Messages

461

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 15, 2019, 01:37:16 AM »

ESS UC300 and 57CNC on MACH3 will NEVER be able to outperform a FAST NEW PC running
Win7 (32bits) and parallel port.
All of them external motion Controller ESS UC300 and 57CNC have written their "add-on" software in "RING 3 USER LAYER" of the operating system and so controlled by the bloated Windows OS.
The Mach3 driver & pulsing were written in RING 0 Kernel Mode. It is not just pulsing, that is in ring 0. It means the buffer is also in ring 0 and so windows must be very fast to be able to fill the ring zero buffers within the time available.
The best MACH3 system is to have a Windows 7 (32bits) that can pulse at 100k with excellent results and then intentionally reduce the pulse engine to 60k Hz or just 45k Hz so that MACH3 main program (user interface) under ring 3 of windows will always have enough time filling up the buffer - even if you are doing something else while MACH3 is running.

People who like external motion Controllers like ESS UC300 and 57CNC should just go for MACH4 because MACH 4 user interface is improved & many new features added but is like a nice car sold without an engine.
I do not believe MACH4 can ever be faster than MACH3 if the computer is exactly the same low power PC.
It is horses for courses.
"You cannot sell ice to an Eskimo."

462

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 14, 2019, 03:34:28 AM »

What did Art Fenerty in "MACH3 Mystery" said?
"Mach3 was designed for the printer port, and its architecture is derived from the treacherous territory of Windows kernel mode, then it will be understood more easily, why the design architecture, which has evolved over time, must reflect the original printer port operation in terms of its internal limitations.
This means that “the simple fact you are using an external engine does not mean you
will not necessarily have a limitation enforced by the original specifications of the
software.”


Probably MACH4 is indicated if people want to use more powerful external motion controllers.

463

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 13, 2019, 07:18:13 PM »

Craig,
IMHO
I am still waiting for the external motion controllers to mature.
USB and Ethernet are NOT really suitable for the FACTORY environment.
USB is always grounded to CITY electricity ground and a wrong wiring has blow up the PC or cause electric shock or fire. There is no usually isolation in a USB device. There is no screws to tighten up a USB connection like a DB25.

Ethernet is perhaps better than USB.
BUT still being High frequency is subject to NOISE interference.
There are too many points that can contribute to failures. TCP/IP is known to be unreliable that is why the INTERNET must have multiple alternative paths and IP always has "time-to-live".

UC100 only has 1 second buffer.
ESS  has how many seconds of buffers?

The "achilles heel" is going to be the external motion controller cannot get enough data from Mach3 or Mach4 on time. Solution is then to having to upgrade your PC to be faster.
If so the external motion controller will be redundant.
By upgrading my PC from a dual core CORE-2 DUO 2GHZ system to an I5-7600 PC 3.6GHZ, my router reached the Maximum speed physical possible based on the stepper motors & drivers & mechanical build. That's is 2.4 times the original speed I could get no matter how I tried.
I am only running 24 volts drivers. I could reach 2 or 3 time faster if I run at 48 Volts.
ALL ON THE parallel port.

I still support profitable factories. Some are still running many huge CNC lathes on DOS7 on Novell network and machines using qbasic files and driving ISA boards. They make over $AUD a million a year profit. Their office PCs are Windows 10x64 of course.

I also support a company selling new PlasmaCAM machines and more expensive waterjets machine and huge lathes and huge Mills and wire-cutters. ALL are using the RELIABLE parallel port still.

464

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 13, 2019, 05:40:05 PM »

Your PC is not a laptop is it? 
Craig

He already said his PC is a Dell Optiplex 760 - a desktop with built in Parallel port.

465

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 13, 2019, 05:34:01 PM »

Is there anything else or should I give it a try now?

Try out
Should be stable

466

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 13, 2019, 04:17:26 PM »

Good
In Mach3, Config, General config page
look ahead should be changed to 200 lines at least (default was 20). In Mach4 default already 200 lines.
At top right hand corner of same page, set both debounce to 50.
In config motor tunning, you can set step pulse higher try 5 (15 is max) and Dir pulse (up to 5).


The parallel port cable should be as short as possible. 2 meters (about 6 feet) is max. length for stability.
make sure that your printer body grounded and the control box case are both grounded to reduce HF interferences.

I would set antivirus to trust C:\mach3 folder.

467

General Mach Discussion / Re: Plasma doesn't work help

« on: March 12, 2019, 09:46:20 PM »

Increase your "look ahead" to 200 or even 500 lines or more - if you are using Mach3.
Config | general config page

468

General Mach Discussion / Run Mach3 using RD Client on 10.1 inch Android Tablet

« on: March 12, 2019, 09:24:01 PM »

FYI
It is possible to run MACH3 on Win7 remotely using a CHEAP 10.1" Android tablet. Wirelessly.
What you add are
1.Touch Screen capability
2. Remote monitoring of tool path progress
3. Emergency start stop while having lunch

Android tablet cost me AUD$95.

469

General Mach Discussion / Re: Crashing !

« on: March 12, 2019, 06:58:14 PM »

Go into command prompt with administrator rights and paste and add the below registers.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v FeatureSettingsOverride /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v FeatureSettingsOverrideMask /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f

Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

470

General Mach Discussion / Re: Software stops mid opperation.

« on: March 12, 2019, 06:43:10 PM »

Thanks and well done!
Does Dell OptiPlex 760 have a built parallel port interface or did you put in a 3rd party card?

Can your parallel port be set to EPP 1.7  in BIOS?

As I build new PCs for PlasmaCAM & am an IT consultant (in au)
please let me advice you what to do
1. Open the Dell OptiPlex 760 case and blow or brush off all dusts from the CPU heat sink.
Use a Vacuum cleaner that can blow or a bicycle pump or a paint brush.
2. Clean the contacts of the cards and memory sticks with pencil eraser.
Rule out hardware issues out of the way first
Then
3. In Win 7
Go into command prompt with administrator rights and paste and add the below registers.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v FeatureSettingsOverride /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management" /v FeatureSettingsOverrideMask /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f

Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
4. Tune up win 7
4.1 Turn off screen saver
4.2 Turn off windows sound
4.3 On power options in control panel select HIGH PERFORMANCE and select NEVER for both Time to turn of monitor and Hard disk
4.4 Run MSCONFIG and untick all startup items except MACH3 related
4.5 In Task scheduler disable all software update tasks
4.6 In services - disable Windows Update and superfetch - (Only AFTER you have done all windows updates recently).
Please report back and I'll tell you more ..