS_NOT_FOUND The axis specified by axisId was not found.

Notes:
Set the position of the axis by changing the current Fixture offset. This is not valid for out of band axes.


Craig

35

General Mach Discussion / Re: New to CNC and Ignorant

« on: June 01, 2023, 05:33:38 PM »

Hi,
Machs parallel port will run on 32bit machines of Windows 7 vintage or earlier, XP for instance......it will not run on Windows 8 or 10 or 11.

Mach3, the application will run fine, but not the parallel port driver. If you wish to use Windows 11 you will need an external motion controller like an
Ethernet SmoothStepper or a UC100. By the way don't buy one of the Chinese fake UC100's, buy genuine or don't bother.

Craig

36

General Mach Discussion / Re: MDI Command and Soft Limit Issue

« on: May 26, 2023, 12:34:33 AM »

Hi,

Why do MDI commands entered into Mach ignore the soft limits.  Normal G-code is limited, jogging is limited, but MDI command line blows right past any soft limit.

I don't know. I don't recall Mach3 doing that, but its possible either I never encountered it or I've forgotten it.

I have just confirmed on my machine that with the Soft Limits enabled Mach4 just ignores my MDI command if that command would violate the limits and
just does nothing with this error message 'Error, X axis commanded over Soft Limit'

I've been using Mach4 for eight years, its light years ahead, you should consider it. All development on Mach3 ceased eight years ago, whatever bugs its got, like this one,
it will always have.

Craig

37

General Mach Discussion / Re: MDI Command and Soft Limit Issue

« on: May 25, 2023, 02:42:03 PM »

Hi,
its been nine maybe ten years sine I used Mach3 but that 's not what I recall, and certainly in Mach4 if a command, be it MDI, jog or Gcode job exceeds
Soft Limits it will be ignored.

Craig

38

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 debugging Macros

« on: May 25, 2023, 12:14:55 AM »

Hi,
is this an excerise in software development or is it to control a CNC machine?

Whatever Lua's strengths are, a software development language is not one of them.

Craig

39

General Mach Discussion / Re: MDI Command and Soft Limit Issue

« on: May 24, 2023, 05:11:00 PM »

Hi,
Soft Limits only works and makes any sense if the machine is Homed or Referenced.

Soft Limits are really like a description of the machines boundaries. For example the North boundary is 15m from 'here', the South boundary is 5m from 'here',
the East boundary is 10m from 'here' and the West boundary is 7.5m form 'here'. That only makes sense if you know where 'here' is in that description.

That is what Homing or Referencing does in Mach. It drives the machine location defined by Home switches, and that location is the 'here'. Then you can Enable
Soft Limits and if the machine receives a command that would exceed those boundaries it just ignores the command.

When I first started my machine had neither Home or Limit switches. Eventually I put three Home switches on it. Thereafter I was able to use Soft Limits with good effect.
I had three crashes in seven years after fitting the Home switches with that little machine, but was crashing about three times a month prior to. Fitting Home switches
and developing a rigorous Homing procedure was easily the single best improvement I ever made. I always meant to get around to fitting Limit switches...but after seven
years still had not done so. My new machine is much MUCH bigger, way faster and vastly more powerful, and it has nine switches, three Homes, and six Limits, all on their own
dedicated input to my BoB/ESS combination. In the two years I've been using it I've never hit a limit switch as Soft Limits have always saved the day.

Craig

40

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: mcSignalWait

« on: May 23, 2023, 07:32:51 PM »

Hi,
there was a time ,some five years ago now, where mcSignalWait did not work for signals with signal number above 64.

I think ISIG_INPUT64 is signal number 64 but ISIG_MOTOR1_HOME is signal number 66. At that time it did not work.
I think I manged to surprise smurph that it did not work.....and do believe that has been rectified, but it would pay to check.

Craig