Messages

7351

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help! How to write Macro for M11 and M10 in Mach3

« on: November 30, 2016, 10:15:42 PM »

Hi,
after a little messing around this macro seems to work, I hope as you intended.....


Sub main()
code ("g1 x100 y0 f300")
While IsMoving()
If getOEMDRO(800)>20 Then DoOEMButton(233)
If getOEMDRO(800)>80 Then DoOEMButton(234)
Wend
End Sub   

Where 'getOEMDRO(800)' is the current position of the X axis and because its inside the "While IsMoving()' loop
is continually updated.
'DoOEMButton(233)' turns on output4 if enabled in 'port and pins' and
'DoOEMButton(234) turns output4 off.

I propose you use output4 to control your spray valve.
As I've written it (I use mm) the movement is from 0 to 100mm at 300mm/min but the object to be painted
is only 60mm wide,and occupies the space from X=20mm to X=80mm. Each of your painting moves could be
done in a macro with intervening G0 moves to setup for the next 'live one'

G0 X0 Y0 ;preposition your machine
M100 ;your first paint pass
G0 X0 Y10 ;preposition for your second pass
M101 ;your appropriately coded second paint pass
and so on.....

The idea might be a bit 'clunky' but I think it might achieve what you want.
There is a timer function in VB which might also work, I haven't messed with it.
My reasoning goes that because you've set the acceleration in your motor tuning
setup it is possible to calculate the distance the axis travels by the time it reaches
its constant speed, ie the feedrate.

Hope this gives you some ideas to pursue. Let us know how you make out.

Craig

7352

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help! How to write Macro for M11 and M10 in Mach3

« on: November 30, 2016, 08:06:58 PM »

Hi nguyenan0803,
I think I understand what you're trying to achieve. You want the spray to start once
the item has accelerated upto speed and stop spraying before it slows down.

I can see one problem with your approach. When Mach3 encounters an 'M' command
it will complete the previous move before it runs the M instructions. Likewise it will
complete an existing move before it runs your M10 (stop spraying) macro.

As your code is written I would guess the item being painted is stationary or at least
moving very slowly at each end of your moves.

One idea I have is to start a move, for instance
G01 X80 Y10
and then query the DRO associated with the X axis to determine if it is moving at constant
speed and if so activate the spray. I believe the DRO is updated every 100ms or so and is near
as damn-it a realtime position.

Gcode cannot contain conditional statements so the entire spray start/stop cycle would have
to be coded in VB within probably a macro. I will do a little experimenting and get back to you.

Craig

7353

General Mach Discussion / Re: Arduino and Mach 3

« on: November 30, 2016, 01:08:17 PM »

Hi,
don't give up hope yet. I am a relative newbie myself. When some of the wiser heads weigh in
it may well be that there is a suitable plugin or similar.

Writing your on plugin is not for the faint hearted, there is a section of the forum dedicated to such
endeavours. Well worth a look and maybe pose your question there, wiser heads and all.

Another possibility is to write a joystick control routine which works with GBRL. My understanding
is that GBRL is open source so don't imagine it would be any harder than writing a plugin for
Mach and maybe easier.

Another alternative is to convert to Mach3. That would mean throwing away the arduino controller
and replacing it with a breakout board and individual motor drives. This setup is the 'norm' for
Mach3 installations.

The cheapest alternative would be to run a parallel port on you PC. Note that it would have to use
a 32bit OS, Windows7 or earlier, XP is the common standard. The parallel port is the basic standard
of Mach3 and is free and you've got to luv that!
This option would require a breakout board or BOB in the jargon. Its really only an amplifier/buffer
and does not really do anything smart. The cheaper Chinese ones can be had for $10-$20. I would
recommend something better though with American made ones for about $50. I use Austrailian made
units for about the same $50. You would also require stepper drivers. A lot of the Chinese made ones
are based on a driver chip called something like TB3625. They have a reputation for blowing up but
often have 3 or more drivers built into one unit. Given the small steppers you have such a unit maybe
quite adequate and they are really cheap. If you want something better then go for Geko drives, they're
like an asshole....everyones got one! They have a great reputation but be prepared to spend $300 or
so for three of them. I'm not familiar with them myself but believe they make a unit with several
drivers inside.

