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Messages - Davek0974

2291
General Mach Discussion / Re: What files should I back up?
« on: February 26, 2015, 09:45:26 AM »
I just keep a copy of my entire Mach folder on a stick, hopefully I have everything covered then.
Also a copy of my license file.

2292
I'm guessing this is plasma??

I fail to see how the current is getting into the LPT lead, they are generally isolated from the CNC table as its usually a floating system, grounded by the PC only.

Can you verify or check that there is no connection from the shell of the LPT connector to the frame of your table?
Unplug the lead from the PC and use a test meter to confirm that there is no connection.

It is very unusual to have a LPT lead grounded at the "noisy" end.

Then, is the plasma ground lead connected correctly?

Is the cable only heating when cutting or all the time?

If its all the time then there is a very serious fault somewhere.

2293
Feature Requests / Re: Plasma Arc Timer?
« on: November 06, 2014, 09:03:18 AM »
This has now been made possible :)

I asked on another forum (plasmaspider) and a kind member stepped in and fixed it.

I now have two more DRO's on my screen - "Seconds" and "Pierce Count" plus two reset buttons and a "timer running" LED.

A quick modification to the M03 and M05 macro and that was it, works perfectly, exactly what was needed.

I have asked the guy that sorted it to do a write up as I am unsure if there was any code written behind the scenes.

2294
Feature Requests / Plasma Arc Timer?
« on: October 29, 2014, 05:04:23 AM »
I don't think this is already featured in Mach but is it possible to add a cumulative Arc-On timer plus maybe a pierce counter??

Both would be reasonably easy to add as external units but that would not show on the screen.

Needs to be cumulative and have a reset button.

It would aid greatly in tracking consumable life for job pricing etc.

2295
Excellent, thanks. I get that thump too when starting up.

2296
General Mach Discussion / Re: setting up spindle speeds on stepper plasma
« on: October 27, 2014, 03:10:50 AM »
In the free version you have no THC system, I think there are other limits too.

2297

So our stepper is cruising along at whatever rpm and for some reason misses a step. The next pulse comes along and what? Well it's not going to move the stepper because the driver is in the wrong phase. Our stepper is still stalled. The next pulse comes along. No - still out of phase - our stepper stays where it is. In fact with a full step drive the stepper will miss 4 steps minimum because of incorrect phase and will allways lose steps in multiples of 4. (In a microstep system it will miss 4*microstep steps before the driver issues the correct phase signals). Anyway back to our full-step system - the 4th pulse comes along - good - correct phase, the motor moves a step from stationary. The 5th pulse comes along. Ooops - way to soon. The controller is sending out pulses at the speed the motor would have been going if it hadn't stalled, but it has only done one step from stationary - don't we need an acceleration ramp? The 6th, 7th, etc. steps are all too close together - stall....


That paragraph answered many questions, never thought about it like that.

So, when you energise a stepper system from cold, is it instantly in the correct phase to move properly?

I need to read up on steppers ;)

2298
General Mach Discussion / Re: setting up spindle speeds on stepper plasma
« on: October 24, 2014, 09:22:30 AM »
72.72  :)


Unless micro-stepping

2299
General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling THC?
« on: September 22, 2014, 02:03:30 AM »
You could try a different screen set, on my last one the THC rate was on the main screen.

2300
General Mach Discussion / Re: 1st pierce is longer...
« on: September 12, 2014, 02:17:08 PM »
Aww c'mon, that answer was ambiguous and vague, even on a good day ;)

I saw the point that mach ignores the inputs if THC is off and took 'mach' as being the whole software system, easy mistake.

Anyways, thanks  again for your patience and the reply.

That little bit of code in the M03 macro makes a massive amount of difference, at least in my impression of the whole system. Have been running stuff all afternoon and it's performing drill marks, cuts and pierces perfectly :)

Dave