Messages

3971

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ESS and Mach4 current status

« on: July 26, 2018, 03:02:09 AM »

Hi,
this is a thread from a month or two back......note in particular a potential programmatic means of implementing THC with much
reduced hardware support required....Steve Stallings contributed that gem.

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,37405.0.html

Craig

3972

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 demo will not load

« on: July 25, 2018, 06:02:45 PM »

Hi,

Is something wrong with the latest Demo?

There is no Demo version, but rather
just the standard Mach4, which will run for a limited time only until licenced.
The version you are running is exactly the same as I would run..... its just I have a licence.

Craig

3973

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: variable

« on: July 25, 2018, 02:56:18 AM »

Hi,
yes, that can be done no sweat! The code needs to go it the PLC script.

You can strip some of the extra stuff of the code:

Code: [Select]

local inst=mc.mcGetInstance()
local hreg=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'ESS/Encoder_0')
local regvalue=mc.mcRegGetValueString(hreg)
regvalue=tonumber(regvalue)
regvalue=(regvalue*5)/1.141
regvalue=tostring(regvalue)
hreg=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'gRegs0/newreg45')
mc.mcRegSetValueString(hreg,regvalue)
The PLC script is part of the GUI root viewed and edited in Edit Screen Mode.

Craig

3974

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: lua script - outputs, if

« on: July 24, 2018, 02:41:18 AM »

Hi,

Code: [Select]

if (mc.OSIG_OUTPUT24()==1)then
is  wrong. You cannot read a signal directly like that. You have to get the signal handle then read the state of the memory location
indentifed by that handle.

Code: [Select]

hsig=mc.mcSignalGetHandle(inst,mc.OSIG_OUTPUT24)
local output24state=mc.mcSignalGetState(hsig)
if output24state==1  then
........
........
Craig

3975

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: variable

« on: July 24, 2018, 02:33:12 AM »

Hi,
I wrote this code as a macro, if you wrote m150() in a Gcode file it would run or each time you
want it to run just MDI m150().

Note that this code is in a separate file called m150() in the Macros folder of your current profile.
I did it that way because it was simple and you still haven't provided any idea what you wish to do with it.
Putting the code in the screenload script is a waste of time.....this is written as a macro.

Craig

3976

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to prevent machine movement before machine is referenced

« on: July 22, 2018, 08:38:58 PM »

Hi,
I didn't get that carried away....what I did though was to disable <CycleStart> until the machine has
been referenced.
I made a second <CycleStart> button that would override the main one if necessary but it has a MessageBox
which has to be dissmissed before it will work.

Craig

3977

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

« on: July 20, 2018, 05:02:09 PM »

Hi,
most of the combined scope/signal generators have a minimum frequency of 1Hz or more which is too fast for testing servos.
This cheap ($20US) and cheerful signal generator might be more useful, it can go down to 0.01Hz:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/0-01Hz-5MHz-DDS-Function-Signal-Generator-Module-Custom-arbitrary-Waveform/292601759815?hash=item44206c8847%3Ag%3Ah78AAOSwgTJbIFCm&_sacat=0&_nkw=dds+signal+generator&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1311.R1.TR8.TRC1.A0.H1.Xdds+signa.TRS0

If you went this way then you could choose from a multitude of two channel scopes, many for very much less than the Velleman I linked to earlier
on the basis of two scope input channels AND a signal generator. For example:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hantek-6022BE-20MHz-48MSa-s-Handheld-2-CH-PC-USB-Digital-Storage-Oscilloscope/122988824398?hash=item1ca2b4874e%3Ag%3ALxgAAOSwaeFak8VY&_sacat=0&_nkw=usb+oscilloscope&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0

Craig

3978

General Mach Discussion / Re: Random "External EStop Requested" interrupting large jobs

« on: July 20, 2018, 03:41:16 AM »

Hi,
sounds like electrical noise, enough to trigger an Estop but doesn't persist.

I think you should try a bit of input filtering on you limit and Estop lines.

What sort of spindle are you using?. The spindle is by far and away the biggest electrical noise generator in most machines, if you can tame
it most of your noise problems disappear.

Craig

3979

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

« on: July 20, 2018, 03:36:04 AM »

Hi Mick,
just blown away at the range of whats available....this caught my eye....Velleman is a genuine US instrument maker and I used Velleman before
when I worked at an automotive garage. I don't mean to say that there are not other brands and cheaper stuff....its just I trust this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Velleman-PCSU200-USB-PC-Oscilloscope-and-Signal-Generator/112196139443?epid=13011370657&hash=item1a1f6939b3%3Ag%3AKQ8AAOSwKOJYH17u%3Asc%3AShippingMethodStandard%2197203%21US%21-1&_sacat=0&_nkw=usb+oscilloscope+and+signal+generator&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0

Craig

3980

General Mach Discussion / Re: Random "External EStop Requested" interrupting large jobs

« on: July 20, 2018, 02:46:37 AM »

Hi,
I am confused.....you say:

Looking at the diagnostics tab none of the inputs are triggered (limit switches are fine and emergency stop isn't triggered). 

and yet the reported fault is:

"External EStop Requested"

Which statement is correct?

If it is an external Estop then its probably electrical noise on a limit signal line or motor fault line. Tracking down such faults can be a confusing
and frustrating process.

Craig