Messages

6261

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

« on: October 19, 2017, 01:47:31 AM »

Hi Hakan

I am trying to make this logic work because there will be a AC line lost procedure which will be controlled by arduino, machine has internal ups, basically while machine working for hours if AC line lost occur arduino will take control and feed hold the machine first then record the coordinates and gcode line then it will park all axises to a location and shut down the power.

This can be done quite easily and I don't think an Arduino is required or desirable.

Then it will start to listen the AC line, when line comes back it will turn on the machine, goes to the coordinates recorded, input the gcode to Mach4 and goes to the last line and start from there. During this procedure it will check the spindle input but to be sure i need that function also in Mach4 so it wont dive in to part with spindle off which is very dangerous.

This is a nightmare idea. I suspect that in New Zealand it would be illegal to have a machine start itself unless that machine were completely isolated from all
human contact. A restart of this nature should be under operator control.

In Mach3 there was the possibility to 'Run From Here', although many a CNCer came to rue the code, if it wasn't buggy it certainly seemed unpredictable and many
a job was wrecked as a result. There is no such code in Mach4, you would have to construct it. It really comes down to fictitiously running the Gcode up to the point
of the restart to determine the modals which were in operation prior to shutdown and incidentally the X,Y,Z cords  at the point of shutdown. The restart requires the
machine drive to the required co-ords whether derived from the fictitious run or from memory as stored at the moment of shutdown, restart the spindle and <cycle start>.

All in all quite a programming undertaking for someone who confesses to be a Lua newbie. If you want a hand to code some sort of safe shutdown procedure as a result
of power failure or spindle speed failure I will help. I am VERY dubious about helping anyone code 'Run From Here' functionality particularly and especially if it is to be
automatic.

Craig

6262

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach3 under win10

« on: October 18, 2017, 08:01:33 PM »

Hi,
I don't think the UC100 is meant to provide power to your breakout board. Sounds like you need a USB cable from the
PC to the breakout board to provide power to the board AND a 12-24V supply for the board as well.

Craig

6263

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

« on: October 18, 2017, 07:55:22 PM »

Hi Hakan,
I understand what you mean. We have code that waits for the spindle to accelerate or detects thats the spindle
is un-responsive. In the event of an un-responsive spindle what do you want the machine to do?
You could cause an Estop or a Feedhold easily enuf.

I think you could incorperate into your power detection/protection strategy. I would suggest that you get a power
monitor relay, for under $100 you can get a relay which monitors under/over voltage, phase failure and phase rotation.
The contact of the relay could be monitored by Mach easily. Why bother with another device like an Arduino?

Craig

6264

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

« on: October 18, 2017, 05:00:34 PM »

Hi Hakan,
what code are you referring to... I personally don't think Daz's code is suitable as is, it could be made so but it is only
a barest sketch of what it would need to be in practice.

May I suggest that you use Mach to detect phase loss and if you wish it phase rotation. Mach can therefore shut down
or refuse to engage if it detects power fault.

Craig

6265

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

« on: October 18, 2017, 04:14:31 PM »

Hi Daz,
that code introduces a straight delay. Hakans intent was to use a signal from the VFD to indicate that the spindle
is at commanded speed.

If you are using a small diameter endmill the spindle could accelerate quickly whereas a large face mill would take longer.
The advantage of waiting only until a signal comes good is clear.

Hakan hasn't said how he commands frequency/speed of the spindle. If he is using modbus whats the bet that the
start signal is arriving before the frequency command.

Craig

6266

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Mach3 under win10

« on: October 18, 2017, 01:59:31 PM »

Hi,
not as far as I know. The only indicator of activity on the USB link is the LED on the UC100. Of course you can't tell what its sending just that it is.

Craig

6267

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

« on: October 18, 2017, 01:41:14 PM »

Hi,
Daz has a useful solution.

I wonder why its happening. Could it be that the spindle gets told to turn on and THEN gets its new commanded frequency. So just for a wee while it believes
its already up to frequency....its just that frequency is zero?

Craig

6268

General Mach Discussion / Re: First startup motors not running

« on: October 18, 2017, 07:16:37 AM »

Hi,
I repair welding equipment for a living. We support a brand of pickling machine which is a DC current source to a carbon fibre brush with an acid etchant
which is used to clean up stainless steel post weld. They work well and they need to, they are expensive. The Austrailian company that makes them is
a low volume manufacturer and they use 3D printed plastic handles and torch couplings. The problem is the plastic produced by a 3D printer is s*********t!
It lacks the density and strength of an injection moulded part.

3D printing may offer a few production wrinkles that cannot be matched by subtractive methods like milling but the quality/density/strength of the resultant
printed material means that they are for decorative purposes only. Maybe there are printers and print heads that can do a better job but they bloody well better
do a better job before I'd use any 3D printed part in a serious engineering application.

Craig

6269

General Mach Discussion / Re: First startup motors not running

« on: October 18, 2017, 06:48:59 AM »

Hi John,
kool. If your wife kills you then you can kiss your CNC hobby goodbye! LOL

Once you start turning out useful work then she may relent particularly if some idea of her own can be created.

Craig

6270

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3040T and Z Touchplate

« on: October 18, 2017, 06:43:12 AM »

Hi,
crikey....hope its not your own wake! LOL.

Ok with a parallel port you only have 5 inputs, 10-13 and 15. It is quite probable that they are already used with limits, homes etc. If you can
economise on those other inputs all well and good but if not then you will need a second port. If you install a PCI to parallel card with the correct
driver you should be in business. Unfortunately not all, in fact not many PCI to parallel cards work with Mach. One of the challenges of parallel
ports I'm afraid.

If you do have a working second port then you enter its address on Config/Ports and Pins/Port Setup and Axis Selection in the Port #2 panel you can
optionally nominate pins 2-9 as inputs rather than the more normal outputs. That would mean that with the second port you'll have 13 inputs, 2-13 and 15,
plenty of inputs in short.

Do you have any input pins leftover on your existing port? You can do visual inspection of the BoB or you can post your xml file and I could help.
If you don't then get a working PCI to parallel card. It seems that there are a few cards which are actually PCI to serial but emulate  a parallel port
as an added bonus. While they might work a printer they wont work Mach. Find a card that does PCI to parallel ONLY. It is likely that such a card will
adhere to the original parallel port spec which is required by Mach.

Craig