Messages

1131

General Mach Discussion / Re: trouble with steps or with stream pulses

« on: August 31, 2007, 02:33:17 PM »

If my maths is correct, you are loosing 2 pulses per inch. It might be the first two pulses, whilst your card is sorting out direction. Try adding 2 to the 4000 - make it 4002 - see if that makes any difference,

Jim

1132

General Mach Discussion / Re: trouble with steps or with stream pulses

« on: August 30, 2007, 01:10:44 PM »

Yes - I would agree. If you now know your backlash you can enter this in Mach3, and that should be that - all moves shold be precise.

I do not know anything about the way Mach 3 puts out pulses to control the stepper motors, so I must pass to someone else.

Jim

1133

General Mach Discussion / Re: Cut Circle in metric

« on: August 30, 2007, 12:56:53 PM »

Hood - I've just noticed your comment.

My trouble is I use both.

The machine is set up in Imperial, but much of the stuff I do is also metric - over here most of the material you buy is metric.

Does this mean that I can just put the appropriate code in, and the machine will respond in whichever system I need.

I am thinking, obviously, if I have all my tool offsets in imperial, will the machine, if I specify metric, convert these to metric for that particular program

Jim

1134

General Mach Discussion / Re: Unspecified failure message

« on: August 30, 2007, 12:50:45 PM »

Perhaps it depends on what day it is !!!!!

1135

General Mach Discussion / Re: Unspecified failure message

« on: August 29, 2007, 04:29:10 AM »

I ran the program again on this computer - in my study - no problem. I checked the Macros - M3 was empty. I put in the correct script.

Went through to the workshop. I checked the Macros were alright, then ran the same program - no problem at all, which baffles me.
Yesterday it would not run and I had to set the Omron inverter onto manual to get the spindle moving.

The only thing I can think of is - I write the programs in the study, then put them on a memory stick. I have found that I tend to run the program direct from the memory stick instead of putting it in the GCode folder. I just load the program from the memory stick and run it. Could it be that by doing this I am tending to mislead Mach3 as to where the Macro folder is ?? This time I showed it where the Macros were by checking them first from Mach3

It obviously sorts itself out, because it gets all the other Macros.

Jim

1136

General Mach Discussion / Re: Unspecified failure message

« on: August 29, 2007, 03:57:55 AM »

Brian - I am getting this fault as well. I didn't get it on Mach 3 Turn, but I am getting it on Mill.

Using the same equipment (my lathe has a milling head) M3 M4 and M5 work perfectly on Turn, but when I ran off a program on Mill yesterday the line M3 S3000 was not accepted when running the program.  The message "Unspecified error line ..." flashed up in a box, followed by a VB script window which was, I think, the M3 window with text DoSpin.

As soon as you close the VB window the program carries on.

I will have another look at it and see if I can be any more specific.

Jim

1137

General Mach Discussion / Re: Unspecified failure message

« on: August 29, 2007, 03:49:58 AM »

Before you mess about - have a look at the video tutorial on scripting - which tells you how to open these files and amend them with Visual Basic. The necessary files are all in Mach 3 already.

This is not essential - but well worth watching and it will give you some idea of what is happening

1138

General Mach Discussion / Re: trouble with steps or with stream pulses

« on: August 27, 2007, 06:34:40 PM »

You must eliminate your backlash first.

Do not run a G code program - this introduces too many problems.

Run the axis in one direction by jogging, then set up your DTI

On the Midi Alt 2 Page, manually put in G code . First zero the DROs then type in the input G0 X1 (making sure the axis moves in the same direction as it did when jogging). If your DTI is still in contact - did the axis move 1 inch. If NOT your number of pulses per inch on the motor is not correct.

Without moving anything, type in G0 X0 - does the DTI return to zero.

Have you got dials on your machine - do they return to where they started???
Have a go at that then come back.

1139

General Mach Discussion / Re: trouble with steps or with stream pulses

« on: August 27, 2007, 03:57:39 AM »

You say the error is cumulative. Does this mean that you are getting 1/3 thousanth error on each move - or is the error one thousanth each move, but forward and back it just corrects itself.

What if you move to Y3 in one move - do you get the same error.

Are you sure your error is not in the DTI.

The fact you are getting this on all axis - and I assume you are using the same DTI,  really eliminates an error on any one of the axis and it is unlikely you will get the same error on all three.

If you have eliminated backlash i.e. -  Y-1 to Y0 - start -  then Y1, Y-1 and back to Y0 with zero error then this would seem to indicate that all is well with your mechanical set up.

1140

General Mach Discussion / Re: Where to learn 3D CAM?

« on: August 25, 2007, 03:53:56 PM »

There is no need to be in a puddle of despair.
You must first learn the code that your CNC machine understands.
The only code essential to you is G0 - goto a position fast, G1 goto a position at cutting speed, G2 and G3 cut in a circular movement. There are others, but these tend to cut most shapes you would want to try.

Unless you master the basic codes, you cannot then understand the codes created by othe programs.

Try programming some simple shapes by yourself on your machine, before going onto the more advanced shapes. Yes - a G2 is a circular movement, but if you add a third axis it will become an sphere.

What are you trying to do - if it is cutting on a flat plane the G1 G2 and G3 get you going.

Just slow down and try and thik your way through it.

With a 3D cam you need to be proficient in 2D first, then add the thrid dimension as you go across the plane of the 2 D picture.