Messages

21

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: surface map

« on: April 26, 2021, 06:36:27 PM »

Update:

When mapped surface file loaded if i click ref. all axis(ref. in place) Zth axis does the same jump and a weird value added to Zth DRO(does not zero it), in every ref. all click different value added.

When mapped surface file not loaded, if i click ref. all, Zth axis does not make the jump, it just zero all the DROs one by one.

22

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: surface map

« on: April 24, 2021, 06:04:40 AM »

Hi Craig,

So u have no idea about if it is working with Mach4 4.2.0.4680 + ESS V270 combo or not right? and u can not test it right now am i correct?

Is there anyone else who can test the surface mapping wizard for the above problems?

Regards,

Hakan

23

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: surface map

« on: April 23, 2021, 01:58:56 PM »

Hi Craig,

I know there is a way to make autoleveller work with Mach4 but it is not worth to try that much for something which is already there.

Ok if u could make the surface mapping work can you check the following when you have time;

- does your machine's Zth axis jumps(move up or down very fast) when you load the mapped data to the plugin?(this move cannot be seen in DRO)

- after loading the map, when you try to find the tool tip(zero point) by touching to the surface of the PCB(by using touch UI), does it give you the correct height? or adds a value which should not be there?

- while map loaded, if you move the axis(X or Y) towards outside of the mapped area with half or full throttle, does your Zth axis makes a jump while it is leaving the area?

If you can check and confirm i will be glad, thanks in advance.

Regards,

Hakan

24

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: surface map

« on: April 23, 2021, 07:03:54 AM »

Hi Craig,

autoleveller does not work with Mach4 as much as i know and our aim is to make the surface map work because it is implemented within Mach4 so you dont need to do it with another program when it is already there within Mach4. They say it is working so as a user u have right to expect that it is working. 

surface map works nice, the problems are related with the tool height measurement and while u are loading the map machine moves by itself, other than these problems it works nice and corrects the error on the surface within couple microns. This is why we want to make it work.

I tried it on couple cheap PCB boards these are the worst ones u can buy(not epoxy ones) they have many problems on the surface because of the lamination processes and they bend by themselves on the shelf with the moisture in air but even on these PCBs with the problems above described, i got very good results with some manual adjustments during carving + right tool, u can see one of them below, its a PCB for a sound card mod. i did for the test.

So it is obvious that u can get good results on epoxy PCBs without any manual adjustment if you keep the mapping grid <=5mm.

Regards,

Hakan

25

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: surface map

« on: April 22, 2021, 03:05:33 PM »

I made another test and got same results, with manual intervention(changing the zth height by stopping and resuming when it does not cut the PCB because of the PCB surface error) but zero point measurement still not working as it should be.

When map loaded, this sudden movement in zth axis can not be seen in the DRO so it messes up the zero point if it is measured prior to the surface map, so it has to be measured again after map loaded to the plugin, any solutions from support?

26

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: surface map

« on: April 19, 2021, 02:40:02 PM »

Hi again,

I used the newest wizard that i got from email, nothing changed, this is what happened;

110x110mm surface mapped,

new wizard asked me for a folder to save the mapped surface data, data saved to a file,

after i load the file from plugin window, hit apply and close the window, again Zth axis made a sudden down non-controllable move of approx. 1mm with G0 speed. Not good!

When i try to zero the tool with touch UI by using same surface touching method(at the center of the mapped area), Mach4 writes a weird value to Zth axis DRO(please see attached image). Not good!

I manually changed the Zth DRO value to 10mm(as it should be) and hit cycle start, i got a usable PCB carving(see the attached image), user should not manually do this!

When X and Y axises move outside of the scanned area, Zth axis again does a approx. 1mm sudden upwards move with G0 speed. Not good!

So problems still exist but manually overcame to some extend.

After surface map file loaded to the plugin or while leaving the mapped area, machine should not make any sudden movement by itself.

When surface map is in use, if user tries to measure the tool height, plugin should not add the Zth error at that point to the tool height value(i think this is what it is doing), this makes the surface mapping meaningless.

