Messages

821

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Threading with Gear head lathe

« on: February 13, 2022, 11:38:41 PM »

Hi,

Any ideas on getting it going with a DB25 1R5AM board?

I have no idea what that board is. Do you have a circuit diagram for its inputs?

Craig

822

General Mach Discussion / Re: Getting started

« on: February 13, 2022, 11:06:53 PM »

Hi,
unfamiliar with that fault. Mach3 uses Visual Basic, or rather a subset of it called C(ypress) E(nable), and I would guess that the VB interpreter is not loading or working.

I have not used Mach3 for nearly eight years, I use Mach4, and mach4 does not rely on VB but rather Lua.

Craig

823

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Threading with Gear head lathe

« on: February 13, 2022, 11:01:12 PM »

Hi,
threading requires that the spindle is synchronised to the Z axis movement, its fundamental to be able to take multiple cuts of a thread to get it to its
final depth.

Mach3 REQUIRES a single pulse per rev index signal. If you do not have one you'll have to provide one. Mach3 is also expects and demands that your spindle
be a stable speed, neither getting faster or slower as the cut progresses. If your spindle cannot stay stable then single point lathe threading with Mach3 is going
to be a disaster.

Craig

824

Mach4 Toolbox / Re: Pass variable between M3 Macro and Signal Library

« on: February 11, 2022, 09:27:41 PM »

Hi,

1) Open the Regfile plugin
2) Assign a name, and initial value if required,a description if required and whether it will be persistent, ie saved an shut down.
3) <Apply> and close.

The register of that name now resides at iRegs0/<register name>.
To access it from a Lua script:

Code: [Select]

local registerHandle=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'iRegs0/MyRegister')
local registerValue=mc.mcRegGetValue(registerHandle)
There are a number of APIs of this general type in Mach4Hobby/Docs in the Register category.

Craig

825

Mach4 Toolbox / Re: Pass variable between M3 Macro and Signal Library

« on: February 11, 2022, 06:47:19 PM »

Hi,
when an m3 is executed it is the Gcode interpreter and trajectory planner chunk that is operating.......when the Signal Library code is executing its the Screen code chunk which is operating.

The variable in the Screen chunk is NOT available to the Gcode/Interpreter chunk, and only one can run at a time. In practice Machs core is bouncing back and forth between the two chunks
that give the impression that that the two chunks run simultaneously.

Set up and use a register. A register can be accessed by any Lua chunk at any time and is a great way to pass data from one chunk to another.

Craig

826

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Edit Screen - Mutli-line textbox, label with scrollbar or table control?

« on: February 10, 2022, 02:37:40 PM »

Hi,
Mach4 is a CNC program. Onscreen graphics is NOT the central theme here. That Mach4 offers a very comprehensive suite of graphics tools courtesy of
wxWidgets is very nice, and a major advance over Mach3 and in fact any other Windows based CNC solutions, it is just that....nice.

What I really care about is Mach's ability to control my machine, is the trajectory planner second order or third order?, how is the CV feature calculated? and how can you optimise CV
to your situation?,when can we expect multiple instances of Mach, what will be the comms between instances?....these are the important things. On-screen graphics are just icing on the cake...no more.

Craig

827

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Edit Screen - Mutli-line textbox, label with scrollbar or table control?

« on: February 10, 2022, 02:15:43 PM »

Hi,

I went through the API guide, but it only contains "mc" namespace functions, it doesn't even reference "scr" functions.

The API is almost entirely .mc namespace, the .scr namespace was really used during development only and was never intended for widespread user use.
You will find what little I can find here:

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=40051.0

Really you are barking up the wrong tree here though....there is a perfectly excellent suite of graphic commands to do as you require in the form of wx.Widgets which
is fully supported by Lua and Mach. All of those functions have the namespace .wx. You need to make yourself familiar with them. Crafting .wx code is facilitated by wxFormBuilder.

Craig

828

General Mach Discussion / Re: I want a proper Mach3 licence instead of the Chinese issued version.

« on: February 10, 2022, 05:08:05 AM »

Hi,

Was the cable from the VFD screened?

No. Don't need it. It was only that I laid a sensitive cable up against it that I had trouble. As soon as I shifted it the
noise problem went away.

I have found the most pernicious of noise from a VFD is not the output to the spindle, not that it should be discounted
or ignored, but the harmonic distortion the VFD creates on the incoming AC supply. That same supply is used for the PC
an other electronic power supplies. Harmonic distortion created by the VFD is inclined to be conducted through the other
power supplies. The frequencies of the harmonics are typically 150z to 5000Hz, and are a real PITA to filter out.
To this end I use a line reactor of about 6mH on the input to the VFD. It greatly improves the power factor of the VFD
and greatly reduces the harmonic distortion of the AC supply. Single best noise abatement strategy I've ever used.

Craig

829

General Mach Discussion / Re: I want a proper Mach3 licence instead of the Chinese issued version.

« on: February 09, 2022, 02:41:34 PM »

Hi BluePinnacle,
yes that is correct, and another name for that phenomenon is impedance levels, and that has bearing on the Signal-to-Noise Ratio. If the signal is ten or better
times the noise then false triggering is almost gone.

Most newcomers design, or perhaps don't design, but just build their signalling circuits only to find that they are noise prone and have to shield everything.
Had they given some thought to impedance levels, or equivalently the current through the switch contacts as you have posted, then their circuits would
be very much less noise prone and probably work WITHOUT shielding.

None of my Home, Limit, Probe and Estop input circuits are shielded and I have no problems with noise. The other day however I laid a new two core Estop cable
and passed it through the same hole that the VFD-to-Spindle cable passed....and I had problems. Once I re-routed the Estop cable away from the VFD cable it was fine.
The point is that choosing impedance levels (currents) is good....its not magic. You can still get noise problems if the noise environment exceeds your design levels.

Craig

830

General Mach Discussion / Re: Getting started

« on: February 08, 2022, 02:27:41 PM »

Hi,
NFS= New Fangled Solutions, the company that produces and sells Mach products.

Craig.