Messages

3031

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 jogging output.. diagnostics screen

« on: February 25, 2019, 07:19:53 PM »

Hi,
that looks like the Sim(ulator) diagnostic output.

Are you sure that you have the UC100 plugin enabled and selected as the current motion control?

Craig

3032

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: reading and writing to registers

« on: February 25, 2019, 07:14:57 PM »

Hi,
now you have a new register/registers and you can inspect/edit manually. Note all this and more is covered in the
Mach4 Scripting Manual chapter 4, in Mach4Hobby/Docs folder.

Note that section 4.4 of the manual is somewhat out of date. It used to be necessary to explicitly flush the contents of
a register to the .ini file and reload it at the start of a new session. This is no longer required. None the less it is still
useful to be able to send the contents of a register to the .ini file under programmatic control.

Per Chapter 4 the main APIs are:

 hreg = mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst, path)
 val = mc.mcRegGetValue(hreg)
 string = mc.mcRegGetValueString(hreg)
 mc.mcRegSetValue(hreg)
 mc.mcRegSetValueString(hreg)

Thus to retrieve the value of jewelHeightReg in my example:

Code: [Select]

local hreg=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'iRegs0/jewelHeightReg')
local ValuejewelHeightReg=mc.mcRegGetValue(inst,hreg)

As so often is the case reading a variable in Lua is a two step process, the first step is to find the variables 'handle'
or current address. Note that as the Mach session progresses that location can change....don't be duped.....get the
handle THEN get the value.

Craig

3033

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: reading and writing to registers

« on: February 25, 2019, 06:47:59 PM »

Hi,
now that you have a new register defined you can inspect its contents....
Diagnostics/Regfile. Picture 1 attached

Expand  iRegs0 to see the currently defined registers and their current contents. Note that in my example that the
register iRegs0/jewelHeightReg has a value of 105.22 rather than its initial value as I assigned to it in my previous post.
This is because the last time I used this register its value was changed to 105.22 and because it is persitent it is saved
between Mach sessions. Picture 2 attached. Note that a useful feature is to 'pin' the regfile window to the top which allows
you to monitor the contents while a process or debug session is in progress.

You can manually edit the contents of a register by double clicking on it. Picture 3 attached.

Craig

3034

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: reading and writing to registers

« on: February 25, 2019, 06:23:26 PM »

Hi,
I will go through the basics first.

I assume you want a register to hold a value or string for your use? There are already a goodly number of registers defined in Mach4,
some for core variables, some will be for your motion controller variables, or Modbus variables, or Serial Comms variables......etc.

In the first instance you need to define a new register.

1)Ensure the regfile plugin is enabled  ( Configure/Control/Plugins) picture 1 attached.
2)Open the regfile plugin (Configure/Plugins/Regfile) picture 2 attached
3)Define a new Instance Register by clicking on the green icon, name the new register, assign an initial value if necessary
and decide whether it is to be persistant, that is to say saved to the .ini file on shutdown and repopulated when Mach
restarts. Picture 3 attached.

Craig

3035

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: pmc / plc

« on: February 25, 2019, 05:12:09 PM »

Hi,
the PMC editor produces Lua code that runs in the PLC script.

The PMC is for those people who can't or don't want to code in Lua directly but are happy with ladder logic.

Craig

3036

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Output Config. gets lost with shutdown

« on: February 25, 2019, 04:14:10 PM »

Hi,
when you close Mach all the current settings should be flushed to the .ini file. I can't imagine any reason that the
.ini file would be updated in such a way that it would work over today for instance and yet somehow loose information
over several days.

When I close Mach4, I loose my Device and Output Name and therefore control of my outputs

Would you explain a little more please?

I'm guessing that you mean the Galil controller name?

When you select the motion control device, did you shut down immediately? Remembering that shutdown will flush that change
to the .ini file and should thereafter be permanent.

I'm using the Galil Plug-in and a DMC-41730 Motion Controller with a RIO-47300 I/O Controller. Any clues?

I am not familiar with either. Does the IO Controller hook to the Galil or to Mach? If it hooks to the Galil would not the details
of the IO device be in the Galil plugin?

Craig

3037

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 MPG axis stop after inc steps overflow

« on: February 25, 2019, 12:09:07 PM »

Hi,
try Continuous mode, that's what its for.

Craig

3038

Video P*r*o*b*i*n*g / Re: 3d Probing on Granite slabs

« on: February 25, 2019, 02:52:05 AM »

Hi,
I make PCBs by isolating routing. The result is highly dependent on the PCB blank being dead flat  (within a few um)
OR use Autoleveller. It is a free software utility that probes the surface and subtly varies the Z axis depth of cut to maintain
constant cut depth.

You might be able to adapt Autoleveller to your needs.

http://www.autoleveller.co.uk/

Smurph, one of the developers of Mach4 has heralded the upcoming release of a Mach4 feature that does something similar.
A PM to Smurph or even an Email to NFS may net you enough details that would allow you to decide whether the new
Mach4 feature would suit your purpose.

Craig

3039

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: touch probeing

« on: February 25, 2019, 01:27:40 AM »

Hi,
I use the ESS and have no problems with overrun, I suspect you are correct about XHC.

If you've read any of my posts you will know I hate XHC with a vengeance. I am NOT a disinterested observer.

I don't have any recommendations excepting the obvious.....Reinshaw and/or Heidenhan!!!

Craig

3040

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: touch probeing

« on: February 24, 2019, 07:06:15 PM »

Hi,
what controller? Its the controller that does the business not Mach.

Craig