Messages

7051

General Mach Discussion / Re: How to hook up Mach3 to a Shapeoko 3 CNC router table?

« on: April 22, 2017, 04:12:28 PM »

Hi chet,
you might find instructions/diagrams which detail what you need to do... but maybe not too. This is a DIY hobby after all.

You will need to solder DB9 plugs to each of the existing stepper motor cables. The power supply, assuming it is within the range of
a G540, is connected to two terminals on the 540. I imagine the Shapeoko spindle is turned on and off by a relay? In which case just
assign an output pin to spindle control and hook that pin screw terminal to a relay. Your limit/home switches likewise hook to the
screw terminals of the 540.

The 540 is very convenient in that a DB25 parallel port cable plugs straight into it and it contains 4 stepper motor drivers and doubles
as breakout board for the uncommitted IO pins.

Craig

7052

General Mach Discussion / Re: mach3 not run driver test

« on: April 22, 2017, 04:46:00 AM »

Hi,
its been some time since I had to install Mach3 and PP and get it to run.

Go to the Artsoft site and download:
 
Mach3 CNC Controller Software Installation and Configuration

Section 2.3.1

2.1.3 The Vital Reboot
You must reboot Windows before running Mach3. This reboot is vital. If you do not do it, you will get
into great difficulties which can only be overcome by using the Windows Control Panel to uninstall the
driver manually. So please reboot now.
If you are interested in knowing why the reboot is required, then read on. If not, you can skip to Section
2.2.
Although Mach3 will appear to be a single program when you are using it, it actually consists of two
parts: a driver, which is installed as part of Windows like a printer or network driver, and a graphical
user interface (GUI).
The driver is the most important and ingenious part. Mach3 must be able to send very accurately timed
signals to control the axes of the machine tool. Windows likes to be in charge. It runs normal user programs
when it has nothing better to do itself. Because Mach3’s operation is so time-critical, it cannot
be a “normal user program.” It must be at the lowest level inside Windows (that is, it handles interrupts).
Furthermore, to do this at the high speeds possibly required (each axis may be given attention
up to 100,000 times per second), the driver needs to tune its own code. Windows does not approve of
this (it's a trick that viruses play), so it has to be asked to give special permission. This process requires
the reboot. So if you have not done the re-boot, then Windows will give the Blue Screen of Death and
the driver will be corrupt. The only way out of this is to manually remove the driver.
Having given these dire warnings, it is only fair to say that the reboot is required only when the driver
is first installed. If you update your system with a newer version, then the reboot is not vital. The
install sequence does, however, still ask you to do it. Windows XP boots reasonably quickly, so it is

When I was doing this I missed the 'vital reboot' a couple of times and so had to use Control Panel to manually dig
out the corrupt driver and do it all over again. If I did not do it this way I recall an error such as has been described
'No driver detected'. No driver=no joy, no way!

Craig

7053

General Mach Discussion / Re: Compatibility Test Diagnostics Failed !

« on: April 22, 2017, 02:39:51 AM »

Hi,
I'm not familiar with the UC*** products but sure as eggs you can control a spindle with them, wouldn't be much of
a controller otherwise.

The Warp9 ESS I am familiar with. It has '3 parallel ports' as output. It means that all the input/output pins have been grouped
together to behave like a parallel ports so familiar to us who've used Mach3. It also means that all those breakout boards that we used
when we used a parallel port can be used as buffers/amplifiers for the ESS board. There is no real reason that all the pins, 40 or so, couldn't
just be arranged in a line but Warp9 decided to make it easier for those who had used Machs parallel ports for years.

The PoKeys boards are more like that, ie all the IO pins in a line rather than grouped together...works just the same tho. The ESS and Warp9
show their long standing commitment and affiliation with Mach...

Craig

7054

General Mach Discussion / Re: Compatibility Test Diagnostics Failed !

« on: April 21, 2017, 09:19:08 PM »

Hi Dubble,
kool! I didn't know that, is it a recent development? Frankly any manufacturer who doesn't bother to bring out a Mach4 plugin
for their controller is going to go out of business.

I'm sure all your existing customers are going to be delighted to have the option of trying Mach4.

Craig

7055

General Mach Discussion / Re: Parrallel port tests

« on: April 21, 2017, 09:13:34 PM »

Hi,
when you say you 'added two ports' how did you do that? Did you add boards and if so what type.

Even if you had a parallel port capable printer it would still not be a realistic test for the 'Mach Printer Port'. The Mach PP
is as much internal to the PC than the external connector. The internal part is that part of the code which programs the PC
to generate a pulse stream. In order to do this it takes extreme liberties with Windows OS. Should Windows be configured
in a contrary manner or that there is other software installed on the PC it may well prevent Machs 'Pulse engine' from running.
Under that circumstance Machs PP WILL NOT run even if the printer port connection is perfect. Machs Pulse Engine is the key,
if it runs then the chances are good for getting Mach to run without it NO CHANCE AT ALL.

