Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 reverts to demo mode after every reboot

« on: September 27, 2022, 05:16:57 PM »

That happens to my system when the CMOS battery goes dead on my computer.  I’m altering my CNC machine to keep the power to the computer once it shuts down to prevent the CMOS batteries from getting drained because power has been cut to the PC for extended periods of time.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: cutting MDF on the CNC

« on: November 21, 2019, 10:26:58 AM »

I use MDF for testing.  The only thing about using MDF is you need to be careful about the fine dust it creates when milled.  You need to have a good vacuum system or wear a mask to prevent breathing the fine dust.  It is a carcinogen FWIK.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Master Tool 1 or Probe for Tool 1 in Tool Table

« on: October 12, 2018, 06:54:52 PM »

So, Graham, you mentioned "It depends how you have your machine set", I believe I want to use the relative tool offset from Tool#1 since I have a collett setup will be changing my tools manually.  I am working on an M6 macro that sets the tool length that Mach4 support kindly provided in a recent YouTube video.  With manual tool changes into a collett, I can't guarantee that the same tool will be installed the exact same depth into the collett, and so I figured with this macro, I will get an exact offset every time.  Unfortunately, all my tool offsets are off, and it winds up cutting air.  Tool#1 still has the offset value in the tool table that was put there following the Probe calibration routines.  According to the docs, Tool#1 must have a tool offset of zero to use a relative tool offset.  So, I'm stuck in this conundrum where, the Probe calibration puts that tool offset there after the calibration routines.  Do I now zero that out and set Tool#1 for tool offsets but will that undo the probe calibration routine when I do that?  I can really use your help with this.  

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Master Tool 1 or Probe for Tool 1 in Tool Table

« on: August 25, 2018, 06:29:25 PM »

Hi Graham, Thank you for sharing your expertise.  I'm still learning, and very grateful for your help.  I have a 3d spindle probe that I use as my G31 probe.  I have a small tool setter that I use as my G31.1 probe for setting my tool offsets that is .76" high.  So that I am understanding you, your reference to the "spindle end face", I believe that is the spindle gage line.  When I did the probe Calibration routines, tool #1 shows a tool length that was put there following the Calibrate Z as the final probe calibration process.  My tool gage setter, which is nothing more than a round touch-off with an alligator lead I attach to the tool.  This touch-off plate is .76" high which is what I used as the guage block height when I set each tool using the G31.1 probe signal.  One thing that I didn't do when setting the Calibrate Z, I didn't use the .76 as an offset for the probe.  However, when setting the default tool, I left the default tool Z setting at height offset at 0 and then used the .76" gage block height offset while setting each tool.  Did I do this correctly?  I'm sorry, I hope I'm making sense in my questions.  I'm trying to reconcile all these offsets in my mind, and I think I almost have them figured out.  At least I hope I am.  Again, thank you for your help.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Master Tool 1 or Probe for Tool 1 in Tool Table

« on: August 25, 2018, 07:49:23 AM »

I'm confused about the use of Tool#1 in the Tool Table.  Once I Calibrate my 3D Probe, the length offset is placed into Tool#1 in the Tool Table.  So, do I use this length offset for my master tool when setting up my different tools for my project, or can I put this tool length for my Probe into a different Tool # in the table?  I tried entering the Tool # into the Current Tool window on the operation screen before doing the probe calibration, but that didn't do anything.  It still put the probe length into Tool #1 even though I put tool #31 into the Current tool display.  Should I have issued an M6 T31 into the MDI window prior to probe calibration to set the Current tool to #31?  Also, going forward, when I do probing with this probe, will I have to set the current tool to #31 before I set my work coordinates so that Mach4 knows the length of the probe, or is all that info saved in the .inf file after the probe calibration?

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: /p profile name not working for me

« on: August 23, 2018, 09:06:37 AM »

Surround your target with quotes because of the space following the .exe. Windows isn't picking up your profile parm.

7

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Has Anyone Setup A ''PoNET kbd48cnc Keyboard'' to Mach4.. Mines not working..?

« on: August 19, 2018, 08:31:38 PM »

Once you activate your PoKeys Plugin for Mach4, you will need to go in and configure it for the KBD48CNC keyboard.  In the Configuration Panel, select the Matrix Keyboard tab where you "Enable Matrix Keyboard Support"  I defined 6 Rows and 8 Columns for the 48 buttons of my keyboard.  I then assigned a pin to each one and just went down the line, so Pins 1 thru 6 for each row, then Pins 7 thru 14, one for each Column.  I then pushed the Apply button to save it.  I then selected the Pendant Tab at the top of the window and enabled Pendant mode, and selected the KDB48CNC check box.  where I Enabled each button that was present on my keyboard which is most of them.  There are no MPGs, so I didn't activate any of them.  After Enabling all the buttons, I pushed the Apply button, and exited the Configuration panel and restarted Mach4.  Once you are done, you should see the PoKeys Mapping with all 14 pins you defined. The keyboard lit up once Mach4 came active. 

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Mach4 General Discussion / History Window Display Changes Font Size

« on: August 19, 2018, 08:07:56 PM »

My Mach4 desktop running on a Win7 Pro communicating to an ESS will change the text size being displayed in the small History window at the bottom of the Operation Screen.  You look at the picture I attached, and you can barely see the text.  When I open the History panel, I can read the History text as usual.  I don't know how why this is happening.  It seems to occur following some errors during probing routines.  Has anyone ever experienced this before?  It doesn't cause any functional problems, but it's disconcerting.  What else may be going wrong.  I just reloaded Mach4 fresh to reset it, and the font came back to normal after the reload.  But it has happened again.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Has Anyone Setup A ''PoNET kbd48cnc Keyboard'' to Mach4.. Mines not working..?

« on: August 13, 2018, 05:10:16 AM »

https://www.poscope.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/Pokeys/LibrariesAndPlugins/Mach4%20plugin%208.45.0.3813%20+%20manuals.zip  Is the URL where you will find a zip file containing the Mach4 plugin and the Mach4 documentation for the 57cnc USB and the Ethernet devices.  Good luck.

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Has Anyone Setup A ''PoNET kbd48cnc Keyboard'' to Mach4.. Mines not working..?

« on: August 13, 2018, 05:04:42 AM »

I just received my keyboard in the mail, but haven't set it up, yet.  You should have installed the Mach4 plugin for your Pokeys device.  I'm using the USB interface to my computer, so I installed the USB plugin and activated it as one of the plugins in Mach4.  I have yet to plug in the keyboard and configure it.  I'll let you know how that goes.  I was able to find Mach4 docs for it, though.