If you want to use USB or Ethernet output from your PC because of 64 bit OS say then you would require
an external motion controller. The UC100 or Smoothstepper series are very widely used starting at around
$100 for the UC100 and $200 for the Smoothstepper. Depending on the model you probably would still
require a BOB and certainly drivers. There are cheaper Chinese motion controllers but I would avoid them,
their backup is lousy. The sky is the limit with external motion controllers costing many hundreds and even
thousand of dollars, beyond my reach anyway.

Hope this gives you a few choices.

Craig

7354

General Mach Discussion / Re: Arduino and Mach 3

« on: November 30, 2016, 12:06:12 AM »

Hi kaspis245,
I've never come across a machine such as yours so I can't answer your question with any confidence.
I might point out that what I've seen and read on the net leaves intrigued by how they work. Certainly
the price and the generally open source nature of the beasts is a great recommendation.

Mach3 differs from the controllers you've mentioned. Like those controllers it interprets Gcode but in
Mach3's original and most basic form it generates pulse signals on a parallel printer port. Most users
attach a 'breakout board' to the port, it acts as a buffer/amplifier really and does not do anything smart
and the breakout board delivers the signals to the motor drivers.

Clearly the shield attached to the arduino must have little drivers built in, very nifty. What is not clear to me
is the communication between the PC and the arduino. Unless someone who knows more can contradict me
I don't believe Mach3 can 'speak arduino'.
Plugins can and have been written for Mach3 which can make them communicate with other devices so my guess
it that its possible but I don't know of any such plugin.

Which leads me to the question of why? Are the controllers GBRL et al not adequate or not work? I imagine Mach3
to have a lot more sophisticated features but when all said and done it can still only drive your machine to its best,
its not magic and no controller can make it faster or more powerful than its hardware allows.
Given that Mach3 is going to cost nearly as much as your machine is it the best use of your money?

Craig

7355

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program stopped when encountering '#' statement

« on: November 29, 2016, 11:06:24 PM »

Hi Kyle,
have been experimenting and found a few useful things.

On the artsoft website under 'help and learning /product manuals/mach3 find and download a 'usage guide
to Mach3Mill'. Section 10 mentions pound variables and how to use them.

Under the 'operator menu' of Mac3 click 'Gcode Vari Monitor'. Enter the two variable numbers you are interested in,
500 and 2002 in your case and click update. The window should remain active so you can observe changes as you
MDI or run code.

I wrote this little Gcode snippet and it seems to work

#500=5
#2002=10
G4 P5
#500=50
#2002=100
G4 P20
#500=[#500/2]
M30
at least on my machine. Struggled to get the last arithmetic statement to work until I put square brackets
around it.
The straight assignment
#500=#2002
works. If it does not on your machine I would have to suggest that part of Mach3 is corrupt.
I found also that if the interpreter struggles with a line it puts an error code in the status line
at the bottom of most Mach3 screens.

Hopefully this will give you some tools to sort out what the problem is. Let us know how you
get on, the forum gets stronger when people share their solutions.

Craig

7356

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program stopped when encountering '#' statement

« on: November 29, 2016, 09:15:34 PM »

Hi Kyle,
you are correct, the probing is OK. The line using pound variables is at fault.

The first time I used Autoleveller I used the same version you are and it worked. Can only guess that your
version of Mach3 differs from my own.

Could it be than one or rather of the variables is invalid.

Try replacing the line with something like

#500=1.5
G0 Z5
M05

If it runs to completeion indicated by Z axis elevating to 5mm then #500 is valid.

In fact I just tried it in the MDI line here

#500=1.5 <enter>
G01  X #500 <enter>
and the X axis drove to X=1.5mm as expected.
I will do a little more experimenting and get back to you.

