Messages

171

Mach3 under Vista / Safety FIRST: Stop Windows from initializing the Parallel Port(s)

« on: April 28, 2019, 08:31:07 AM »

When Windows 7 boots up, it usually INITIALIZE the parallel port.
This is bad if you are NOT using a BOB (bread out Board) with a "CHARGE PUMP" or at least "an enable pin" to turn off the drive motors until MACH3 is in control.

But even  when using "CHARGE PUMP" or "an enable pin", the VFD Spindle & coolant pumps motors  may still start BEFORE MACH3 takes control.

The way to stop THAT (FOR SAFTEY REASONS) is to edit a registry key to STOP WINDOWS from INITIALIZING the parallel port on boot up.

1.   Click Start, Run, type ‘regedit‘ and press Enter, to open your registry editor
2.   Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Parport
3.   Double-click on the REG_DWORD “Start”
4.   In the window that popups, replace 3 with 4 and click OK.
5.     Reboot

(This patch does NOT work with Windows XP!)

172

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: edit Cyclestop in screen

« on: April 28, 2019, 07:58:57 AM »

Hi,

It could  only put off more hobbyist from buying MACH4.

don't you get it.....Mach4 is primarily an industrial CNC software solution ideal for OEMs. To be an effective solution
in such a market it MUST be very configurable.


The fact that it is released cheaply under favorable license conditions by NFS for hobby use is a happy circumstance
for hobbyists.

Craig

Correction:
MACH4 INDUSTRIAL VERSION is VERY CONFIGURABLE.
You can even change or create Gcodes.

MACH4 hobby version is NOT "very configurable".
Yes you can change screens.
YOU cannot change or create G CODES.
NOT all Mcodes are scriptable/configurable  (see attached)

173

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: edit Cyclestop in screen

« on: April 28, 2019, 05:57:42 AM »

Hi
If you look at attached for MACH4, it is possible to use check FEED HOLD to stop Spindle and exiting FEED HOLD restores Spindle.
Now a VFD driver usually has an output relay so that when spindle is spinning that output relay can turn on coolant. So when the spindle stops spinning, the coolant would be off too.

Also in the second attachment, there are already buttons to manually turn off/on coolants too.

I know people like programming, I was an IBM MVS Cobol, CICS programmer long time ago. And I know LUA since more than 10 years ago.

BUT why do things that to me are superfluous yet seemingly so difficult to many?
It could  only put off more hobbyist from buying MACH4.

174

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help wiring limit switch to servo tec board

« on: April 28, 2019, 05:20:51 AM »

Congratulations

Before you conclude labeling is wrong, Could you check with a multimeter set to DC >50V scale to determine which is +ve and which is negative.
Perhaps between those 2 connections, it is +48V rather than +24V.
If it is +48V (whichever way) rather than +24V, you have to make sure that your sensor can take 48V or it could get burnt out quickly.

175

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Mach 3 with 'Xbox One' Controller

« on: April 28, 2019, 01:07:39 AM »

Still trying to figure out why 'Enable Safety Trigger' is not working.

As Elizabeth9 said, you need to pull the trigger (either L or R) while you push the buttons or move the joy sticks when you check the box "Enable Triggers As Safety Switch."

Is it like keying CNTR-S   i.e. you must hold down [CNTR] key and then only press the S.

176

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: edit Cyclestop in screen

« on: April 28, 2019, 12:56:34 AM »

Sorry,
I know what you have achieved
BUT perhaps there is a easier way in MACH4 config - hidden somewhere.

In MACH3, all you need is a few clicks in Config | General config to achieve what you want to do.
(see attached)

And MACH4 is supposed to be BETTER!! Or we should tell NFS to make some changes in next version.

177

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help wiring limit switch to servo tec board

« on: April 28, 2019, 12:34:41 AM »

Please just take this clue:-
Dedicated Input Pins of ESS are
Pins 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15 of all 3 ports
They all are ACTIVE LOW meaning when there is a 2.5V to 5V on the pin is is NOT active. When pin is low 0-2.xV the the pin is active ie limit switch is triggered. So in MACH3, limit switches pin MUST be set ACTIVE LOW for sure.
But which pins?
If you know which pin is e-stop (say it is pin #15) then you can guess that X , Y, Z, A limit switch are pins 10, 11, 12, 13 respectively.

A bit of experiment while looking at the diagnostic page of MACH3 is all you need to do.
If on the diagnostic page a yellow light is on mean you must change to set the pin active low (instead of active HIGH now).

Reuel

178

Mach Screens / Re: Trouble Loading A New PC With Screen Profile

« on: April 27, 2019, 08:00:05 PM »

Perhaps you have already have solved the problem by now.

If NOT,
I am guessing that you not only have to restore the .set or .lset file into c:\mach3, you ALSO need to restore all the old BITMAPS used by the screenset(s) into c:\mach3\bitmaps    folder

179

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ess probe sanity check

« on: April 27, 2019, 02:58:03 PM »

It just decided to work after pulling the probe apart and reassembling.  I still don't get why jumping pins to ground wouldn't work ?

The C25 inputs pins (unlike many BOBs) are ACTIVE HIGH types - meaning they are already grounded with 4.7K resister internally. Jumping pins to ground wouldn't work, You have to jump pins to 5V (& not Gnd) for it to work.
See Attached,
So

180

General Mach Discussion / Re: Remote Input to Start and output when complete

« on: April 27, 2019, 01:47:18 AM »

There are many ways
here is one possible way:-
You can install one relay to one of OUTPUT#1 to OUTPUT#20 in ports and pins.
Then write a custom M### code to turn on the relay and another to turn off the relay
( using a free macro name from  M791 - M798)

say it is M797 turns on relay
and M798 turns off relay

Then,
you can add M998
before you end your program with M30

and add M997 when you start the program.