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Messages - joeaverage

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4641
Hi,
as far as I know the Ethernet SmoothStepper is highly regarded for use with both Mach3 and Mach4.

I myself have an ESS and have been using it with Mach4 for about 18 months. It should be noted that some of the controller enacted features that we have
become accustomed to as the norm in Mach3 are not universally available in Mach4 yet, Lathe threading is an example. Lathe threading has been a regular part of
the features offered by the ESS Mach3 plugin for some years. It is still not ready in the Mach4 plugin, but is being worked on currently.

Accordingly you need to decide exactly what features you require, lathe threading is one example, THC support is another. If either are required then the ESS Mach4 plugin is not ready
however both are fine in the ESS Mach3 plugin.

A three axis router is well within the capacity of an ESS either Mach3 or Mach4.

If you have not used Mach4 before you may find that you are required to do a little Lua coding to have it perform the way you wish and some find that requirement a definite minus.
I have found the flexibility and power of the software tools within Mach4 to be very very much better than Mach3. Not everyone agrees with me but I have my evidenced opinion
and that's it.

Of course if you don't like Mach4 you can always wind back to Mach3.

Craig

4642
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Lua Stats
« on: May 05, 2018, 08:00:13 PM »
Hi,
I found this page which has an extensive list of libraries:

http://lua-users.org/wiki/LibrariesAndBindings

And on that list I found:

http://plplot.sourceforge.net/

It is a 5.0 and 5.1 library so should be good for 5.2.

Does any of that look useful?

Craig

4643
Mach4 General Discussion / Out-Of-Band Axes in Hobby vs Indusrial
« on: May 05, 2018, 07:44:44 PM »
Hi All,
in Mach4Hobby we are limited to one out-of-band axis and that axis is always the spindle. As such there is good control over it via the API but not indexing. That is to say that the spindle
is meant to be free running and cannot without some work-around be stopped at some precice location/angle.

If I understand Mach4Industrial allows all six out-of-band axes. Does anyone know what control mechanisms exist for those axes? I imagine for instance it would be highly desired that there
could be more than on free running spindle for multispindle machines. I imagine also that position/index control would be available. I'm thinking that such a feature would be required of a 'tombstone'
type workpeice which required indexable movement in order that multiple parts could be made from the one tombstone as an example.

The workaround I have used with Mach4Hobby is to programmatically reassign my spindle as a rotational axis, C say, then call a C axis move to the required index. Provided no other axes are called
on the same line of Gcode then it could be considered that the C axis moved independently of all other axes ie a quasi 'out-of-band' axis.

I must say that until I understood the implication of the restriction to one out-of-band axis and that its always a spindle as applies to Mach4Hobby I would have said there is nothing about
Mach4Industrial that I'd miss. I'm now thinking that I miss not having indexable out-of-band axes, even one would be good.

Notwithstanding Chads use of MacroB and the glowing report he makes of it, it is not a feature that I require at this time, but would like at least one indexable out-of-band axis.

Craig

4644
General Mach Discussion / Re: X and Y Alignment
« on: May 04, 2018, 11:38:47 PM »
Hi,
OK I got that. There appears to be two basic toolpaths, the first a facincg routine cut to a depth of -0.5mm. Then another adadptive?
toolpath but its eventual cut depth is only -0.1mm. Your facing cut is already deeper than that????

Anyway may I suggest breaking it into two Gcode jobs. The reason is that you will be able to avoid the M6 toolchange which I bet is giving you grief. Do you
have an Auto Toolchanger?  If not try to avoid M6's.

Code: [Select]
G90 G94 G91.1 G40 G49 G17
G21
G28 G91 Z5
G90
(FACE1)
S3000 M3
G54
M8
G0 X41.921 Y3.112
G1 Z-0.5 F400
G18 G3 X40.921 Z-0.5 I-1. K0.
G1 X37.625
X5. F800.
X0.01
X-0.01
G17 G2 Y11.138 I0. J4.013
G1 X0.01
X5.
X38.
G3 Y19.165 I0. J4.013
G1 X37.993
X5.
X0.01
X-0.01
G18 G3 X-1.01 Z0.5 I0. K1.
G0 Z15.
G17
M30

As you can see I removed the toolchange and particularly the G43 tool length compensation lines. Try it..... well above the part to start with!

Carig

4645
General Mach Discussion / Re: X and Y Alignment
« on: May 04, 2018, 11:13:25 PM »
Hi,
can you post the Gcode file. Should be able to attach it.

Craig

4646
Hi,
you need to work through a list...it helps to have a plan and keep on track.

1) Can the PC run Mach?
2) Can the PC load and run Machs Parallel Port Driver, ie is it 32 bit OS and does DriverTest.exe run with minimum jitter?
3) Does the BoB signal the parallel port? ie does the Estop work? Is there a Charge Pump and does it work? Do you require a charge pump?
4) Can the parallel port signal outputs to the BoB? ie can you get a change in output level at a DIR pin.
5) Does Machs Diagnostics reflect an input to the BoB?
6) Do you want Home switches and/or limit switches?
7) Do you really want to combine Limits and Homes? ie advantages/disadvantages

So as you can see there is a method to asking these questions. It is important that each be answered accurately and completely otherwise it is possible to proceed on a mistaken
assumption and thereby waste an inordinate amount of time.

Craig

4647
General Mach Discussion / Re: X and Y Alignment
« on: May 04, 2018, 10:57:52 PM »
Hi,
the MDI works here.

Craig

4648
General Mach Discussion / Re: X and Y Alignment
« on: May 04, 2018, 10:39:56 PM »
Hi,
I am sorry about that! LOL.

A few years back I was sending a boat prop to a company in Albany, and I wasn't really too sure I knew where Albany was so I addressed it:

......
Albany,
Somewhere North of the Bombay Hills.

The guy I sent it to must have a sense of humour because when he sent it back he addressed it:

........
Akaroa,
Somewhere South of the Bombay Hills

Good for a laugh...he made a fine job of the prop too.

Craig

4649
General Mach Discussion / Re: X and Y Alignment
« on: May 04, 2018, 10:31:31 PM »
Hi,
whereabouts in NZ are you.....I live in Akaroa, about 80k from Christchurch.

Craig

4650
General Mach Discussion / Re: X and Y Alignment
« on: May 04, 2018, 10:29:02 PM »
Hi,
I suspect that you must be entering a bad character. MDIing is as old and as basic to CNC as the hills.

G0 X14 Y4.....just to confirm that  is 'G' 'zero'

Craig

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