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Messages - joeaverage

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6631
Hi,
it certainly can be done. Have you had a look at some of the remote pendants being offered.

I, like you, started to think about making my own MPG with a select switch so the one MPG could be used for any axis but the found that
the pendants on sale made a mockery of trying to save money, they are way cheaper and more capable than I could make.

I ended up with a P1A from VistaCNC. It is a serial device and plugs in to a USB socket so doesn't even use up any PP IO pins. I used it
with Mach3 for several years and downloaded their new Mach4 plugin and have been using it with Mach4 for nearly a year.

Craig

6632
Hi,
Mach4 has several probe assignments, G31.1, G31.2, G31.3 etc.

Craig

6633
Hi,
there have been any number on conversations on the forum about being able to detect lost steps and even more about correcting them if they occur.
To my knowledge without some sort of encoder its not possible or at least realistic to detect lost steps and with Mach alone almost impossible to
correct them.

In fairly recent times some manufacturers are making closed loop stepper drives. They have an encoder and the drive can, at need, add or subtract pulses
to have the stepper maintain its position with respect to its programmed position. They are somewhat more expensive than normal and despite the advertising
hype, theres plenty of that, are pretty good. The gold standard is of course a decent AC servo and matching drive, great speed, resolution and accuracy
and if something screws up and it gets out of whack it generates an error which will stop the machine. Depending on the size of your machine a servo
and drive might cost $500. Is $1500 a worthwhile investment to avoid the situation you described about a screwed up job?

Craig

6634
Hi,
should point out Mach3 is pretty generous, you only need one licence for all your different machines and copies of Mach3, if you are a hobbyist.
If you are using Mach3 commercially you are expected to buy a licence for each machine.

If you have Mach3 on a development computer but not hooked to a machine, ie no motion control plugin selected, then you don't need a licence, it will
simulate running code without limit provided it can't actually control a machine.

Mach4 is a little bit more particular. The licence is for each individual PC with its own identity number. As a hobbyist you may have up to five PCs
licenced at one time. If you no longer need a particular PC then you can release the licence for that one and get a licence for another. I think there is a limit
of seven licence issues in a two year period. All your licence stuff you can do online at the Artsoft website if you buy direct form them. Like Mach3, if Mach4 is
used in SIM mode it doesn't need a licence at all, it runs without restriction. If its hooked to a machine, ie it has an active motion control plugin, then it will
run for about six minutes before it has to be restarted.

Artsoft is pretty generous with licences for hobbyists. Commercial users are expected to pay more and now with Mach4 Industrial a lot people are using it
commercially, its still way way cheaper than Fanuc/Siemens etc.

Craig

6635
General Mach Discussion / Re: Interference with axis motors
« on: September 20, 2017, 03:54:43 AM »
Hi,
garylucas is right, can we see inside the controller.

The layout of the wiring is important. If you have separated the 230V inlet supplies you have gone a ways to prevent conducted interference.
If you have a cable carrying significant current like a spindle motor lying next to a signal cable carrying a few mA or less then the more powerful
cable will induce noise into its neighbour. Ideally you would separate the VFD/spindle and stepper wires from the signal wires. The stepper motor
currents don't seem to be giving you any grief so don't sweat them too much but you will need to separate both the 230V input cable to the VFD and
the cable to the spindle from the VFD from all the little signal wires and by several inches if you can.

The signal wires include the multicore parallel cable from the PC to the BoB, the Step and Dir plus Enables to the stepper drives and all the home
and limit switch wires. If you choose to use shielded cables earth only one end of the shield to one common earth usually at the BoB end.

For electrical safety you should earth the spindle motor back to the same common earth point along with the power earth. It is very important to
NOT accidentally earth the frame or other components of the machine with either shields or ground referenced signal wires, you will create a
ground loop which will induce noise into all the signals and drive you absolutely stark raving mad....I know...that's how I got to be like I am!

Craig

6636
Hi,
yes. The trial version is identical to the demo version it just doesn't have the 500 line limit.

If you buy a licence from Artsoft or one of the resellers just put the licence file in the Mach3 folder and thats it.
You don't need to update or get a better version or anything! Too easy!

Craig

6637
General Mach Discussion / Re: Interference with axis motors
« on: September 19, 2017, 02:06:04 PM »
Hi,
a 64 bit OS cannot support a parallel port. The PCI card must therefore be a motion controller...do you know what it is?

Craig.

6638
General Mach Discussion / Re: Interference with axis motors
« on: September 19, 2017, 11:58:12 AM »
Hi,
well that certainly is a parallel port board pictured, and this is the board your using? It is a different setup than that pictured that comes as
standard with the mill.

Double check the OS of the PC.

Craig

6639
Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Spindle Speed Feedback and Accuracy
« on: September 19, 2017, 08:13:32 AM »
Hi,
as it stands you have speed within 2% fast of nominal and as the load comes on and slows down it will get better before the load slows it to the
extent that the error grows on the slow side. Most operators would be delighted with that.

You may have noted in other posts I've made the claim that many, myself included, have spent way too much time on precise spindle speed control
when it's not necessary. I agree, get some work done with what appears already to be a very good setup and then make a decision whether further
investment of time and money is warranted. In my case I realised that improving my coolant system would've been a better use of my dollars.

Craig

6640
General Mach Discussion / Re: Interference with axis motors
« on: September 19, 2017, 07:14:46 AM »
Hi,
just had a look at the CNC Master website and they describe the control box communicating with the PC as USB connected, NOT parallel port.

Craig

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