Messages

3681

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

« on: September 09, 2018, 05:13:59 PM »

Hi Mick,
kool.

Nice to know they back their gear, of course it would be nicer that it didn't blow in the first place,
but replacing it without question comes a close second.

Craig

3682

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Old turret lathe

« on: September 09, 2018, 04:50:04 PM »

Hi,
you can operate a turret in the manner that you describe.

Two ways;
1) Call the turret the Z axis
          To move the turret alone code G0 Znnn
          To move the other axes without the turret code G0 Xnnn Ymmm
2) Use an Out-of-Band axis.

A search of the Mach4 page should give you some ideas. The OB (Out-of-Band) axes have no motion (Gcode)
but are moved by jogging for which there are a number of useful API calls.

Craig

3683

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Hobby questions

« on: September 09, 2018, 04:42:43 PM »

Hi,
you would need a Mach4 capable motion controller like a SmoothStepper, a UC300 or
a PoKeys 57CNC.

Craig

3684

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

« on: September 09, 2018, 02:49:25 PM »

Hi Mick,
what did Schnieder decide to do?

Craig

3685

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: September 09, 2018, 02:37:12 PM »

Hi,
from the main index page <new topic>

Craig

3686

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: September 09, 2018, 01:41:05 PM »

Hi,
by virtue of posting in this thread you ill get an email every time someone posts in it. It is a very popular thread so over a period
of time you will get quite a few.

The post by  difrancocontractorsinc was an advertising/spam post and has been deleted.

Craig

3687

General Mach Discussion / Re: no movement on display

« on: September 09, 2018, 12:00:29 PM »

Hi,
what PC are you using?
What OS is loaded?
Are you using a parallel port?
If so post an image of DriverTest.exe results.
What breakout board and/or motion controller are you using?

Craig

3688

General Mach Discussion / Re: Looking for Suggestions

« on: September 09, 2018, 02:02:00 AM »

Hi,

so really a USB to Parallel Port adapter

Inside the motion controller is an FPGA IC that generates all the pulse streams for the motors. That makes it way WAY too clever to be a USB to parallel
adapter. None the less that is exactly how it behaves. You have to be aware that there is a world of difference between the two, if you get an adapter it
won't work.

Just as an aside there are a whole bunch of Chinese rippoff UC100's on sale on Ebay and Amazon and the like. They don't work like the real thing.
Buy direct from the manufacturer or their nominated distributor or you'll get ripped off.

Craig

3689

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 input triggered jump next line of g coce

« on: September 08, 2018, 10:06:28 PM »

Hi,
I would think that possible in Mach3.

I have started using Mach4 and I know I could program Mach4 to do that, and I presume it could be done in Mach3 as well but I'm no expert in VB
so I cannot help you with it. If you wanted to try Mach4 I would help with a Lua macro which would do as you require.

Ignoring the differences between Mach3 and Mach4 the general idea is:
1) The motion of the Z axis is controlled by a macro, say m111
2) When m111 is called from the Gcode job:
     2a)The Z axis (hydraulic cylinder) is directed to move downwards to punch the material
     2b) The Z axis completes its move as detected by the lower limit switch. Note that depending on the material will vary in time. That's OK because Mach is going to
           wait until the limit switch activates
     2c) The Z axis is directed to move upwards, ie retract
     2d) The Z axis completes the retraction as signaled by the upper limit switch, Mach waits until the upper limit is activated
     2e) The macro m111 is complete and control reverts back to the main Gcode calling program
3) The Gcode job progresses, calling m111 at each instance the Z axis is required to punch a hole.

Craig

3690

General Mach Discussion / Re: STB4100 USB board support backlash?

« on: September 08, 2018, 09:49:20 PM »

Hi,
even if the controller does support backlash compensation, and given the boards Chinese origins it seems unlikely, it
still does not cure backlash.

The software will for instance 'take up the lash' if you reverse direction, rather like this:

G1 X100 F500            ;the machine cuts in a straight line until X=100 at 500mm/min
G1 X0 F500               ;the machine because of backlash compensation travels at reduced acceleration (of your nomination) in the -X direction
                                 the distance of the backlash of that axis (that you nominate) say 1mm. The machine will now cut in the negative X direction until
                                 X=0

Thus the machine absorbed the backlash. If however the cutting forces are such then the axis can move the distance of the backlash and the software is not
only unable to do anything about it it doesn't even know, Mach is not a feedback system.

Backlash compensation is useful under a number of limited circumstances but is not a cure and in other conditions, particularly reversal of cutting
forces it will fail to be of use at all.

Any and all discussions on backlash recommend solving the backlash mechanically, a software solution at best a patch up.

Craig