Messages

6851

General Mach Discussion / Re: Problem with G540 controller not responding to probe settings

« on: August 05, 2017, 05:20:04 PM »

Hi,
certainly Mach4  and Windows10 can handle probing but you shouldn't need to do it, a 540 Mach3 and parallel port should work fine. If you did
upgrade you'd need to buy a motion controller and suddenly things become a bit more complicated!

You need to determine which pin the 540 uses for its probe input. Repeatedly energising then de-energising the probe should make one of the input LEDs
on the diagnostic tab light up. That's the input you should assign in Ports and Pins as your probe input.

The 540 is wired to use certain pins for particular tasks, limit switches for example. An ordinary breakout board you can assign any of several input pins
as limit switches. The 540 does tie you to certain ways of doing things but many people have had a great run with them...just remember that if the 540
manual says that pin is 'X limit' that's what it is, you cant change it!

Craig

6852

General Mach Discussion / Re: Going from Parallel to USB or Ether...

« on: August 05, 2017, 04:53:34 PM »

Hi,
my personal preference is an Ethernet Smoothstepper made by Warp9.

It has an Ethernet connection (fast!) to the PC and has lower latency compared to USB connected controllers. The ESS has three 'ports'
worth of outputs. Note you will need a BoB for each 'port' you wish to use, a simple machine can be run quite handily on one port only
which requires only one Bob, which you already have.

The ESS has plugins for both Mach3 and Mach4 so you can update without having to buy anything new.

As for how easy it is to change to an external controller...it can be confusing to start with but Warp9 have excellent instructions, videos and a forum.
You should not really have to fiddle with any electronics I don't think...if you can use you existing BoB.

Please note that this is my preference, there are other manufacturers, PMDX and PoKeys who both do great external motion control boards both
Mach3 and Mach4 capable for similar sort of money. You might like to look at Hicon from VitalSystems, great board but entry level is $600.

If you want simple and cheap then consider UC100, PMDX-411 or PoKeys 57CNCd25, they are USB connected to the PC with one ports worth
of output, a familiar d25 plug which would probably go straight into your existing BoB. All of these devices have Mach4 plugins. The three
companies have been in the business for years and have great reputations for backup.

If you see cheap Chinese made controllers do your research on the forum BEFORE you buy, there are hundreds if not thousands of posts about them
not working.

Craig

6853

General Mach Discussion / Re: Read external input

« on: August 05, 2017, 04:26:55 PM »

Hi,
your post would get more readers if in the Mach4 board...

I would use Mach4 signals....

hReg = mc.mcIoGetHandle(inst, mc.ISIG_INPUT1)

gets the handle of an IO whereas mc.ISIG_INPUT1 is a Mach4 signal...
hReg=mc.mcSignalGetHandle(inst,mc.ISIG_INPUT1)

if hReg == 1 then

tests the handle not the state of the signal. It is a good idea to test the handle to make sure its valid, if you try
to read the state of the signal at the handle address and the handle is invalid Mach will crash. If you do test it, it is assumed valid if NOT zero...
if hReg =! 0 then

Assuming the handle is good now read the state of the signal....
SignalState,rc=mc.mcSignalGetSate(hReg)

Remember that a 'handle' is a numerical address of an IO or Signal or Register in Mach. While IO, Signals and Registers may have useful names, numbers
or paths they must be reduced to a numerical address, a handle, before you can access them.

Craig

6854

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a Sevo as a Spindle and an Axis

« on: August 04, 2017, 02:56:54 AM »

Hi,
this might work

Craig

6855

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a Sevo as a Spindle and an Axis

« on: August 04, 2017, 02:37:57 AM »

Hi,
in fact even simpler would be a DPDT relay...

Craig

6856

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using a Sevo as a Spindle and an Axis

« on: August 04, 2017, 02:35:34 AM »

Hi,
if I understand what you're trying to achieve is to have two sets of step/dir pins and select one set depending on the behaviour required for the servo
at this instant?

If that is the case then you can't combine the pin sets passively. A passive combination network cannot prevent both high AND low states from propagation.
That would require an active network, aka a multiplexer. Probably the simplest would be some CMOS bilateral switches but could also be achieved by
paralleling two tri-state buffers...If you are interested I could sketch up a couple of circuits that might work.

Craig

6857

General Mach Discussion / Re: Is this the real deal or just a cracked warez product?

« on: July 29, 2017, 05:44:44 PM »

Hi,
it seems to me that as others have pointed out that the software is a copy and probably useless. What I've seen of these el-cheapo
Chinese machines is that the BoB, stepper drivers and spindle drive electronics are very poor as well. The DC spindle supplied has rubber
mounted bearings and is not rigid enuf for accurate work.

What you need to consider 'is the price acceptable if I have to replace the electronics and get a genuine Mach3 licence and do I require
a better spindle?'  Five hundred odd pounds for a modest collection of screws and rails? I think there are better deals than that around!!

Craig

6858

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help! Mach 3 glue dispenser !!

« on: July 22, 2017, 11:43:11 PM »

Hi,
I recall a conversation a while back where a guy had problems with excessive paint buildup and the beginning an end of a Gcode
programmed spray painting machine.

My solution was to start the move and after a suitable delay turn on the paint/glue/whathaveyou.

At this point Tweakie suggested looking at M10 and M11. My understanding is that when an M11 (start command) is issued it is delayed until
the beginning of the next move, ie the glue dispenser would not operate until the X-Y axes started moving. I understand it came as a result
of those wishing to use laser marking, it prevents excessive marking at the beginning of the move.

It is not a focus of mine and therefore have no knowledge of it outside this brief conversation but I think there may be a programmatic
solution to your problem.

Craig

6859

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH 4 for 5-Axis Micro-milling Application

« on: July 22, 2017, 03:13:35 AM »

Hi,
to my knowledge the only real difference between Hobby and Industrial is backup. When you start to write your own LUA macros and so on with Hobby you'll
be restricted to the forum. The support ticket system works but its slow for Hobby customers.

If your intention is to use your machine commercially then an Industrial licence is appropriate and if you can't justify $1400 then is your business plan likely
to survive? Unless you have a need...commercial intent or demand high level technical support...then Hobby will be fine.

Craig

6860

General Mach Discussion / Re: PLEASE HELP! New user, new machine, CRAZY Z depth

« on: July 22, 2017, 02:31:17 AM »

Hi,
I go with Tweakie here, I had a problem with Mach3 when I first started with the Z axis drifting. I blamed all sorts of things but the single
biggest cause of the fault was the tool drifting in the collet!!! You'd think you'd see it...but no it took some hours of frustration before I realised.

Have noted that 'frustration' is a real headwind when it comes to problem solving....I'm so pis....ed off that I forget to think!!!

Craig