Messages

6221

General Mach Discussion / Re: DRO are not to set valeu in it

« on: October 21, 2017, 04:36:06 AM »

Hi,
go to the diagnostics page and look at the current position, work offset and machine co-ords.
Typing a value direct into a DRO is a hit and miss way of changing the current position by forcing a re-calculation and overwrite of a work offset.

Double check that when you are typing into the DROs that you are in work co-ords. I suspect that if the machine is not referenced it wont work either.

Craig

6222

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: USB port setting

« on: October 20, 2017, 08:00:40 PM »

Hi Daniel,
the first application for CNC I had is PCB routing.

If you haven't already take a look at Eagle PCB software, there is a free cut-down version but is reasonably priced even if you bought it:
https://www.autodesk.com/products/eagle/overview
Then you need a User Language Program called PcbToGcode. With that your PCB artwork gets transformed into Gcode files which you can run on your machine.

One of the real challenges in successfully routing PCBs is to get the blanks dead flat. Otherwise what happens is the tool cuts too deep, more than the copper
thickness at one part of the board but not deep enuf at other parts of the board. There is some free software available called Autoleveller:
https://www.autoleveller.co.uk/
There is a subscription version for 20GBP and so impressed I bought it. This software means that I can probe the board and have the software automatically
modify the Gcode to accommodate any out-of-level/warp/bow in the PCB blank. So good it has proven that I can now reliably make boards with TSSOP ICs
with 0.2mm between the pads at a nominal cut depth of 50um on 35um copper board and achieve perfect isolation across the entire board.
If you cut to deep the toollife is so dramatically shortened that any reasonable board make take several tool bits, not anymore! Brill.

Craig

6223

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Spindle At Speed, Spindle Zero Problem

« on: October 20, 2017, 06:29:18 PM »

Hi Hakan,
I felt exactly the same way only a few months ago, I thought I had made a big mistake trying to learn Lua. You're right there doesn't seem to be that much useful
stuff about Lua. There is in fact enuf about Lua, Lua is in itself very simple, where it gets tricky is adding API calls, wxWidget calls and Machs software structure.
In that regard there is no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and getting stuck in. That's what I did and with the help of Daz and smurph I have made progress.
Progress is very satisfying as you've found. Despite your beginner status you've already surpassed the efforts of many.

As I commented before helping someone else code something new is a perfect opportunity for me to learn new things about Lua.

Craig

6224

General Mach Discussion / Re: DRO are not to set valeu in it

« on: October 20, 2017, 05:20:33 PM »

Hi,
another guess is that the DROs may be in machine co-ordinate mode. When in machine co-ords you cannot write direct to the DRO, it will
be reflected in the current position and work offset but not machine co-ord.

Craig

6225

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3040T and Z Touchplate

« on: October 20, 2017, 04:59:15 PM »

Hi Billy,
well you've discovered that even cutting plastic and brass requires rigidity. Thats plain physics.

Craig

6226

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 soft limits toggle button

« on: October 20, 2017, 04:57:03 PM »

Hi,
is this a new machine?

Software Limits only work when the machine has been referenced, also called homed. Alongside the DRO block is a long vertical button <Ref All Home>.
If you hit that the machine will drive with parameters you set on the Config/Homing-Limits page until it encounters the home switches. If you have no
home switches it will 'reference in place' and set the machine co-ords for that axis to zero.

Once the machine is referenced the <Zero X>, <Zero Y> and <Zero Z> should get green boundaries. Now if you hit <Soft Limits> they should work.
Note that they will refuse to work if you are already outside the softlimit boundary or the softlimits are ill configured. Errors of this type are signalled in
the Status line.

Craig

6227

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3040T and Z Touchplate

« on: October 20, 2017, 04:31:43 PM »

Hi Billy,
many a person has bought a Chinese router only to find they are rather more limited than they imagined. The Chinese are not at fault here,
they certainly don't disabuse a buyer of the realities but they play on the fact that most buyers have no idea how rigid a machine has to be.
Especially when cutting metals. If you think brass is a challenge try stainless steel!

Having said all that, and if you track any of my other posts you'll realise I'm very scathing of Chinese suppliers, they do provide products that people
can afford. You are a prime example...the price was so good that you wanted to try. Even if you throw away all the Chinese electronics as just plain
troublesome then the mechanical parts left over still represent pretty good value for money. If the mechanics are not rigid enuf for your purposes
then you should have bought more rigid design, that is to say its your fault not the Chinese.

Notwithstanding the frustration and effort to get it to work you are there or close to it. Once you get used to generating the required Gcode and understanding
the limitations of the machine you'll be fine.

I have a much better understanding of the basics that I could have imagined since we first got this thing....

That understanding is hard fought but you will use it over and over again.

Craig

6228

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Spindle At Speed, Spindle Zero Problem

« on: October 20, 2017, 03:36:55 PM »

Hi Hakan,
the Lua syntax:

Code: [Select]

rc = mc.mcCntlCycleStop(
number mInst)

So you don't need the extra  ",0 in the cycle stop API. I doesn't hurt it though, Lua matches arguments one for one and leaves the rest. So the "0" input
argument would be ignored.
Mach4s API help docs are in the <Help Docs> library of the File Ops tab. I use it that much that its now pretty much permanently on the task bar.

Craig.

6229

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to use G28.1 on Mach4?

« on: October 20, 2017, 03:22:35 PM »

Hi,
I've just been trying it and I think Daz has it right. Could still make your own code or try to dig out the safety feature.

Craig

6230

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3040T and Z Touchplate

« on: October 20, 2017, 03:15:00 PM »

Hi Billy,
you are obviously a busy guy, working a responsible job that is technically demanding, ie you have a working brain. What suggested to you that a very cheap
Chinese made router would be a fit with your business requirements?

Craig