Messages

7361

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mini ITX Motherboard for Mach4

« on: November 25, 2016, 03:59:00 AM »

Hi,
I bought a Mini ITX board from Unigens UMB-D255E1. I've been running Mach3 on two PP's for a couple
of years without trouble. Used 32 bit Windows 7 Embedded (Standard) as OS. Based on a dual core
Atom processor which has a GPU on chip albeit sharing main RAM. As a computing solution its a pretty
modest platform but never had cause to think about upping the processor grunt.
The main point of buying it was to increase reliability compared to my old XP machine and it has
achieved that easily. Fitted with a 64G mSATA SSHD, just brilliant.

I've recently bought a licence for Mach4 and have been running it in simulation mode without
difficulty. I have an ESS but have not hooked it up yet, I've got so many little jobs that need
doing and Mach3 handles them I just can't bring myself to take my mill out of service while I
shagg around with M4.

My early impressions of Mach4 is that it runs with fewer hiccups and quirks than Mach3 largely due to
the modular design and a modern 'engineered' software approach. I think any modern platform
will run Mach4 just fine, indeed that is one of the selling points of Mach4 is its (comparative) independence of
the platform it runs on.

Try searching mini-itx.com, they have got dozens of offerings. I got my board from a local (New Zealand)
supplier and paid a big premium for it but the same supplier was able to supply Windows Embedded which
was my choice of OS so I took the hardware price hit to get the OS.

Craig

7362

General Mach Discussion / Re: Steps aren't consistent positive to negative

« on: November 11, 2016, 03:06:43 PM »

Hi,
not sure what's going on but there is probably some things you can do to narrow the problem down.

I notice that you say the problem occurs on the X axis only. Is that correct?

If so try disconnecting the Y axis stepper and drive it with the X axis driver. If the 'creep' problem
now happens on the Y axis then the fault is the X axis driver or its pulse inputs.

You could also try driving the X axis stepper with the Y axis driver to confirm the X axis stepper is OK.
Stepper motors are pretty simple and unlikely to fault in the way you describe but its an easy
test. Be a shame to spend time/money/frustration only to find that it was something this simple!

Another thing that might be worth investigating is to go 'full step' Switch the microstepping off and
try the same test. I can't help but wonder if the driver is not microstepping indentically and symmetrically
in both directions.

Another simple test would be to feed the X axis stepper with the Y axis pulse/direction inputs. Would
prove whether the driver or its pulse inputs are faulty.

Let us know how you get on.

Craig

7363

General Mach Discussion / Re: Reset spindle speed at startup

« on: November 11, 2016, 04:13:34 AM »

Hi,
when I fire up Mach3 I get SRO=100% as default. Don't know how to change that.

You could write a script and perform that script as initialisation string, a work around to be
sure but I think a workable one.

Use 'Edit VBscrpit' on 'operator menu'

sub main()
setOEMdro(74,100)
end sub

and save it as m150 say if m150 is not already in use.

The first argument is the DRO number of the Speed Rate Over Ride=74.
The second argument is the desired percentage over ride, 100 in this example.

Then add 'm150' to your 'initialisation string' on the 'General Config' page.

Craig

7364

General Mach Discussion / Re: third axis for lathe

« on: November 11, 2016, 03:10:36 AM »

Hi,
off topic also but I like it:

"Insanity is inherited, you get it from your children"

Probably not appropriate to giggle in face of serious family hurt.

Craig

7365

General Mach Discussion / Re: Did not receive license file....

« on: November 09, 2016, 04:24:02 AM »

Hi mismas,
if you paid $5000 or more plus annual subscriptions as is common with pro software
you can expect/ demand support.

Mach3=$175, no subscription.

If there were say 20000 licenced users, total 3.5 million over Mach3's entire history, over ten years!
I don't imagine there'd be anything left over for support.

The community of users ie the forum is the support and that's voluntary. I realise it can't address
licencing issues but it is what it is.

The commercial version of Mach4 does have phone support but it costs more.

Craig

7366

General Mach Discussion / Re: mach3 or computer problem

« on: November 09, 2016, 04:08:40 AM »

Hi,
another thing you might try is turning off the toolpath display, graphics can consume a huge amount of CPU
time hence the recommendation to use a dedicated graphics card.
Don't know what might have changed but it is a simple test.

Craig

7367

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need Help to Figure out PLASMA CNC

« on: October 15, 2016, 06:36:36 AM »

Hi,
I fix welding equipment for a living, I quite like the 5XR, a venerable and honest performer.
Downside is its getting old, you cant buy the control boards anymore for instance. Likewise the
torch is an old design and takes a lot of current to cut a given bit of plate whereas a modern torch
will cut the same plate for a lower current.

In addition it uses HF start and it WILL play merry hell with any electronics/PC you use to control it.

Dave has recommended Hypertherm, I sell and service them and am biased. They leave the competition,
all competition, for dead. Hypertherm use a sort of scratch start but occurs in the plasma head under
pneumatic control, real smart and reliable and NO HF, God be praised!

Craig

7368

General Mach Discussion / Re: Machine Coord's

« on: October 15, 2016, 06:12:48 AM »

Hi,
as rcaffin says if you don't have home switches assigned then when you 'ref' either an individual axis,
say refX or all of them at once refAll the machine cords zero. It is sometimes called 'zero in place'.

