Messages

31

General Mach Discussion / Re: Auto Z Probing retract height

« on: September 06, 2020, 04:37:33 PM »

Hey All,
I added some debug info the script. After the initial touch, my machine wants to retract to 9.878.... But 0 it the top of my Z and all the numbers on the Z should be negative. Also, even if 9 was negative, it is pretty far from the machine coordinate of -13 or the work coordinate of -3.2. Based on the DROs it seems the retract should be -13.02... or -3.19...

Is there a way to update the values?

The message in the display is showing the values before the move:

Code: [Select]

Code "G0 Z" & ( ZNew + FirstRetractDist )
Please see attached.

32

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: nMotion Drivers

« on: September 06, 2020, 02:51:33 PM »

Thank you for all the info. I have been eyeing the SmoothStepper for a while. Come winter I think I will do the conversion. Ill check back next year.

33

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Multiple Probe inputs

« on: September 06, 2020, 12:29:26 AM »

I ran into the same problem. This got me to finally understand and write my own brain. It was simple and fixed my mixed signal probes.

Thank you.

34

Mach4 General Discussion / nMotion Drivers

« on: September 05, 2020, 11:55:24 PM »

Hey All,
I would love to try out Mach4 without having to do a full overhaul.

Are there any nMotion drivers for Mach4?
If not, what is a good controller card for Mach4?

35

General Mach Discussion / Re: Auto Z Probing retract height

« on: September 04, 2020, 03:46:51 PM »

Thanks for the quick reply!

Code: [Select]

Sub Main()
' Simple Auto Zero
' Based on the macros created be Big Tex -  May 25 2010
' and modified by Poppa Bear 11dec10


Dim ZNew, Zplate, ZMaxRetract, Zplatetomaterial
Dim XWork, YWork, XMachine, YMachine, ZMachine
Dim XScale, YScale, ZScale
Dim xtoprobe, ytoprobe
Dim PlateOffset, MatOffset, TotalOffset
Dim MatOffsetYN
Dim ZClear, ClearAllow
Dim CurrentFeed
Dim CurrentAbsInc
Dim Response

XWork = GetOEMDRO(800)  ' Get Current X Work Coordinate
YWork = GetOEMDRO(801)  ' Get Current Y Work Coordinate
XMachine = GetOemDRO(83)  ' Get Current X Machine Coordinate
YMachine = GetOemDRO(84)  ' Get Current Y Machine Coordinate
ZMachine = GetOemDRO(85)   ' Get Current Z Machine Coordinate
PlateOffset = GetUserDRO(1851)  ' Get Plate Thickness DRO
MatOffset = GetUserDRO(1815)  ' Get Material Offset DRO

If GetOEMLED(1863) Then  ' Set Flag if Material Offset is used
MatOffsetYN=1
Else
MatOffsetYN=0
End If

'Get Axis Scale factors
ZScale = GetOEMDRO(61)

'Set All Axis' Scale to 1

Call SetOEMDRO(61,1)
Sleep(250)


CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818)  ' Get the current feedrate to return to later
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48)   ' Get the current G90/G91 state
Zclear=GetOEMDRO(1814) ' Get Z Clearance Plane from DRO

'//////// the block below will set all your reusable vars depending on Inch or mm.
'//////// this sets the vars so you only need ONE large block of probing code.

If GetOEMLED(801) Then  ' On = English Measure INCH

FirstProbeDist = 6.0 ' Probe down 6 inches
FirstRetractDist = 0.05 ' Then retract .05 inch
SecProbeDist = 0.25 ' Then probe down .25 inches
FirstProbeFeed = 10.0 ' First probe feed @ 10 ipm
SecondProbeFeed = 1.0 ' Second probe feed @ 1 ipm
ClearAllow = 0.125 ' Max Allowable Clearance = Z Machine Zero - .125in

Else ' Off = Metric Measure MM

FirstProbeDist = 150.0 ' Probe down 150mm
FirstRetractDist = 1.0 ' Then retract 1mm
SecProbeDist = 6.0 ' Then probe down 6mm
FirstProbeFeed = 250.0 ' First probe feed @ 250 mm/min
SecondProbeFeed = 25.0 ' Second probe feed @ 25 mm/min
ClearAllow = 2.0 ' Max Allowable Clearance = Z Machine Zero - 2mm

End If

'//////// Error Condition checking code

If GetOemLED(16)<>0 Then ' Check for Machine Coordinates
Code "(Please change to working coordinates)"
Exit Sub ' Exit if in Machine Coordinates
End If

If GetOemLED(825)<>0 Then
Code "(Z-Plate Grounded Check connection and try again)"
Exit Sub ' Exit if probe is tripped
End If

