Messages

6321

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to use Home offset under mach configuration

« on: October 13, 2017, 06:55:44 PM »

Hi,
that screen shot is of the Homing and Limits page. It is used to reference your machine usually at the beginning of the session. Note that it
sets MACHINE co-ordinates. When you hit <Ref All> the axes will in turn drive in the nominated direction at the nominated speed until a home
switch event for that axis is detected. It will stop and back up a fraction until the switch clears and then zero the MACHINE co-ordinate for that axis.
You will have noted that there is a setting for Home Offset. I don't use it so I could be in error but the upshot is that this setting allows you to say
'my home switch is 2 inches from the end of the axis and I wish my machine to be referenced to the end of the axis'

If you use your laser pointer to reference the machine you could do this.

I suspect what you want to do and is very commonly done is to use your laser pointer to indicate the start point on your work piece. When you hit
a button the WORK co-ordinates are set to 0,0 accommodating the offset of your laser from the spindle. Does that sound like the procedure you want?
There is a section of the forum dedicated to that subject; Video Probing. It is not a thing I have done so I can't really be definitive about it. On the Offsets
page there are a number of possibilities to offset your work 0,0 from the current location. It might be a cheat but how about assigning the radius of your
edge finder to 2 inches. When you hit the Set X button it will set the WORK X to zero but allowing for the fact that your 'edge finder' is two inches away.
That's just one work-around I can see. Check out what others do, there's bound to be better ways.

Craig

6322

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 06:29:23 PM »

Hi,
sorry I used Output#0 not 1 as in previous post.

Not sure at the moment when trying to set Output#0/fwdrevbit what should be used when trying to get the signal handle. I suspect Output#0, fwdrevbit
is an alias. I know the ESS plugin make good use of aliases but its the first time I've seen another plugin do the same.

The question in my mind is where the alias is valid? One question answered but another three new ones!

Craig

6323

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 06:21:22 PM »

Hi Mark,
think I've tumbled to the solution.

What gave it away is: have a look on the Modbus function page where you have declared your registers, the type is listed as Mach Output Register
whereas on the read coil function page it is listed as Mach Output. You will note that I declared a name, fwdrevbit, as the name of the input
to the modbus function which is a Mach output. In Machs outputs page I elected to use Output#1 but could have in fact any valid Mach output...

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Craig

6324

Feature Requests / Re: Laser Cutter and PPI

« on: October 13, 2017, 05:41:20 PM »

Hi,
how much does a 170W laser tube cost to buy and operate?

Industrial Mach4 is more likely to provide a solution. Additionally Mach4 is still developing, Mach3 development is discontinued.

Craig

6325

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 03:43:31 PM »

Hi Mark,
found this:
http://www.simplymodbus.ca/FC05.htm
which seems to suggest that the embedded data within the function determines whether the coil is set or unset.
At this stage Mach4 is not offering a register for us to apply that data. Simpsons36 post is maddening!

Craig

6326

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 03:29:03 PM »

Hi Mark,
I'm having exactly the same issue. The Modbus function to write a to a coil seems to be there but not a register name therefore no handle
therefore no way to set the bit.

I wonder if we are confusing a coil and a register? My thinking suggests that a coil is just one bit of a register, therefore to set a coil in your
target device you need to write to that one bit in that register. Sounds like you are thinking the same way.

I'm now wondering if that is correct...what if 'I want to set a coil in my device then "write coil" function' ie that the function 'write coil' actually
sets a bit in the device and presumably some other function clears it?

Craig

6327

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 02:39:27 PM »

Hi,
rereading your post and I think I misunderstood your question.

You can set individual coils in the VFD ergo you must have a working Modbus function to do so. If I understand your question is how do you
set a bit in Lua that will eventually transmitted to the VFD? Is this correct?

Craig

6328

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 02:32:39 PM »

Hi,
you need to add a function to your Modbus connection.

Configure/Plugins/Modbus.....with your connection highlighted, probably Modbus0 unless you have a whole swag of them! There is a row of four
icons at the top of the window...Make New Connection, Delete Connection, Add a Function, Delete a function. The Add a function icon should be active
with the others greyed out. The function setup panel allows you to write to and read from coils, registers and blocks of registers. Enjoy...

Craig

6329

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: writing modbus coils using LUA for Mach4? how?

« on: October 13, 2017, 01:57:01 PM »

Hi Mark,
have you enabled the Modbus plugin?

Craig

6330

General Mach Discussion / Re: External e-stop requested

« on: October 13, 2017, 04:57:22 AM »

Hi,
Config/Ports and Pins/Input Signals   scroll down to Estop and change Active Low to checked if unchecked or to unchecked if checked.
Try that.

Craig