Craig

7357

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program stopped when encountering '#' statement

« on: November 29, 2016, 06:36:16 PM »

Hi Kyle,
before I let the Aoutlevller augmented Gcode run I ALWAYS check to see if the probe is working.

Simple enuf, just watch for the probe LED on the diagnostics page while MDI'ing the tool into contact.
If the probe event is not detected the machine will continue to drive the tool down until it is detected
or to the lower limit declared in the G31 code, commonly 1mm. If a probe wire is not properly connected
or similar the board and/or the tool will be wrecked.

The version of Autolevller you are using will require that you fit a new tool and start again which is a real
problem if the PCB it part complete because the probe points will almost certainly isolated.

The subscribed version however allows you to fit a new tool due to breakage or wear, MDI down to a known
probe point, commonly 0,0 to touch off, zero Z axis then resume machining either from the beginning
or from where you left off with the 'Start From Here' button. The restart can be a bit tricky as Mach seems to
have a mind of its own when it comes to preparatory moves. With some experimentation the logic of how
its accomplished becomes clear and you can avoid certain disasters!

I have one board which is a high current inverter PCB and I'm using 12oz copper board, that is 420um!
To do this I have to take a couple of cuts to get thru the copper then on succeeding periphial cuts of
0.2mm wide at full depth. I require 5mm isolation as the inverter runs at 400Vdc. This means that the
board takes about 5 hours to cut. I have to use small 0.5mm endmills, small enuf to fit between SMT pads
and the taper of an engraving bit at 0.42mm depth is not acceptable. I replace endmills about hourly
so be able to restart after a toolchange is a must. The subscribed version of Autoleveller makes it possible.

Craig

7358

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need CNC beginning guide

« on: November 29, 2016, 02:44:06 AM »

Hi,
another useful learning tool is to use Mach3 Wizards. There are quite a few for basic stuff
like drilling bolt circles and pocketing and similar. They generate Gcode which you can run
but more importantly view to see how a Gcode program works.

Look under the 'Wizards Tab' and prepare to be impressed!

Craig

7359

General Mach Discussion / Re: PowerMax30 THC - DIY with MACH3

« on: November 29, 2016, 02:18:34 AM »

Hi All,
the company I work for sell and repair Hypertherm gear and I luv em! Don't get to
fix many of them, they don't breakdown much and usually torches, air components
and sometimes a fan when they do.

Don't have the info in front of me but they make little add-on boards for machine control,
I know they have a voltage divider in there but if memory serves also an 'arc ok' logic
signal and of course a trigger circuit to start the arc. The boards are small and so are
reasonably cheap. Not sure whether they make one for the Powermax 30 but certainly
for the larger units.

The Powermax 125 is a beast, 25mm steel at 1m/min and 40mm steel about 400 mm/min!

Without doubt Hypertherm is expensive stuff but they beat the hell out of any other machine
I've come across. I suppose I'm biased but in this case I can claim with good reason.

Craig

7360

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program stopped when encountering '#' statement

« on: November 29, 2016, 01:57:39 AM »

Hi wongster,
I use Autoleveller and its FANTASTIC! With it I cut boards at a cut depth of 60um on a
blank board with 35um (1oz) copper with perfect isolation, accuracy and finish. Tool wear
is also much reduced because you're not cutting excessive amounts of fibreglass.

Almost all of my boards now are SMT or at least contain SMT parts. Have done TSSOP packages
and 0603 resistors but hard to solder by hand so prefer SIOC and 1206 sizes. Prior to Autoleveller
I could not do these well but now no probs.

The version of Autoleveller you're using is the free one which 'levels' each file by including inline
calculations in your Gcode file. I found it to work but there is a better alternative. The subscription
version (20 British pound) generates a probe data file and then 'levels' each file presented to it
by generating a new Gcode file but does not rely on inline calcs. Provides a graphical view of the
probe data and can be reused without reprobing across several files on the top layer say.
Worth every pence IMHO. Additionally gives you access to the Autoleveller forum and the guy who
wrote it responds.

Craig