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Messages - robertspark

391
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 vs Mach 4
« on: December 20, 2015, 05:57:48 AM »
Like Tweakie I'd suggest that if time is money, Mach3 is the way to go at present as the information resource about is vast for most run of the mill tasks.

Mach4 will be the future, just I guess Mach3 was made too versatile, and the development time of M4 has been a slow one [probably not helped by requiring a motion controller from 3rd party vendors (yup I'm aware of the PP plugin for M4, although this does not do some of the internal stuff that the M3 PP did [thc + m10/m11, etc]), some of which have been slow to uptake on issuing new drivers / plugins having to it would seem reinvent the wheel from m3 to m4]?

Unless there is a show stopper reason that M3 will fail to work any more, I guess there seems to be little motivation (except by the few) to change from M3 to M4 [say for instance.... W10 did not work with M3.... then there would be a gradual phase out of M3 as W10 becomes the norm for available PC's and hardware drivers and compatibility (looks like no sign of that happening though).  A partial reason came when the PP began being phased out and M3 not compatible with the PP with 64 bit versions of windows.... although M3 motion controllers like the UC100 (and others) plugged that gap and M3 continues to survive without a show stopper reason that it won't seem to work in the future.

http://lowcostcncretrofits.com/

Rob


392
General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle delay for laser
« on: December 17, 2015, 06:43:08 PM »
Graham,

Unfortunatly its all down to the motion controller.

I've not got going with Mach4 despite having a licence, but the loop speed is much quicker with regards to M code execution so it may be less of a problem for the hesitation or delay.

I use the ethernet smooth stepper and it has M10/M11 codes built in to the current driver for M3.... but not yet for the looooong awaited M4 updated driver.  I am also a plasma user not laser, but use the codes to toggle THC on and off without hesitation.

393
General Mach Discussion / Re: Spindle delay for laser
« on: December 17, 2015, 02:33:42 PM »
First you need to find out if m10px / m11px commands are compatible with cismo motion controllers.

Rob

394
G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Sheetcam + Mach3 for 3D
« on: December 10, 2015, 11:46:27 AM »
Surprisingly, i did find this earlier in the day

http://www.forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.php?p=21949#21949

395
General Mach Discussion / Re: laser cutting NOVICE/ROOKIE question
« on: December 06, 2015, 07:23:48 AM »
Before you buy the sheetcam laser add-on, read the sheetcam forum as i asked a question and was given an answer about what the plugins actually brought to the party.

The laser one appears to require m10/m11 codes and is a laser engraved type application

...forum link not working on my phone or I would have pasted a link... Either way, ask Les if it does what you want before buying, to check you are happy

396
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 spindle setup problems
« on: December 05, 2015, 01:12:16 PM »
Alan,

Can you post your XML file? (may need to call it something unique... like AzzA2032.xml to get it to upload.

Have you checked the step and direction option in the ESS config screen and setup the pulse width.

397
General Mach Discussion / Re: Moving an axis while code is running.
« on: December 05, 2015, 05:57:43 AM »
One thing to consider with the ESS is data (movement) is worked out in advance and then packets of tradjectoy data are sent to the motion controller.

Once the packets are sent, injecting movement won't be possible unless via THC (and that is a little uncontrolled) or m10/m11 input

Not an expert here and never tried it myself, but I'd suggest trying the the following:
Either setup brains or the macropump to look for a keyboard press (oemtrigger) or an input switch toggle, then create an mcode that brains or the macropump will then run, that will pop up a message box to ask how far you wish to move the coolant nozzle if the present angle setting is zero, that way after the initial setting it won't prompt you again for the job (need to think about where to store that number as something similar to a volatile variable, which is reset to zero at the end of the job)... The macro then toggles the axis back and forth and stores the current angle in a DRO which is compared so when the next time the mcode is run it will toggle the axis backk to vertical (if dro NOT() then statement)

Only thing is... I know that when an mcode is run the motion will pause unless an m10/m11 code is run... (There may be a way to use this as an input which will trigger axis motion... Maybe... I use m10/m11 with a plasma to turn torch height control on and off for corners etc without axis pause or hesitation with the ESS.

Just a thought maybe worth consideration

398
General Mach Discussion / Re: External RESET buton, HOME button
« on: December 05, 2015, 04:03:11 AM »
Colin,

what keys did you select for your corresponding arduino inputs?

what screenset are you using?

The reason why I ask is the keyboard shortcuts are programmed into the screenset (you can change them with a screen editor (I use MachScreen)).
http://www.kd-dietz.com/klausphp/pages/eng/machscreen/description/ms_description.html

So If you take my setup (plasma), I can fire my torch with the "F5" key, or the engraver with the "F6" key.  Some of the other standard ones are:
Stop = Alt +S
Cycle Start = Alt + R
etc

So basically you will need to ensure that you have programmed the arduino to emulate those keyboard commands (or any others you setup in the screenset)

The joystick, may take a little more thought....(not sure what you intend)
If you move the joystick one direction:
do you want the machine to jog faster in that direction as you move it?
Or do you just want it to move in that direction? (easiest to do)
or do you want a two setting type operation (move it a bit and it moves at one speed, move it all the way over and it moves at a faster speed)   (more difficult but not as difficult as the first choice).

Mach likes digital signals, analogue signals can add complexity and then its the plugin route I'd suggest.

Rob



399
General Mach Discussion / Re: Moving an axis while code is running.
« on: December 04, 2015, 06:00:18 PM »
Are you using the parallel port or a motion controller?

You could use the torch height control function... But that will not only work with a z axis
That will work whilst code is running,  it you will need to rename your z to another axis and change your gcode.

You could run a macro to move one axis but this will only work at the end of a line of code but not whilst an axis is busy.

How are you going to know how far you need to move the axis?  Will it be different every time you want to move it?

400
General Mach Discussion / Re: Moving an axis while code is running.
« on: December 04, 2015, 05:34:32 PM »
Hello, can you explain why you are using an axis to control to provide coolant?

Normally people just toggle a relay on and off to turn the coolant on and off.