Messages

191

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Steps per unit wizard

« on: April 25, 2019, 08:05:44 AM »

Sorry, I was wrong.
Is this the Wizard you are talking about as in the ebay tutorial by NFS?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-xCWDR0Uvg

192

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ref All Home

« on: April 25, 2019, 04:14:11 AM »

Note that I am moving up Z to the very top slowly FIRST. So there is nothing dangerous even if X and Y are in the wrong place. Where will G0 x25 Y25 (units in mm) send the head to ? The most it will happen is it is still slow referencing Y and X.

i noticed that the z-axis is up first, but i noticed on my machines, that sometimes after i fire up mach3
for the first time, that machine coords are somewhere (sometimes up to 500mm), and the machine is
physicaly  near 0,0. if you do then a G53 G0 X25 it will move full Speed into Limit Switches.

Notice that I stated earlier that I only do the [fast ref all home] on the Xbox360 games controller using my own custom macro M797.m1s
So I can still click on the screen STD [ref. all home] if on powering up, if I need to.

BUT if I alway bring my machine head to home using the [fast ref. all home] (instead of G28 or G28.1 etc.) before powering down, I will always be at machine zero on power up. So [fast ref. all home] using my Xbox360 games controller works every morning.

193

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ref All Home

« on: April 25, 2019, 03:34:37 AM »

This is my update script:-

Speak (" FASTER Referencing all home.") 'VOICE Alert

Message "************ FAST Reference all home Started************"
Sleep (1000) ' Pause 1 second
CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818) 'Get the current feedrate to return to later
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48) 'Get the current G90/G91 state
CurrentGmode = GetOemDRO(819) 'Get the current G0/G1 state

DoOEMButton( 1024 ) ' Ref (home) Z Axis
While IsMoving()
Wend

DoOEMButton(135)  ' Zero Z Encoder
Code "G90"
Code "G53 Y25"  'Go to Y25 (mm) in Machine coordinates
While IsMoving()
Wend
Code "G53 X25"  'Go to X25 (mm) in Machine coordinates
While IsMoving()
Wend

DoOEMButton( 1023 ) ' Ref Y Axis
DoOEMButton( 1022 )' Ref X Axis
DoOEMButton( 1025 )' Ref A Axis

DoOEMButton(134)  ' Zero Y Encoder
DoOEMButton(133)  ' Zero X Encoder
DoOEMButton(136)  ' Zero A Encoder
While IsMoving()
Wend

Code "G54"
If CurrentAbsInc = 0 Then 'if G91 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G91"
End If
If CurrentGMode = 0 Then 'if G0 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G0"
End If   


Speak ("FAST Reference all home Completed") 'Voice Alert

Message "************  FAST Reference all home Completed************"     

194

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ref All Home

« on: April 25, 2019, 02:52:23 AM »

for the Moment i can not see the real benefit of your script, because the
G0 X/Y25 moves are done in the actual fixture Offset (G54..).
let's say for example your G54 0,0 is in machine coords at 200,200 the machine
will go to 225/225 and do the ref X/Y.

faster would be to use G53 G0 X/Y25 then machine will go to 25mm from Limit Switches,
but this is dangerous if machine has not been homed before, because this 25,25 can be somewhere.

this are only my insignificant thoughts.

Thanks
I have put back G53 back into my own script. I did put it in at first but accidentally deleted it during debugging when correcting other syntax errors.

Note that I am moving up Z to the very top slowly FIRST. So there is nothing dangerous even if X and Y are in the wrong place. Where will G0 x25 Y25 (units in mm) send the head to ? The most it will happen is it is still slow referencing Y and X.

195

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to understand Spindle readings? I am confused..

« on: April 25, 2019, 01:39:06 AM »

I am setting up a CNC Lathe with a PoKeys57CNC. 
My goal is to have a CNC based threading capability on my Sherline Lathe.  Hence.
I am using a Dyn4 servo controller and 400W motor to run the "spindle".

The servo is setup in Speed mode and I have it working with MACH4 I can increase / decrease the rpms etc.  This is done thru the Analog 0-10v pins.  .

1. To get a more linear relationship, you need to increase the PWM base frequency to about 120Hz
2. 10V may not be exactly 10V. You need to have one "ferrite sleeves" (chokes) each for the 10V cable and the analog ground. Put the wires though ferrite sleeve or core a few turns.
3. After that, measure the highest voltage you can get with a good multimeter. e.g. it may be 9.7V or 8.5V. Now try to adjust until you can get  exactly 10V. Without the ferrite sleeves or chokes, it is no point calibrating as the readings will be all over the place due to noise.
4. In my VFD, I can just set the top freq to 382Hz instead of 400Hz to get true rpm from my spindle using  M3 or M4 because my BOB cannot give me exactly 10V but only 9.55V.

