Messages

21

General Mach Discussion / Re: skipping around a g-code file

« on: July 16, 2016, 11:14:06 AM »

Gary,

I found this: 6.2.7.8  "You should not attempt to "Run from here in the middle of a subroutine."

So if the program has been structured to be a series of subroutines, it sounds like I can't use RFH. I must be missing something here.

Rick

22

General Mach Discussion / Re: skipping around a g-code file

« on: July 16, 2016, 10:49:45 AM »

olf20 - I have found that "run from here" gives erratic results. Clearly I need to look at it again and figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Gary - excellent suggestion. I do have many subroutines but have not structured the entire program this way. I assume I can have subroutines calling subroutines.

Thanks to both of you!

23

General Mach Discussion / Re: skipping around a g-code file

« on: July 15, 2016, 08:42:47 AM »

Nick,

Your approach makes a lot of sense when developing a program. My problem is after it is done. My file is large (6600 lines) but I am changing just a few lines. Running the entire program takes around 8 hours. Running only the segments that have changes is far quicker.

Rick

24

General Mach Discussion / skipping around a g-code file

« on: July 12, 2016, 09:04:09 PM »

I have a rather large g-code file which I periodically update. I want to execute segments of the file rather than run it all during the testing phase. Often after running one segment of code, I have trouble when trying to run another segment.

I think I found a work around but want to know if there is a better way: I start with the program rewound and move to the first line of the code I want to run. Press "set next line" and press run. When done, I press stop. Then I rewind and move to the next segment.

Thanks in advance,

Rick

25

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Newbie error? - #1

« on: June 05, 2016, 02:52:51 PM »

I have been converting a program to be all parameters and ran into an error message. It took me a while to figure it out. I'm posting to first confirm I got it right and, if so, to alert my fellow newbies.

I wanted #2 = [ - #1]. In other words, to invert the sign of the number stored in variable location #1. Error message.

Used #2 = [ 0 - #1] and no error message.

A close reading of the Mach3 manual talks about subtraction but not flipping the sign.

Furthermore, I tried #2 = [ #3 - 1 * #1] and got no error message. I did get a panic opportunity to hit eStop. Mach3 read this as "take the contents of memory location #3, subtract 1.000. Then take the result and multiply it by the contents of #1. Oops.

So my take on this is that I must have that zero in order to change the sign of a parameter. Am I right?

Rick
         

26

General Mach Discussion / Having A Second Home

« on: May 20, 2016, 12:10:21 PM »

Commercial CNC mills typically have a home position which defines a physical location. This is the center of rotation of the spindle with respect to some feature on the table. I did buy some nice home switches for my little hobby CNC mill but was not happy with their repeatability. This article presents a low tech method to accomplish this same goal.

If you are interested, please see

http://rick.sparber.org/HSH.pdf


Your comments are welcome. All of us are smarter than any one of us.

27

General Mach Discussion / Using a CNC Controlled Vertical Mill as a Lathe

« on: March 02, 2016, 12:18:58 PM »

You will find many fine examples of people using their CNC mills as lathes. But finding the details of how they did it is not so common. The part I cut is far from impressive, but this is not all bad. It means I needed to write only a few lines of  G-code. Details of the fixturing and code are presented.

If you are interested, please see

http://rick.sparber.org/LMCN.pdf

Your comments are welcome. All of us are smarter than any one of us.


If you wish to receive future article announcements automatically, please send me an email with “Article Alias” in the subject line.

Thanks,

Rick

28

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: The Arc Command

« on: February 25, 2016, 09:51:56 PM »

All is well if we both turn out the same code. I'm more comfortable with math than machining. Code generation takes place in my den.

Rick

29

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: The Arc Command

« on: February 25, 2016, 07:06:13 PM »

I certainly agree that the XYZ axes and associated rotational movements are defined by math. In all cases clockwise (i.e. positive) rotation is defined by looking in the negative direction along the axis that is not part of the plane. No exceptions. As commonly defined on mills, the Y axis points away from the operator and towards the column. Looking along the Y axis towards the XZ plane puts you behind the mill. Can't help that...


Rick

30

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: The Arc Command

« on: February 25, 2016, 12:13:43 PM »

People learn in many different ways. Some click with the right hand rule so I have added that explanation. But I, for example, prefer having a consistent viewpoint. In this case, looking in the -Y direction.

Thanks,

Rick