While quite useful when experimenting on a computer it is problematic if not downright dangerous on
a working machine. I know, I tried it in the early days and had a few crashes as a result, the last one
nearly crushed my hand!

If you assign home switches on the 'inputs' page of 'ports and pins' then Mach3 will on calling a 'ref' operation
drive in a direction and speed you set until the requested home switch operates whereon it will stop, back up
a wee bit and zero the machine coord.

My standard procedure when starting my mill is to first manually flick each of the home switches while observing
the diagnostics page to confirm that Mach 'sees' each switch, ie a wire hasn't fallen off or coolant leaked into the
switch or similar. Then hit 'ref all'. The Z axis drives upwards until it triggers the home switch a few mm short of
the end of travel, it stops a zeros the machine coordZ. Then does similar to Y then X axes.

As Dave has said with home switches assigned then the only way to zero machine cords is to call a 'ref' operation,
ie 'zero in place' no longer works.

Thereafter you can MDI to the location of your work piece and 'zero' the DROs. The diagnostics page will show
the machine cords of the current position and the work offsets such that the DROs read zero.

If you have home switches then you can set 'soft limits' on the homing/limits page and then maximum extent of
travel will show in the toolpath screen which allows you to ensure that the Gcode of the job you are running does
not exceed the boundaries of your machine. If you don't want to break stuff or hurt yourself its mandatory.

As I said above you can use Mach without home switches and zero in place. The problem is when machining
thru multiple setups you WILL make a mistake when shifting work origins and crash your machine. My mill uses
planetary reduction on the steppers and despite being only 23 size they generate over 1500lb of thrust, when
it crashes bad things happen. Don't be caught!

Craig

7369

General Mach Discussion / Re: Esab Vision 500

« on: October 15, 2016, 02:27:43 AM »

Hi,
many people use Mach3 for plasma tables so conversion shouldn't be overly difficult.

Your post suggests using Gekos, I presume then your table has steppers?

I would suggest that you get a demo version of Mach3, no cost and start experimenting.
One question you will have to decide is whether you wish to use a parallel port/ports
or use an external motion controller.

The parallel port option can be somewhat tricky to get working on some PCs but is
free if your PC has a built in port and less than $20 if you need either a second port
or require it as your primary port if one is not built in to your PC. Note that you MUST use
a 32 bit OS to use a parallel port, ie Window7 32bit or earlier with XP as the common
standard. If you want to moan about not having 64bit support go right ahead, many have
but none have succeeded, parallel port=32bit OS, no exceptions.

If you wish to use 64bit you must use an external motion controller, the UC100 is
widely used at about $100 and many excellent controllers from different makers
for around $200 and up.

Many new users make the mistake of assuming that the 'latest greatest PC' will work best.
Its not the case, Mach3 has fairly modest computing requirements but does need a platform
which is largely uninterrupted by other apps or OS tasks. The recommendation is use a modest
PC for your controller unencumbered with other programs/internet/network/antivirus/firewall
in fact any other software than is required to run your table. Great results can be had from
cheap as chips recycled XP pcs, don't get a laptop.

Whether you choose parallel port or external controller you will probably want a breakout
board or BOB in the jargon. A BOB is a small isolating board which allows you to connect
to stepper drivers, home switches and so on without possibly damaging the rather more
sensitive port electronics. Most of them have LEDs on the output which really really help
when setting up. They can be had very cheaply but would recommend staying away from
the very cheapest, they fail and you wont get support from Chinese suppliers. I use BOBs
from Homan Designs in Austrailia but as I live in New Zealand they are 'local'. Any search
of the forum will yield a number of makers/suppliers just make sure they have those LEDs.
About $50 should do it.

Don't bother with stepper drivers or stepper motors or any expensive stuff to start with,
just a second hand XP PC and a BOB, demo Mach3 and you can make a start and for $100
or less.

Craig

7370

General Mach Discussion / Re: Stepper issues

« on: October 12, 2016, 05:00:56 AM »

Hi,
not familiar with the UC100 myself but many hundreds or even thousands of CNCers use it,
so the answer is yes it will work.

If you go that why did you bother with Win7 32 bit? I presume you've done it so you can use
the parallel port and from your description you are making progress, why throw in the towel?

If the Driver test program is reporting good results and yet you have no output then the chances
are that Mach is not communicating with the port. There are a number of possibilities that you can
explore.

First, make sure port#1 is enabled on the  'ports and pins' page and note the port address, it pays to
use the exact hex notation, 0x378 for example. Now use the PCs control panel to view the hex
address or addresses that the PC has assigned to your port or ports. If your PC has a built in port
its address it very commonly 0x378 ie the same as the default in Machs ports and pins. If not
change it to the address your PC has assigned. Think you will have to restart Mach to have it
recognise the change.

What sort of BOB do you have, if it has LEDs on the outputs diagnosing setup problems is much
easier. Basically what you do now is manually toggle a BOB input and see if Machs LEDs on the
diagnostics page reflect your manual inputs. The Estop is commonly assigned to port 1 pin 10.
Can you cause Mach to Estop by operating pin 10 with a piece of wire to 0V (or 5V if idle=low)?
If you can then your well on the way.

Let us know how your getting on.

Craig