The 'DriverTest.exe' is the correct tool for establishing if Machs Pulse Engine is running and if its in good shape or not. It may be
that the pulse engine is running but you have some snafu which prevents the signals arriving at the connector but if you get no
output from the DriverTest then NOTHING else works or matters.

Install Mach3 according to the instructions which includes a reboot part way thru. Run DriverTest.exe from the main Mach3 folder.
Note if you didn't reboot at the right time you will have to manually uninstall the corrupt driver and start again.

Report back and let us know how you got on.

Craig

7056

General Mach Discussion / Re: Compatibility Test Diagnostics Failed !

« on: April 21, 2017, 03:53:57 PM »

Hi,
I go with Tweakie on this one, like him I have an Ethernet connected Smoothstepper and luv it! It has both Mach3 and Mach4
plugins so if you want to try Mach4 just download the plugin and have at it!. No cost involved.

The UC100, in fact the entire UCnnn range have a great reputation and many thousands of Mach3 users. To my knowledge they
don't have a Mach4 plugin and all their devices are USB connected only.

PMDX have a number of boards all USB connected and at least two which have Mach3 and Mach4 plugins. The head honcho at PMDX
is a regular contributor on the forum and an absolute whiz at anything Mach. PMDX customer support is legend.

A more recent player in the 'value external motion controller' market is PoKeys. They have both USB and Ethernet connected examples
some with both Mach3 and Mach4 plugins.

CSlabs, Vital Systems, Dynamotion and Galill all make great controllers but are more angled to the pro market and are a lot more expensive
but all VERY good. Have a look and drool!

There are still more manufacturers, a lot of Chinese suppliers, and they crop up in the forum quite a bit, usually because buyers are struggling
to get them to work and/or the manufacturer don't back them up. I may be guilty here of painting all such manufacturers with a 'black brush'
when there are some who are really trying to do the right thing. Too many people have paid up their bucks to these outfits mainly because
they're cheap only to find they end up with rubbish. If you buy 'real cheap' don't be surprised if it turns out you're disappointed.

Craig

7057

General Mach Discussion / Re: Compatibility Test Diagnostics Failed !

« on: April 21, 2017, 05:01:21 AM »

Hi,
just to confirm... you are using a 32 bit operating system?

If so have a look at the section of the forum for running Mach on Vista, some of the tricks and techniques maybe will
help you as well.

Note also that some PCs just don't run a parallel port well no matter how much you tweak them. This was part of the impetus
for various manufacturers to develop external motion control boards. An external motion control board means that the PC no
longer has to support the parallel port and with some PCs its the only way they could run Mach usefully.

Craig

7058

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ultra 3000 servo drive

« on: April 16, 2017, 08:49:08 PM »

Hi All,
cottoned on to what I was doing wrong.

Firstly I've never had this drive in service, its internal EEPROM is as it was programmed by the previous owner.
In order for me to program it to my satisfaction I need to be able to communicate with but the existing
programed communication protocol parameters are unknown to me.

Rockwell does provide for this situation, when the drive is first powered up or reset for a few seconds it listens for comms
at 9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity. I had to configure Ultraware to communicate with this protocol to 'seize' the drive. Now I can set
the protocol of both the drive and the PC to what I want, with one exception an Ultra 3000 drive doesn't support 8 bit no parity!
Once I tumbled to this and set the protocol to 9600 baud, 7 bit even parity Ultraware would scan and detect my drive.

I can now program my drive and issue commands and the servo responds per spec....luv it when it comes together!

Have yet to decide whether to use analogue speed control or step/direction. Given that this motor is for a spindle for which I don't
require index control then analogue speed control is perfectly good enuf. If I want to do rigid tapping then indexing is mandatory and
I will be trying it at some stage. The question is whether to go the 'extra distance' ie step/direction now or at some later date?

Craig

7059

General Mach Discussion / Ultra 3000 servo drive

« on: April 16, 2017, 01:42:37 AM »

Hi All,
I am attempting to use an Allen Bradley 1.8kW servo as a spindle motor. Have a 2098-DSD-020 2kW servo drive.
Have bought a copy of Ultraware, Rockwells setup software.

I can't get the Ultraware program to recognise the drive as 'online' when its plugged in. I have tested the RS232 port
and it appears to be working. When the software is started or rescanned it appears to step thru
all ten available nodes but fails to recognise my drive. The drive is secondhand so could be faulty, obviously hoping otherwise
because I've done my bucks...

One thing I saw with this drive it 'requires an auxillary 5V supply if logic is to remain active in absence of main power'. I assumed that
the 5V was unnecessary for testing, but maybe I'm wrong.

Craig

7060

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ess smoothstepper

« on: April 16, 2017, 01:26:38 AM »

Hi,
sounds like the buffer (instruction queue) is running out. Extend the buffer length.

Craig