Messages

3191

Share Your GCode / Re: Wait for signal

« on: January 25, 2019, 12:52:24 PM »

Hi, cont...

You should now see your open document in Zero Brane as waitscript.mcs and see the location in the navigation tree.

Craig

3192

Share Your GCode / Re: Wait for signal

« on: January 25, 2019, 12:49:19 PM »

Hi,

To write a script for Mach 4 though i can type it in a notepad right? I shouldn't need any lua software to write a simple script of  if - else commands etc.

Yes you could write a script with a text editor but Zero Brane has been provided for the purpose. It has auto-complete,
context sensitive formatting, a compiler, and can debug, ie run in single step, to breakpoints etc.

You will be coding in Lua and using he API. I have this online manual open on the desktop when coding:
https://www.lua.org/manual/5.2/.

Open the Script Editor (or alternately Edit/Debug scripts). Open a new document.

I suggest that you make a temporary folder within you profile, called 'temp' say, in which to store your script,
'waitscript.mcs' say.

Using SaveAs, navigate to your profile and create a new folder 'temp'.

Open the new folder and save your script as waitscript.mcs. Its not the end of the world if you name it *********x.lua but the
debug features wont work, you'd have to rename it *********xx.mcs

3193

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G-Code bad character used

« on: January 25, 2019, 02:31:16 AM »

Hi,

I created a foil pattern for an electronic circuit in Eagle, sent the gerber file to copper cam on line, and received the attached g-code

Why bother? I use Eagle to make circuit boards but use the U(ser) L(anguage) P(program) pcb-gcode and it generates
Gcode directly and I have used it in both Mach3 and Mach4 without problem.

Craig

3194

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Stepper motors interfering with each other using mach4?

« on: January 25, 2019, 01:53:08 AM »

Hi,

Im thinking it may have something to do with the keyboard plugin?

No, that is incorrect, it is a fault with the ESS Mach4 plugin. Andy, the service and development guy at War9 TD is aware
of the problem. He is currently fully engaged with developing THC for the Mach4 ESS plugin, but he will be addressing
this problem in due course.

Craig

3195

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can't set machine position in script

« on: January 25, 2019, 01:48:41 AM »

Hi,

Quote

The correct approach is to at the start of the new session reference (home) your machine and THEN using your stored
work offsets resume the job from where you left off.



We are fully aligned  This will be my way of doing it. Thanks!

Aww crikey Brian, I thought, even sort of hoped, that you were a sick puppy!!!

I recall when I tried to develop a workaround to programmatically set machine coordinates I did have to think very carefully
about homing, coordinate offsets and so on. I learnt a lot as a result.

Even having developed a workaround the standard procedure I and Chad are promoting is still preferred, and how I do it
for instance. I have not found a legitimate use for my workaround.....maybe its only value is what I learned in pursuit of it!

Craig

3196

Share Your GCode / Re: Wait for signal

« on: January 25, 2019, 01:34:50 AM »

Hi,

So I need mach 4 indutrial in order to be able to get signals and manipulate the g code

No, absolute rubbish! What I said was that Mach4 Industrial supports Gcode that includes conditional statements.
IF you had conditional statements you could code what you require in Gcode.

With Mach3 OR Mach4Hobby which don't have conditionals that approach wont work. There is however another which will work
equally well.

In Mach4 you would write a script that test the input at regular intervals ( every few milliseconds) and issues a <feedhold>
instruction if the signal is low or a <cycle start> instruction if the signal is high.

This is conceptually easy. Another variation which is more programmatically efficient is to use the SigLIb table (Signal Library).
It takes more thinking about and displays the underlying strength of Mach4.

Irrespective of the approach you adopt, you might choose the easy way first AND THEN have a go at the SigLib idea, you
will have to learn a little Lua and use the API. Are you up for it?

Look in the Mach4Hobby/Docs directory and you will find all sorts of good stuff, the API.chm, Mach4 Scripting Manual and
Mach4 Gcode programming. Note that with Mach enabled the docs directory can be displayed with the <Help Docs> button,
too easy.
Craig

3197

General Mach Discussion / Re: z height and machine 'parking" - mach3

« on: January 25, 2019, 01:15:26 AM »

Hi,
look up the Safe-Z-Height setting.

Craig

3198

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can't set machine position in script

« on: January 24, 2019, 12:37:10 PM »

Hi,

My reason for doing it was to make it possible to save the position for all coordinates and then be able to shut down the machine and pc (for what ever reason) in a random position. Then I could start it all again (the next day maybe) and load all positions and continue where I stopped.

The correct approach is to at the start of the new session reference (home) your machine and THEN using your stored
work offsets resume the job from where you left off. For this to be effective you need accurate homing. I use roller plunger
microswitches and achieve 0.02mm repeatability. Using index homing would allow even closer (1 um) repeatability
but as it transpires 0.02mm is adequate for me.

You can, as you have done, use persistent registers, or you could write them to a file. I do this with circuit board programs.
The file name of the stored data is the same as the Gcode etch file with "OFFSET' appended.

Note however that such explicit methods are strictly not required because the current Work Offsets (G54, G55, G56....etc)
are stored at shutdown and restored at restart, ie they are stored in persistent registers.

If you shut down your machine and record both the work coordinates and the machine coordinates and then restart the machine
and restore the coordinates at restart. That would work IF the machine did not move, you can usually be assured that is so.
However if you use microstepping with your steppers then in effect your machine will 'move'. Lets say you use 1/8th
microstepping. At the moment of shutdown  (when you recorded your coordinates) the machine was at the third of the eight
microstepps between full step positions. When you restart your stepper driver will be at a fullstep position and you will
have lost that 3/8th of a step. Having said that the loss of precision is likely to be small and may well be tolerable.

There is a workaround that would allow you to proceed with that solution if you wish. It relies on doing an  effective
'home in place' at the end of your session and then at restart programmatically unlinking the motors and doing a 'dummy
move to the stored original machine coordinates' doing another 'home in place'.

I have one this before, it was confusing as hell but it did work. Let me know if you want further details.....you poor sick little
puppy!

Craig

3199

Share Your GCode / Re: Wait for signal

« on: January 24, 2019, 11:57:20 AM »

Hi,
Gcode as used by mach3 or Mach4Hobby does not include conditional statements. Without a conditional you cannot write
Gcode  to do it. Mach4Industrial enacts Marco B programming which does have conditionals and could do it in Gcode alone.

What you require is a macro running in the background that causes a <feedhold> when low and a <cyclestart> when high.

I use Mach4 and would code this in Lua easily enough. I presume you could do a similar thing in Mach3 but I can't be bothered
with Cypress Enable.

Craig

3200

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Stepper motors interfering with each other using mach4?

« on: January 24, 2019, 11:44:54 AM »

Hi,
there is a discussion of this condition on the Warp9 website.

Craig