Messages

461

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 VFD Spindle Speed Control Issue

« on: November 06, 2022, 06:50:54 PM »

Hi,
I presume, you don't say, that you are trying to control the VFD via an analogue PWM signal?

Have you programmed the VFD to respond to an analogue voltage input? If you have then you should be be to control the VFD by bridging it's 10VDC output
to its AVI input. That should cause it to run at full speed. If you use a variable resistor with the wiper attached to the AVI input you should have continuous
variable control from the minimum programmed speed of the VFD to the max programmed VFD speed.

If you cant control the VFD like this then there is no hope for the G540 to do so.

Craig

462

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and Mach4 together and compatibility

« on: November 06, 2022, 06:30:58 PM »

Hi,
No doubt you could get your board to work but at some hassle....your call.

Do yourself a favor and buy an Ethernet SmoothStepper(ESS), approx $190. Note that the ESS requires or at least benefits from a breakout board
ranging from a simple C10 ($23.00) to an MB3 ($180).An ESS works with Mach3 OR Mach4 and you'll get manufacturers support. Check out the web site
particularly the support forum.

https://warp9td.com/index.php/kunena/index

Craig

463

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and Mach4 together and compatibility

« on: November 04, 2022, 02:39:32 PM »

Hi,
the part number suggests this ia an XHC controller. You'll get zero manufacturer support, I doubt they will even answer your emails.

The MK4 tells us it is a four axis model and the M4 tells us it's for Mach4. It is not clear to me that it will ever work with Mach3. Also the Mach4
plugin is really really buggy and does not support the editable GUI, it works with the wxMach screen only, TOTAL S*********T, avoid like the plague.

Craig

464

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Programs won't continue after m6

« on: October 31, 2022, 07:07:46 PM »

Hi,

When ready, Select ok & cycle start.

Can you explain this a little more?  If I understand what you are saying is that the m6 macro starts a new cycle, that is, a different program. If that's the case then the old gcode
job is just that....old and aborted, you cant go back to it.

An m6 macro pauses the gcode job, releases the control of the trajectory planner to the macro interpreter, completes the task defined by the macro and then 'Returns', ie
resumes the gcode job. Note the the original job was paused...not stopped. Your <cycle start> suggests that you stopped or aborted the gcode job for which there is no recovery.

Craig

465

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Use 2 mcSignalWait

« on: October 31, 2022, 06:59:51 PM »

Hi,

I have wasted quite a bit of time trying to do things, when in reality... by the time I got to the machine to resolve an issue, the time saved or the process that I've set up was really not worth the time I spent because of the downtime of the machine waiting on ME rather than waiting on ITSELF.

By crikey....that's the story of my life!

Craig

466

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Probing & Soft limits

« on: October 28, 2022, 05:54:27 PM »

Hi,

G31.0 Z-10. My softlimits for Z is set to 5

You are confusing the Z-10 in the g31 block with SoftLimit Z. The Z ordinate in the g31 block is a work coordinate, ie referenced to the current g54 Work Coordinates
whereas the SoftLimit Z ordinate is in Machine Coordinates, ie referenced to the Machine Zero not the Work Zero.

Craig

467

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 plasma acting weird, z commanded over soft limits

« on: October 28, 2022, 05:32:21 PM »

Hi,

I was cutting some aluminium sheet and had to take 0.0010 out...spindle running and I jogged with the increment buttons and the machine moved about 1" went into a metal plate holder.

That is a completely different subject., and sounds like somehow Mach is screwing up its jog increments.

Now every time I change the bit I turn off the vfd since I do not want to find out that this will turn on its own :/

I never turn my machine off unless I'm doing some maintenance or alterations that invovle 230VAC, or except in those rare occasions where the mains
supply shuts off. My machine, including the VFD, has been permanently powered for the last three months since I installed my new fourth axis. I've never had the VFD switch on unexpectedly
and I don't know how many thousands of times I've manually changed tools.

Craig

468

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Probing & Soft limits

« on: October 28, 2022, 05:23:38 PM »

Hi,

I'm using a ESS and have my software limits setup.

Limits are all very well but far less important than Home switches, and SoftLimits ONLY make sense once a machine has been Homed or Referenced.

Many people use limit switches as dual purpose, ie limit event indicators but when Homing home event indicators. I personally do not like that practice.
I have six limit switches, 2 per axis, each on its own ESS input, and three separate home switches, again each on its own input on my new mill.
My first mini-mill had three home switches only, no limits. Because it had good home switches SoftLimits worked well and  I never got around to having limits switches
and I used it like that for seven years.

How do you Home or Reference your machine?

Craig

469

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Slave homing issues

« on: October 26, 2022, 04:33:58 PM »

Hi,
try on the Mach4 Control plugin Homing/Limits Tab having the Y axis motor (motor2) and the Y axis slave motor (motor4)
have the same number in the Homing order, they have to move together, including homing together.

Craig

470

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Slave homing issues

« on: October 26, 2022, 04:15:44 PM »

Hi,

I running ESS with Mach4. I'm trying to get the Y axis and slave axis A to home to their own switches to square the gantry. Ive attached pictures of my current settings and with these settings when I click ref all axes home the Y motor stops moving towards it's home switch, but the A axis does not move. The A axis works fine jogging the machine.

This post should be on the Mach4 General Discussion board....this board is about Mach3. No doubt Tweakie will shift it in due course.

Your first mistake is equating Mach4 and Mach3 . In Mach3 you slave the A axis to the Y axis, but in Mach4 you have the Y axis master and up to 4 slave motors, you do not do anything
with the A axis at all. See attached, being the Motor Assignment tab in Mach4's Control plugin. Note that you can assign one or more slave motors, in my case I'm already using four motors,
motor0, motor1 thru motor3 for my four axes and would use either motor4 or motor5 if I wanted a slave motor.

Craig