Messages

301

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 04, 2019, 12:00:15 PM »

If you install Mach4 again, they won't be there, they will be reset to 0.  You will need to write them down somewhere and change them back when you open the new Install.

302

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 03, 2019, 08:26:21 PM »

Tom,
You gotta do what makes sense to you, as long as you're the one running the machine, you do you.  😂

Okay, so the #VARS...  I'm not at my laptop right now, on my phone, but I think it is the diagnotiscs drop down on the menu, the go to reg file; from there, you have to set the VARS range to include 5181-5183 at least.   Then you will hit the little plus sign next to the #VARS in the data box, double click on each of tge VARS and enter your positions.   

303

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 03, 2019, 02:45:02 PM »

Tom,
The G30 is in the stock post supplied by Autodesk; you can download it straight from the HSM post library.  The G30 was added in October, 2018; if you have downloaded a new post since then, it will be added in there already, you just have to set it to "Use G30" under the Safe Retract properties.
Here is the link to the Post Library.
https://cam.autodesk.com/hsmposts?

Like you mentioned, you will need to add in your custom M43 into the new post. 

It is HIGHLY recommended to have a reliable home position for each axis to use any of the safe retracts, G28, G53, or G30.

G30 uses Machine Coordinate Positions, do not enter a work offset position into the #5181, #5182, and #5183 Variables, enter the Machine Coordinate Position.
 
To start, jog the machine to where you want it to be when the program is finished, for me, the table is front and center and Z about 6 inches below Z Home.  Once you have the table where you want it, look at your Machine Position under the diagnostics tab, or toggle the "Machine Coordinates" button to display Machine Coordinates on the Program Tab.  Enter X, Y, and Z positions into #5181, #5182, and #5183 respectively. 

To test this, jog the table off the positions you just recorded and type this code into MDI: 
G91 G00 G30 Z 0.00
G30 X 0.00 Y 0.00
G90

Your machine sounds exactly like the Bridgeport Series II we have, I retrofitted it about a year ago.  I really like this machine, only the quill only moves about 4.5", so when I use drills I have to adjust the knee up and down.  I also have to change Spindle RPM manually. I should have put a motor on it, but I didn't.  Using the knee to adjust the Tool Height Offset is genius; it's tempting to go back and add a motor to the knee now.  I would probably use the machine more if I do that haha!!

304

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 02, 2019, 05:23:49 PM »

Tom, that's a pretty good idea...  Use the knee to adjust tool heights.   

I've got the visual studios plug-in, it's so much easier to modify a post with VS rather than using Notepadd++... You can post a test post and easily navigate to the script that way.   

The G30 I asked Autodesk to add acts the same way as G28 only you get to choose where the machine goes based on #VARS #5181-5186....I think that's the variables I would have to check to be sure.   But I have mine set to move the Z 6 inches below Z home, X is in the center of travel, and Y is at Y home that way once the machine is finished with the code it calls the G91 G30 X0 Y0 and it moves the machine table front and center.

305

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Home/reference OB axis

« on: February 02, 2019, 02:45:03 PM »

This is a limitation of the ESS?   Several months ago while testing OB axis, I could home them using the HiCON Integra.

306

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 02, 2019, 01:22:01 PM »

I have made edits to the Mach4 post for Fusion, it's not bad at all.   I also asked Autodesk to add the G30 option instead of G28 and they did that for me, it is now in the stock post for Mach4.  I use G30 all the time.   

You said you edited Axis Home...  What did you do?   

307

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 02, 2019, 01:18:18 AM »

Fusion 360 posts the G28 G91 Z0 at the beginning of G Code, before tool changes, and at the end of G Code; this line of code will move your machine to the Z home position.  Since Z Home is usually at the top of Z travel, it is a safe place for tool changes and for starting new operations.

Using G28 G91 Z10 will move incramentally positive 10 in Z AND THEN go to machine Z home, or what Mach4 thinks home is if you don't have home switches. 
Watch this video to get am understanding of G28
https://youtu.be/Rd-h0YA9IzQ

Do you have home switches on your machine?
If you are referencing (homing) your Z on top of the material instead of just setting your Z work offset, what you are describing will occur.

308

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Keep track of OB axis

« on: February 01, 2019, 06:17:06 PM »

And we never have to even look at an encoder.  This is how my Geneva drive works on my carousel tool changer.  No encoder what so ever on it.  Just a pod #1 switch.  It is all math from there.
Steve

What is on our Milltronics is a side mount tool carousel, OEM it had a servo on it; so we just replaced the servo. 
I have the motor calibrated so that 1 revolution reads out 20 positions.  Is it better to use motor counts or axis position, or does it matter as long as it is consistent?

It's a logic puzzle. Enjoy solving it.

Logic is all it is; like I mentioned in an earlier post, I helped a couple of friends retrofit an old Hurco and helped them come up with the logic of finding the shortest path to the tool, I'll just steal my work from that PLC ladder and convert it to LUA.  A logic puzzle is exactly what this is, and it's quite fun! =)

I will still need to play around with the update script now, I haven't been able to work on it more. 

309

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Keep track of OB axis

« on: January 31, 2019, 11:54:00 PM »

Oh man, that makes sense. 
I don't want to enter any information into the DRO, so I will use the update script.  I simply want to update the OB1 axis position. 
When it goes over 20, I want it to start back at 1.  Is that possible to do, alter the OB1 Axis Position?  If not, it is fast enough just using the C Axis, but I was really hoping I could figure out how to allow it to use the fastest route along the Carousel to get to a tool.  You know, 19 ---> 1 is only 2 tools away instead of 18. 

I've helped a buddy write a PLC ladder that finds the fastest route along the carousel, so I have most of the math heaving lifting done if I have to resort to using Incremental moves, but that would absolutely require me to be able to update the current position of the OB1 axis.

310

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Keep track of OB axis

« on: January 31, 2019, 11:18:38 PM »

I guess I'm just having a mental block on modify and update scripts.  I cannot get my head around how they are supposed to work.