Messages

3671

General Mach Discussion / Re: no movement on display

« on: September 10, 2018, 03:15:20 PM »

Hi,

Have you enabled your motors in Ports & Pins?

without motors being assigned, even if not connected then Mach will not display an axis movement.

Craig

3672

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Old turret lathe

« on: September 10, 2018, 03:07:43 PM »

Hi,
an Out-of-Band axis can do exactly as you require, the regular coordinated CNC axes move as normal and at the same time
turret can drill.

Craig

3673

Mach4 Toolbox / Re: Mach4: API "Gcode File" syntax error

« on: September 10, 2018, 07:05:50 AM »

Hi,
just a guess but Lua is not type declared.....try removing the 'int' and 'char' from you variable definitions.

Craig

3674

General Mach Discussion / Re: CS Labs CSMIO/P-A

« on: September 10, 2018, 02:47:12 AM »

Hi,
why?

First: two 1.5kW servo drives which have the same power factor as one 3kW drive will draw the same current.

Second: if the motors were running in torque or velocity mode then its probable you could get them to share the load.
If running a closed position loop then they won't share the load, one servo will always be a few arc minutes ahead (or behind)
its partner and will therefore have to provide the lions share of the effort.

Third: is the price of two 1.5kW servos and drives cheaper than one 3kW servo and drive?. I think the price would favour one large
servo/drive. DO NOT LET THE MISSUS READ THIS OR YOU ARE SUNK!!!

Craig

3675

General Mach Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: September 10, 2018, 12:51:39 AM »

Hi,
I notice that you are creating new threads rather than replying to an existing thread, its going to get really
confusing if you do that. If you see a post to which you wish to reply the hit <reply>,
not <new topic>.

Craig

3676

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Z Axis dangerous behavior

« on: September 10, 2018, 12:46:23 AM »

Hi,

X an Y axes start moving BEFORE Z axis is out of hole

I'm wondering if the Z axis is loosing steps.

When the fault ocurrs does the Z DRO go upwards to its safe height? It might be that Mach is requesting Z to go
upwards and out of the hole and it thinks it has and so starts to move X and Y but in fact the Z axis only retracted
part way.

Can you watch it and see if the Z DRO goes up but the machines Z axis does not?

Craig

3677

General Mach Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: September 10, 2018, 12:36:57 AM »

Hi,
welcome, I think you'll enjoy the learning curve if you take plenty of
'patience pills', bourbon is a close second....

Any reason that you prefer Mach3? I don't know whether you are aware but all development
on Mach3 ceased five years ago in favour of Mach4.

There are quite some people who don't like Mach4, they obviously don't have any patience pills
or facsimillie thereof, but it is superior in many ways although there is a learning curve involved.

Note that either or both can be downloaded and run in Demo mode for free and and long as you like.

Craig

3678

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Hobby questions

« on: September 09, 2018, 06:37:19 PM »

Hi,
mechanically most Chinese made stuff is pretty fair, its their electronics, pirate software and after sales that lets them down.

If you considered the price for what is being offered and then asked yourself 'if I had to throw away the
electronics and substitute something better' would the price still seem good?

In most cases the price is still pretty good. A lot of people buy on that basis but are reluctant to throw the junky
stuff away and then turn up here trying to get it to work. A few hours reading on this forum and you'll have
dozens of similar stories.

If you want to go the Mach4 route, and I reccommend you do, its light years ahead of Mach3, then allow $600
to $1000 for the software ($200), a controller ($150-$250), three drives ($75-$150 each) and maybe a power supply.
With any sort of luck you'll be able to use the spindle and spindle controller as supplied.

Craig

3679

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Old turret lathe

« on: September 09, 2018, 06:05:52 PM »

Hi Steve,

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,37304.msg255366.html#msg255366

Craig

3680

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Old turret lathe

« on: September 09, 2018, 05:32:25 PM »

Hi Steve,
I was of the same opinion until smurph told me that Mach4Hobby has all six OB axes.

I'll try to run the post down and link you too it.

Mach4Lite is restricted to one OB axis, and that axis is always the spindle.

Craig