Regards,

Hakan

27

Mach4 General Discussion / surface map

« on: April 15, 2021, 11:07:41 AM »

Hi,

There are couple things that i dont understand in surface mapping, if anyone can help me understand i will be glad;

I am trying to make surface mapping work for PCB engraving, i can map the surface and when map is loaded i can see the automatic adjustment in Zth axis within the mapped area during jogging and gcode running.

Machine homes in place and for the test, 150mm x 150mm area mapped, with 5mm resolution in both axis, zth axis adjustment precision during jogging was within 4 microns. Machined PCB was 100mm x 100mm and gcode prepared in HSMWorks.

First problem; after loading the map and when i close the plugin window, the zth axis jumps up suddenly, this move is so strong it shakes the 4 Ton machine,

second problem; when axises move outside of the mapped area zth axis again jumps up suddenly, it does not ramp up as it does in the youtube video,

third and the most important problem;

i can not zero the zth axis correctly, when i use the same tool(or when changed the tools) to zero it on the PCB from the touch off UI, it displays 10.77 in the Zth axis DRO instead of 10, i dont know where this 0.77mm is coming from. You can see the values i enter to the touch off UI in the attached image, when the touch plate is the actual plate(which is PCB) the plate height should be entered 0 and the retract height is 10mm after probing so, DRO should display 10mm after probing right?

What am i missing in here? does surface map plugin adds the measured value during mapping at that coordinate to the probing result? If so, its not good. Because of this i can not carve the PCB correctly, the value it should dive in to the PCB is -0.04mm but it enters way more than that and cleans up all the paths. I cannot fix it by altering the 0 point from the DRO, i cannot find the exact error and not sure if it is 0.77mm.

I am sure there are things that i dont understand about the concept of surface mapping, if anyone can help to correct those problems i will be glad, thanks in advance.

Regards,

Hakan



 

28

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Map surface wizard does not function

« on: March 18, 2021, 12:45:11 PM »

Hi KatzYaakov,

I think you run Mach4 in the background and you use C++ for the interface, so Mach4 is embedded within the controller interface right?

I also want to do this with the help of a node based application which also includes C++ programming, i am familiar with the basics of programming, of course need more than that for this but if you can tell me where to start or if there are any examples you can advice me i will be very glad and i am sure i can do it in time.

By the way in my case the problem is related with the mainboard of the controller its not accepting the drivers of the gpu anymore when i installed the new Win10 and Win7 OS the nvidia driver setup could not find the installed gpu and i couldnt be able to make it see the gpu through manual setup in device manager. My mainboard is Asus M4 series, i have 5 more dead M4 series mainboards from other computers so this one is dying too. I read that there is a problem in manufacturing these mainboard's pcbs and in time they die. So i am changing the gear, its a coincidence that it started to give errors when i tried the Map Surface wizard, thank you for the kind replies Steve.

regards,

Hakan

29

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Map surface wizard does not function

« on: March 17, 2021, 05:42:27 AM »

Hi Steve,

To be sure i am going to install Win10 32Bit to the controller(Win10 64bit is running now) and install everything from scratch including drivers, Mach4 and the profile, thanks.

Regards,

Hakan

30

Mach4 General Discussion / Map surface wizard does not function

« on: March 16, 2021, 01:41:26 PM »

Hi all,

I am trying to engrave some PCBs and having difficulties with Map Surface wizard, when map surface button clicked X and Y axis moves to the machine coordinate 0 point but Zth axis does not make any move, wizard stops there, therefore it can not probe the surface of the PCB. Please check the attached video.

Anyone having difficulties with Map Surface wizard? or anyone using it with success?

I contacted with support team they said it is working without any problem and advised me to make new profile from scratch, i did it, also used the default screen set but the problem is same, it still does not function and act the same way.

Last version of ESS and Mach4(4.2.0.4680) is installed but reverting back to 4.2.0.4612 because 4680 has some problems with the screen, there is some latency with the clicks on screen and machine movement in manual override.

But this Map Surface wizard problem is there in every Mach4 version for me, any suggestions?

Regards,

Hakan