196

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Steps per unit wizard

« on: April 25, 2019, 01:11:21 AM »

I think, Mach4 doesn’t have an axis calibration wizard like Mach3 does.
There is an excel spreadsheet (somewhere in this forum) that can help you do the calculation.

What motion controller are you using with MACH4?

197

General Mach Discussion / Re: G-Code not reading properly?..Help? LazyCam?

« on: April 25, 2019, 01:04:39 AM »

@Luke
Can you post a image of your Lazycam | setup | loading options...autoclean setting  ?
If you do not want Lazycam to alter your drawing/toolpath, please untick
Optimise Drawing in that page.

Your uploads shows that there are a lot of G0 (dotted line) moves. Those are done by Lazycam optimization (in order to cut faster).
Just turn Optimisation off (for now).

In your MACH3 Config | general Config page under Motion Mode
make sure that Distance Mode is ABSOLUTE
BUT
IJ mode MUST BE inc (ie NOT absolute) -- to match settings in Lazycam.

198

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

« on: April 24, 2019, 11:29:24 PM »

You already know on the left of your picture, are limit/home switch connections for your machine.
Left Topmost is X axis and left bottom most is S axis= A axis in MACH3.

So each axis has +24v, in-, in+, 24vgnd.
Assuming you use the NPN Sensor,
you connect +24v of the sensor to +24V of that axis on the board
you connect -24v of the sensor to 24VGnd of that axis on the board
and for NPN sensor you connect the im to in- of that axis on the board

For PNP sensor,
you connect +24v of the sensor to +24V of that axis on the board
you connect -24v of the sensor to 24VGnd  of that axis on the board
and for PNP sensor you connect the im to in+ of that axis on the board

If you are using simple NC (normally closed) mechanical switches system,
You will need a 1K or 10K OHM resister for each axis.
Connect +24V with the 1K or 10K resister to im+
Connect the other end of the switches for that axis in series to 24VGnd  for that axis on the board.
I will test with 10K OHM first to save power. But if that does not work, then use 1K OHM.

199

General Mach Discussion / Re: Ref All Home

« on: April 24, 2019, 10:56:01 PM »

Hi Guys

Here is a Compromised script for much FASTER REF. ALL HOME
I have not replaced the STD [Ref. all Home] but create a custom macro and assigned that macro to one button of my xbox360 to it.
It is in mm but you can just change the 25 (mm) to 1 (inch)

Here is the code:

Speak (" FASTER Referencing all home.") 'VOICE Alert

Message "************ FAST Reference all home Started************"
Sleep (1000) ' Pause 1 second
CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818) 'Get the current feedrate to return to later
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48) 'Get the current G90/G91 state
CurrentGmode = GetOemDRO(819) 'Get the current G0/G1 state

DoOEMButton( 1024 ) ' Ref (home) Z Axis
While IsMoving()
Wend

DoOEMButton(135)  ' Zero Z Encoder
Code "G90"
Code "G0 Y25"  '25mm from Y0
While IsMoving()
Wend
Code "G0 X25" '25mm from X0
While IsMoving()
Wend

DoOEMButton( 1023 ) ' Ref Y Axis
DoOEMButton( 1022 )' Ref X Axis
DoOEMButton( 1025 )' Ref A Axis

DoOEMButton(134)  ' Zero Y Encoder
DoOEMButton(133)  ' Zero X Encoder
DoOEMButton(136)  ' Zero A Encoder
While IsMoving()
Wend


If CurrentAbsInc = 0 Then 'if G91 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G91"
End If
If CurrentGMode = 0 Then 'if G0 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G0"
End If   


Speak ("FAST Reference all home Completed") 'Voice Alert
Message "************  FAST Reference all home Completed************"   

200

Mach Screens / Re: chinese cnc probing macros?

« on: April 24, 2019, 05:22:28 PM »

'This is a Probe z surface macro  supplied by XHC of China

FeedCurrent = GetOemDRO(818) 'Get the current settings, OEM DROs (818)=Feedrate DRO
ZCurrent = GetOemDro(802) 'OEM DROs (802)=Z DRO
GageH = GetOEMDRO(1001) 'OEMDRO(1001)=Gage Block Height
ZNew = ZCurrent - 6 'probe down max. 6 inches
Code "G90F5" 'slow feed rate to 5inches/MIN
SetOemDRO(818,5)
Code "G4 P1" 'Pause 1 second to give time to position probe plate
Code "G31 Z" &ZNew
While IsMoving()
Sleep(10)
Wend
Call SetDro (2,GageH) 'DRO(2)=Z DRO
FinalMove = GageH + 1 ‘move 1 inch above gage height
Code "G0 Z" &FinalMove
Code "F" &FeedCurrent 'restore starting feed rate
SetOemDRO(818,FeedCurrent)


'Note that there are also, FRENCH and ITALIAN probing macros (posted in this forum) that DO NOT use those legacy setvar() and getvar() functions.