Messages

7161

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 29, 2017, 05:45:46 AM »

Hi Zuztah,
kool, awfully close now. Just an E-stop trap and you're done! If you had known at the outset what it was going to take would
you have bothered?

Probably need to write up the process, at least as a guide rather than a blow by blow account so others can follow it.

Craig

7162

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 29, 2017, 05:16:31 AM »

Hi Zuxztah,
made some progress with the help of Daz-the-Gaz and Dude1....

The left-up script for the Stop button

Code: [Select]

Shutdown();
CycleStop();
The left-up script for the Reset button

Code: [Select]

Shutdown();
local inst = mc.mcGetInstance()
mc.mcCntlReset(inst)
mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0)
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, 'diagReset')
And this in the ScreenLoad script

Code: [Select]

---------------------------------------------------------------
--  Spindle Shutdown
---------------------------------------------------------------
function Shutdown();
    local inst=mc.mcGetInstance();
    mc.mcScriptExecute(inst,"m5.mcs",0);
end;
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Cycle Stop function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function CycleStop()
    mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0);
    mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst,"Cycle Stopped");
    mc.mcCntlCycleStop(inst);
end

---------------------------------------------------------------
And add this left-up script to the Enable/Disable button

Code: [Select]

Shutdown()
Not sure yet whether an Estop trap is required. Need to get to my machine, maybe later in the week.

Craig

7163

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Stop/Reset scripts with and without Gcode

« on: January 29, 2017, 04:50:37 AM »

Hi Guys,
you're right, mc.mcCntlSetLastError() requires 'inst' as argument.

Other thing I found was:
mcScriptExecute() rather than mcCntrlGodeExecutWait() means that the m5 script does not have to compete with a running Gcode job.

Thanks again
Craig


            

7164

General Mach Discussion / Re: G540 Steps Per

« on: January 29, 2017, 12:02:59 AM »

Hi,
what are you using as native units? Found on the Config/Select Native Units menu, set them once and then leave them alone. You can
use the alternate units for your Gcode jobs but DONT use this setting to achieve it, use codes G20/G21 instead.

If in mm which is a natural choice if using metric ballscrews the steps per unit would be:
200 full steps/rev times 8 microsteps per fullstep equals an axis movement of 10mm
ie 160 steps/mm.

If in inches:
200 full steps/rev times 8 microsteps per full step equals 0.3937 inch per rev
ie 4064.008 steps/inch.

Craig

7165

General Mach Discussion / Re: Parallel port confirmations

« on: January 28, 2017, 11:49:08 PM »

Hi (again),
the charge pump sounds about right, it is a 50% duty cycle square wave and your multimeter is sort of averaging it out,
often not easy to read.

(3.3V+ 0V)/2=1.65V or there abouts. It sounds to me that your PC is doing what it should but it is most certainly a 3.3V output
machine. Do you have a manual for your BOB? Some accommodate lower input voltages and some don't.

Craig

7166

General Mach Discussion / Re: Parallel port confirmations

« on: January 28, 2017, 11:42:43 PM »

Hi,
what PC are you running, most older style machines have high TTL output of 5V. Laptops commonly have lower levels, 3.3V.

Depending on your BOB 3.3V may not be enuf to reliably trigger a BOB output.

Craig

7167

Mach4 General Discussion / Stop/Reset scripts with and without Gcode

« on: January 28, 2017, 11:32:55 PM »

Hi All,
I've got myself tied up in knots. Over the last few days I've been helping Zuxztah to write code sufficient to control a VFD
over Modbus. Has been coming on pretty well but find myself out of my depth and the end.

Have got the Modbus link to work, have the scripts necessary for the CW and CCW buttons and associated spindle override to work.

The problem is how to stop the spindle under different conditions. From Gcode or MDI m5 works fine.

For the 'Stop' button I have the following:

Code: [Select]

Shutdown();
CycleStop();
For the 'Reset' button I have:

Code: [Select]

Shutdown();
local inst = mc.mcGetInstance()
mc.mcCntlReset(inst)
--mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0)
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, 'diagReset')
And the two functions in the screen load script:

Code: [Select]

---------------------------------------------------------------
--  Spindle Shutdown
---------------------------------------------------------------
function Shutdown();
    local inst=mc.mcGetInstance();
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"m5");
end;
---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Cycle Stop function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function CycleStop()
    mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0);
    mc.mcCntlSetLastError("Cycle Stopped");
    mc.mcCntlCycleStop(inst);
end

---------------------------------------------------------------
When I click the Reset button it appears to work, namely it calls m5 and therefore stops the spindle executes the mc.mcCntlReset(inst) statement
and as a diagnostic feature displays mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, 'diagReset').

When I click the Stop button it executes m5 and stops the spindle and appears to execute mc.mcCntlCycleStop but never displays
mc.mcCntlSetLastError("Cycle Stopped");.

Worse however if I have a Gcode program running and either Stop or Reset buttons are clicked the spindle does not stop and Mach4 crashes.

What am I misunderstanding?

What does mc.mcCntlCycleStop actually do?

Craig

7168

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 28, 2017, 07:32:22 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
I think its doable in software but can't get it to work at the moment. Will come back to it later when fresh.

Craig

7169

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 28, 2017, 06:19:59 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
I rather questioned the idea of shutting the power off the VFD as well. The manufacturer doesn't recommend it, the manual says to stop
the motor using the normal commands and THEN depower.

If you require an 'Emergency Shutdown' then you have to program you VFD to achieve that and will almost certainly require a brake resistor.

by that you mean to send the stop command to VFD? (decimal 01 to 8192)

Yes. Alternately you could code:
mc.mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"m5");
provided 'inst' is in scope at that point.

E-stop is a valid input signal but I can't find the ENUM for it just at the moment. May have to call on wiser heads.

Craig

7170

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Machtric 2.2kw VFD Modbus

« on: January 28, 2017, 05:53:17 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
now thinking about the Estop.....

Certainly as a safety measure the spindle most stop when the Estop is activated. Many users have a totally separate electrical system that kills
the power supply to the spindle and commonly the servo/stepper drivers as well. I myself do not use that system but rely on Mach to shut the
spindle down. There is some philosophical debate about that. I suspect if you were using this machine in an industrial situation then an 'automatic'
electrical supply shutoff would be legally required.

In absence of such a setup then you are going to require Mach to do something specific to shut the spindle off.

Further Estop is not the only time you want to turn the spindle off. Consider what you expect to happen if you hit the 'Enable/Disable' button,
do you expect the spindle to stop?. I do. What about the 'Reset' button? The standard script which accompanies the button shuts the spindle
down using the same statement as above which of course will not work for your setup, ie Modbus controlled spindle. What about the 'FeedHold'
button?. Do you expect the spindle to stop then?. I do not want it to stop under FedHold but maybe you do.

To my knowledge the 'Enable/Disable' and 'Reset' buttons use the CycleStop() function. Two ways of achieving it are
1) Modify the CycleStop() function to include Modbus shut-off
2)Write your own function instead of CycleStop()

I'm not aware of any argument that suggests one is better than another.

That still does not address the Estop set up however. The only way I can think of to ensure the spindle stops when an Estop signal is
encountered is to 'trap' the signal with either the signal script and/or signal table and execute a spindle shutdown function.

What do you think?

Craig