Messages

141

General Mach Discussion / Re: Possible to deactivate an input?

« on: August 27, 2016, 12:13:25 AM »

The simple answer is because you are using shared home and limit switches on your z axis, the vibration or movement is triggering the limit switch.... easy option would be in install a separate limit switch for the z axis....

The other way to do it would be to have a relay via output break the input before the clamp closes... you would probably set something up like a custom clamp macro....
Within which you would check the z axis DRO, and if it was less than 0.5", deactivatesignal(output1), then apply clamp, activatesignal(output2), where op1 is your new relay, and output2 is your pneumatic clamp.

Which you choose all depends on if you have a spare input or output.

Software wise, you would need to write a macro which same as the above one, would check the z axis dro, and if closer than 1/2" say, would toggle override limits DoOemButton (150).... the problem with this is it would override all limits and is not specific by axis (if you've a limit switch on the other chop saw axis).... then when the clamp releases, toggle the override limits off, if getled(34) is active.

Hence you'd need two macros to activate your clamp and release the clamp (not sure how you are doing them now... m7/m9?)

142

General Mach Discussion / Re: Possible to deactivate an input?

« on: August 26, 2016, 10:28:08 PM »

Short answer, yes, sort of.

Longer answer, we need to understand how the switch (input) is being controlled, are you using a motion controller (as homing is done within the motion controller as part of the probe type function).

Basically you'd write either a macropump or a brain so that when homing is complete the input is ignored...... the flip side of this is what makes the input active, and what does it do when its active..... how does it do it?

If you are going to write a brain or macropump, this list of buttons, LED's and DRO's is invaluable.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwigptKeweDOAhWkB8AKHaX3BZEQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.machsupport.com%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D19482.0%3Battach%3D27839&usg=AFQjCNGJn1E7RpKyfyjY7STvwaxPFsA6ng&sig2=AM0Ali4FbBd-mAmCE4byDg&bvm=bv.131286987,d.ZGg&cad=rja

You are probably looking at using GetLED(807) to GetLED(812) [depending upon what or how many axis you have], as this should tell you which axis are referenced.

Then depending upon what you're doing with the input (how are you making it do something?), you'd either choose to write a brain or macropump.

for a macropump (essentially it's a macro that runs in a loop testing if something is true or false via a number of conditional statements and if something is true or false, it does something else [note.... the loop runs at 10x per second [10hz] in mach3... which is I presume what this question is all about as you've not stipulated if you're using M3 or M4!).

use these two documents:
http://www.machsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/VBScript_Commands.pdf

http://www.machsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mach3_V3.x_Macro_Prog_Ref.pdf

to use macropumps, you'll need to enable them on the config page, and you'll need to write one (use your favourite text editor, recommend notepad++), and save the file within "C:\Mach3\macros\******************x" (where "*********xx" matches your profilename) , and save the file as "Macropump.m1s"

143

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Should I get mach4 or 3?

« on: August 23, 2016, 02:44:46 PM »

Mach3 does have the advantage of mountains of information and macros and wizards, and the ease of a visual basic variant for writing your own macros.  It is and has been used a lot for production.

144

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Should I get mach4 or 3?

« on: August 23, 2016, 02:42:08 PM »

.Servo or stepper I don't think there is any difference to Mach 3/4... it's a pulsetrane with a direction signal.

Think you'll feel limited in the end with a parallel port (and mach3 as its not been developed for years, and there is no intention to update it either). Mach4 is probably fine for a simple mill at present, but I'm not sure how many people have converted fully from mach3 to mach4 in a production (receiving payment for goods produced) capacity at present... its sort of in a long term development phase (more for the other bits of cnc at present than mill though (lathe, plasma, etc). That being said, and I do have a licence for it, it is very fast and smoother in motion than m3, and will be great in the end.

Rob

145

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Should I get mach4 or 3?

« on: August 23, 2016, 01:32:54 PM »

Probe it! Does not work in mach4 and when I last spoke with the creator he had no plans for mach4.

How are you planning on getting signals from pc to stepper drives?

Motion controller or parallel port... if motion controller... which?

146

General Mach Discussion / Re: G31 alternative

« on: August 23, 2016, 06:54:00 AM »

... sorry off topic, the 30mA current flow at the bodies"normal" impedance I believe is fairly difficult to achieve.

Note... normal is skin surface to skin surface ... left hand finger tip to right hand fingertip or feet.

Impedance more than resistance I would have said as the resistance is fairly easy to measure with a high resistance reading ohmmeter... think it's about the 1mohm range from memory (not read mine for a while) but this doesn't take into account the bodies surface capacitance, which will probably help current flow under ac (alternating current) conditions (mains voltage).

However... if you're in water, or wet... that is a different animal.. or break the skin (as I did once with a minor shock, tensed muscles, and inserted arm onto a sharp bit of electrical trunking (solid cable tray...) that was lights out for me, but thanks to a quick acting electrician working along side me who pounced on me to get me off, I'm still here... probably why I'm no longer on the tools day job 20 yrs later... as a consulting engineer (aka them what are not actually good at producing the end job... better at telling someone else what it should look like and not how to do it)

Yeah, it bites, and you can't see it.

Rob

147

General Mach Discussion / Re: G31 alternative

« on: August 23, 2016, 06:11:41 AM »

Craig,

I know how it goes, and whilst I don't advocate it... I've had a few shocks in my time (230v here), don't recommend 415v ph-ph.... 230 has kept me sharp.

Can you not unplug the drives or motors... remove a fuse to the drives or turn off a circuit breaker?


Only slaved drives will be difficult

Rob

148

General Mach Discussion / Re: AutoCad Import

« on: August 23, 2016, 02:27:48 AM »

Suggest a look on https://grabcad.com

149

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Programming question

« on: August 22, 2016, 02:07:34 PM »

You won't be able to use a smooth stepper (usb or Ethernet)

The ss uses an FPGA, and the FPGA is blank (is it has no defined purpose) when you power it up.

When you load mach3 or Mach 4, part of the plugin is sent to the FPGA to programme it and give it its defined purpose of inputs, outputs and timer loops etc.

Hence without Mach the ss is dumb....

Unfortunately it's quite complex and expensive to programme an FPGA, so it's unlikely you could programme it yourself, and given the market is quite limited, it's unlikely to be economically viable for someone else to do it for you

That software is very similar to Mach, in that in what it does but does not appear to use gcode to output the motion.

Is there a specific reason you don't want gcode as it looks a bit limited when compared to other gcode offerings on the market with built in cad cam plus lazer control?

Rob

150

General Mach Discussion / Re: G31 alternative

« on: August 22, 2016, 08:23:33 AM »

http://www.cncitalia.it/upload_ele/50VEXTASTEP.pdf

Having a look at page c90 here, and the insulation tests, I would have said that what you did was fine if your drives are the same, but I would not have expected any leakage current.

Suggest digging a little deeper to see if one, some or all are leaking to earth by removing and fuctionally testing them in operation, and measuring the current at the earth terminal.

Rob