Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 06:33:20 AM

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - jimpinder

561
General Mach Discussion / Re: Step Pulse Won't Save
« on: June 02, 2008, 03:58:34 AM »
If you are talking about the Step Pulse settings on the Motor Tuning window -

1. You must have the same settings for all axis - although the step can be different to the dir.
2. You must "change" both windows (you need not actually change them, but you need to highlight the window and type in the value you want to keep on BOTH step and dir windows.
3. The "Save Axis settings button" should now be highlighted. Click this and your settings will be saved.

562
You are into something different with a tool change.

There are DROs included on the Mill XML to insert a position for you M6 tool change - see page 5 (settings).
These are Machine Co-ordinates - since it is assumed you will always make a tool change at the same position.

A full video tutorial on writing a script for a tool change is included - look under "Scripting"

563
General Mach Discussion / Re: Best Computer
« on: May 31, 2008, 12:05:07 PM »
Hood

I like the motherboard - I take it you need to add peripherals -  hang on - no you don't.
You will need a keyboard and screen - yes, everything else can come in via USB or wireless network.
Is that a power supply at the bottom - or is that seperate.

And - as an aside to the other post about Vista - is the smooth stepper the best way to go with Vista - seeing that Bill Gates will take over the world eventually.

564
General Mach Discussion / Re: Problems,Problems, Problems, Wiring
« on: May 30, 2008, 11:48:33 AM »
I thought it was something like that - but, unfortunately,  when dealing with CNC, unless gas or hydraulicly operated, a bit of knowledge and interest would be a great help.

Come on !!  You are not in school now - there is a practical application to all this that you can benefit from.

565
This might sound stupid - but why not do it manually.

I often have this problem, with homing and a great variety of other things, where GCode must, of necessity, go slow. I tend to jog everything I can jog to within striking distance and then do what it is I want to do.

I understand what you mean - i.e. to write a macro that can do everything - that is one thing, but to write a macro that can be as quick as your brain is another.

Why not get to a certain point in your macro - include an M1 command - this will allow you to jog whatever you want to where you want, and then click "cycle start"

566
I have the rough idea in my head of what you want - and yes, it is perfectly feasable.

I am not voluntering for the job, because you are, I think, the wrong side of the pond.

Yes - Mach 3 - using your Sherline mill can move the 96 targets under the laser to less than 1 thousanth of an inch accuracy. It can turn the laser on and off, it can wait for something else to happen, it can dwell for a set number of seconds, or take a timing pulse from elsewhere to do it, before moving to the next sample.

A relatively simple job. At the end it can repeat or even sound a horn or make a speech to say it has finished.

The advantage with Mach 3 is that it can be programmed in Visual Basic (with a GCode plug in) so you can have the advantages of pure programming language, together with the simplicity of GCode.

567
Mach 3 is under continual developement, and at any time there are several versions available.

If you go to Downloads, you can see what is available. Tou can download an old version, download the latest lockdown version, or download the latest version under development.
If you are wanting a serious version for serious work, there is one rule - If it not broke, don't fix it - so if the versionof Mach 3 that you have does all that you want, stick with that.
If you want the latest version that is "guaranteed" as far as possible, then use the latest "Lockdown Version". This will not change - and if anything goes wrong, you can download it again and get the same program.
If you want to be up there with the boys you can have a version that is still under developement - but if you download it again, it may have changed.

I personally use the latest "Lockdown " version.

You should be able to download the latest "lockdown version" and retain all your XML file and settings. In your case you do not say whether the version you downloaded was a "lockdown" or one under developement - so I cannot comments of the ShopCAM guys remarks.

As far a CV is concerned, this is an old problem and you should understand the difference between Cv and absolute stop.
 If you are to cut a "square corner" the your axis(s) must travel to point A and then, instantaneously travel to point B, leaving (apart from problems with the diameter of the tool) a sharp corner. The only way the machine can do this is to come to an absolute stop in the direction it is travelling, then having put on any backlash required, set off in the new direction.

On my machine, with relatively slow travel, it might not be noticable (except for backlash which is terrible), but the faster your machine is, the more noticable it becomes, since the cutting head (or the table) has to accelerate to speed, then decelerate to a stop, then accelerate to speed and so on.

If you use CV, then as the machine decelerates to a stop in one direction, it also calculates and implements accerleration in the other direction - and never comes to a complete stop - but it must, by definition, leave rounded corners on your work (as well as any for the tool).

You cannot get square corners with CV - you must use absolute stop and put up with it, I'm afraid. You can alter the acceleration and deceleration parameters for CV to end up with as square a shape as possible - but you will never get to the "square corner"


568
General Mach Discussion / Re: Problems,Problems, Problems, Wiring
« on: May 29, 2008, 01:03:42 PM »
Pardon me asking = what is "Electro Anxiety" ???

569
General Mach Discussion / Re: Grex + printer port for MPG
« on: May 28, 2008, 01:34:41 PM »
I only came across Grex in a post last week, so I am a complete newbie on this.

 All the Grex inputs/outputs are pre determined, so as far as I can see, it must be down to the ports settings.

I would set up the printer port (LPT1) as port 2 on your system, and make sure that in Port/Pins etc, you define which port you want that function on. The pin settings should be as normally allocated.

I do not know whether you can perate the printer port togeyjer with the ethernet connection.


570
General Mach Discussion / Re: frequency
« on: May 27, 2008, 11:42:40 AM »
I cant see that being a problem - mine is around 24,000 - on this computer. I haven't tried the workshop computer, but the driver test says it's OK.

You've been on with this for quite some time, what's the problem.