Messages

7171

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 05:27:04 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
just noticed that the screen shot shows my custom DRO at the lower right hand corner. Note it reads 18000, my commanded or target spindle
speed but the TrueSpindle DRO above and slightly to the left of it shows zero. This IS as anticipated, the spindle is not running...

Also note that I set range 0 to have a min speed of 6000 rpm. My spindle is air cooled and it gets hot if you try to run it slow.

Craig

7172

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 05:08:12 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
have you enabled the spindle rate over-ride, I suspect not. Also have you set up at least one range in Machs Spindle page?, I suspect not.
Without it the max and min spindle speeds are both zero. Have a look at the screen shot.

For the required spindle over-ride enable try this code:

Code: [Select]

---------------------------------------------------------
--          set Target RPM DRO
---------------------------------------------------------
RPM=mc.mcCntlGetPoundVar(inst,2132);
mc.mcSpindleSetOverrideEnable(inst,1);
local OVRenable=mc.mcSpindleGetOverrideEnable(inst);
if OVRenable then;
    local OVR=mc.mcSpindleGetOverride(inst);
    RPM=RPM*OVR;
end;
local range=mc.mcSpindleGetCurrentRange(inst)
if RPM>mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) end;
if RPM<mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) end;
local freq=RPM/6;
local hfreq=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,"modbus0/freq");
mc.mcRegSetValue(hfreq,freq);
scr.SetProperty('dro(128)','Value',tostring(RPM));

Whether you chose to add dro(128) is up to you.

Craig

7173

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 04:52:53 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
I have a new DRO on my screen, I call it the Target DRO, ie the speed I hope the spindle will achieve. The DRO you are talking about is included
in the default Mach4 screen and is called 'droTrueSpindle'.

Note also the code I used to write to my DRO:
scr.SetProperty('dro(128)','Value',tostring(RPM));

ie Mach4 regards or calls my custom DRO  'dro(128)'. My DRO stays live all the time and tells me the speed the spindle will get to if I turn it on
whereas the droTrueSpindle tells me what speed its doing at the moment. If the spindle is not running then it will be zero.

The Estop and in fact a couple of other functions require some consideration. Firstly if you have a look at the "Cycle Stop()" function (in the LUA script):

---------------------------------------------------------------
-- Cycle Stop function.
---------------------------------------------------------------
function CycleStop()
    mc.mcCntlCycleStop(inst);
    mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0);
    mc.mcCntlSetLastError("Cycle Stopped");
end

note that it 'stops' the spindle with the mc.mcSpindleSetDirection(inst, 0); statement. It won't stop your spindle tho, you have to change the
spinCntrl register to stop it. Your m5 macro will do it or wherever you require a spindle stop you will have to code a spinCntrl register update
to stop it.

Craig

7174

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 04:35:00 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
not entirely surprised, look at what you've witten:

 RPM=mc.mcSpindleSetOverrideEnable(inst,1);

You have set the RPM to the return code of the mcSpindleSetOverrideEnable function which doesn,t make any sense at all.

Craig

7175

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Question on Toolpath?

« on: January 28, 2017, 04:12:26 PM »

Hi Mauri,
no the GPU usage is the same, its just that you cant see it.

Isn't there a control on the Mach/Toolpath page  'VBO', its my understanding, possibly mistakenly, that turns the toolpath display off altogether.
That would reduce GPU usage for sure!

Craig

7176

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 03:51:58 PM »

Hi Zuztah,
couple of issues.

Easy one first: you may note in the code in the PLC script that sets the speed I put the following test:

local OVRenable=mc.mcSpindleGetOverrideEnable(inst);
if OVRenable then;
    local OVR=mc.mcSpindleGetOverride(inst);
    RPM=RPM*OVR;
end;

My guess is that your machine does not have the Spindle OverRide enabled. Either delete the test or manually write the SpindleOverrideEnable bit:

mc.mcSpindleSetOverrideEnable(inst,1);
local OVRenable=mc.mcSpindleGetOverrideEnable(inst);
if OVRenable then;
    local OVR=mc.mcSpindleGetOverride(inst);
    RPM=RPM*OVR;
end;

The next issue is a little more serious namely that the spindle doesn't turn off.

In Screen Edit mode have a look at the properties of the two screen buttons...
near the top of the properties list there are entries;

Enabled
Hidden
Enabled with Machine
Enabled States    -- which can be expanded.

Obviously you want the buttons enabled so check Enabled
Uncheck Hidden  -- so you can see it!
Uncheck Enabled with Machine  -- ie the buttons don't work with the machine disabled
Expand Enabled States and check ALL or individually check the states for which you wish the buttons to operate. You will have to experiment with
those to work out what they all mean, I sure as hell don't.

These properties define when the button works or not. It does not solve the problem of the spindle not responding to the Estop.
I think it may be necessary to modify the 'Disable' script to turn the spindle off. I will experiment some more and report back.

Craig

7177

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 02:55:11 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
with the screen editor open highlight the very very topmost item of the Screen Tree Manager, your screenset, presumably one you named.
Now open the Events tab and the various scripts are listed, including the PLC script. Open it in the editor as you would a button, ie click on it
and then the rightmost extension.

Scroll down to the last statements of script:

--This is the last thing we do.  So keep it at the end of the script!
machStateOld = machState;
machWasEnabled = machEnabled;

Clearly stated these must be at the end of the script. I put the speed code immediately in front of those:

Code: [Select]

---------------------------------------------------------
--          set Target RPM DRO
---------------------------------------------------------
RPM=mc.mcCntlGetPoundVar(inst,2132);
local OVRenable=mc.mcSpindleGetOverrideEnable(inst);
if OVRenable then;
    local OVR=mc.mcSpindleGetOverride(inst);
    RPM=RPM*OVR;
end;
local range=mc.mcSpindleGetCurrentRange(inst)
if RPM>mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMaxRPM(inst,range) end;
if RPM<mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) then RPM=mc.mcSpindleGetMinRPM(inst,range) end;
local freq=RPM/6;
local hfreq=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,"modbus0/freq");
mc.mcRegSetValue(hfreq,freq);
scr.SetProperty('dro(128)','Value',tostring(RPM));


--This is the last thing we do.  So keep it at the end of the script!
machStateOld = machState;
machWasEnabled = machEnabled;

Craig

7178

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

« on: January 28, 2017, 02:08:10 PM »

Hi Zuxztah,
looking at your screenshot I would say you are correct. You must use the register path as you named them. Why did you name them that way?

Craig

7179

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Question on Toolpath?

« on: January 27, 2017, 08:33:19 PM »

Hi Mauri,
I just tried it out, I made both the top background and bottom background colour the same likewise the rapids, the linear gcodes and the
arc gcodes. The toolpath loads but you don't see it until the job runs.

Craig

7180

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Question on Toolpath?

« on: January 27, 2017, 08:25:55 PM »

Hi Mauri,
could you not achieve something similar by making the Gcode path the same colour as the background?
The cut path would stand out only.

Craig