If PlateOffset < 0 Then
Code "(Plate Thickness < 0 - Please Correct and try again)"
Exit Sub ' Exit If Plate Thickness is less than 0
End If

If MatOffsetYN=1 Then
If MatOffset < 0 Then
Code "(Warning - Material Offset < 0)"
Sleep(3000)
End If
End If

If ZClear <= 0 Then
Code "(Clearance Plane Must > 0 - Please Reset)"
Exit Sub ' Exit If Clearance Plane is less than  or equal to 0
End If


If MatOffsetYN=1 Then  ' If Use Material Offset = Yes
TotalOffset = PlateOffset - MatOffset
Else
TotalOffset = PlateOffset
End If


'//////// Start Probing Code, Probe In -Z direction.
'//////// The vars will be Inch or Metric from above if/else statment

sleep(1000) ' Pause for 1 second to give time to position probe plate

Code "F" & FirstProbeFeed ' Set feedrate to 10 ipm or 300mm/min

Code "(Probing for Z Zero.....)" ' Puts this message in the status bar

ZNew = (GetOEMDro(802) - FirstProbeDist ) ' Probe move to current Z - 6 inches
Code "G90 G31 Z" & Znew

While IsMoving() ' Wait for probe move to finish
Wend

ZNew = GetVar(2002) ' Read the touch point
Code "G0 Z" & ( ZNew + FirstRetractDist ) ' Move up .05 inch or 1mm in case of overshoot

While IsMoving()
Wend

Code "F" & SecondProbeFeed ' Set feedrate to 1 ipm or 25mm/min

ZNew = (GetOEMDro(802) - SecProbeDist ) ' Probe move to current Z - .25 inches
Code "G90 G31 Z" & Znew

While IsMoving()
Wend

ZNew = GetVar(2002) ' Read the touch point
Code "G0 Z" & ZNew ' Move back to hit point in case of overshoot

While IsMoving()
Wend

Call SetOEMDRO (802, TotalOffset) ' Set the Z axis DRO to plate thickness
sleep(500) ' Pause for DRO to update.

'Make Sure Z Clearance Plane is below Home Switch. If not, Notify User and Proceed.
ZMaxRetract = Abs(GetOemDRO(85)) - ClearAllow ' Distance to Home Switch - Clearance Allowance


If ZClear - TotalOffset > ZMaxRetract Then

Response = MsgBox ("Warning !!!" & (Chr(13)) & "Z Clearance Plane is Above Z Axis Home Switch." & (Chr(13)) & "Press OK To Retract Safely Below Switch" & (Chr(13)) & "Or Press Cancel to Exit Operation",49,"Insufficient Z Clearance!!")

If Response = 1 Then ' If OK
ZClear = TotalOffset + ZMaxRetract ' Retract to Z Machine zero - .125in or 2mm
ElseIf Response = 2 Then ' If Cancel
Exit Sub
End If
End If

Code "G0 Z" & ZClear ' Retract to Z Clearance Plane

While IsMoving()
Wend

Call SetOEMDRO(61,ZScale)
Sleep(250)

Code "(Z axis is now zeroed.)"


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



End Sub                
     
 
 

36

General Mach Discussion / Auto Z Probing retract height

« on: September 03, 2020, 06:01:56 PM »

Hello,
I am trying to get the auto Z to work. I am unsure if this is a 2010 screenset problem or a general Mach issue so I am posting here. My mill travels down in the Z till it hits my plate then retracts all the way to the limit switch. It is supposed to back off a touch and then lower slowly again for a more precise measurement. Do you know what might be causing this, safe z maybe?

Joe

37

Finished Screens / Two Questions.... Z-Zero retract height and re-download

« on: September 01, 2020, 04:47:16 PM »

Going on 10 years, what a cool screenset!
I am setting up the screen-set on my new machine. Is there a place I can download the latest files? Past that, when I use the z zero functions, my head is retracting all the way to the top of the throw before coming back slowly for the more accurate measurement. Does the retract height relate to a setting somewhere in the mach settings?

Thanks!

38

General Mach Discussion / Re: nMotion Moving to Mach4

« on: June 18, 2019, 04:50:31 PM »

I think I will use Mach3 till further notice. Maybe a move to the smooth stepper in the future.

39

General Mach Discussion / nMotion Moving to Mach4

« on: June 13, 2019, 05:07:58 PM »

Hello,
I finally got my shop set up and running on Mach3. Now I want to move over to Mach4. My machine is a Precision Matthews PM940 CNC. It came with what looks to be an AirSoft approved controller (though I doubt it). I have attached the manual so you can see pics and the like.

The card in question is an nMotion Mach3 Controller.

Are any of you using this controller?
Are there any Mach4 drivers for it?
Would replacing the controller be in my best interests?

Thanks you!

40

Mach4 General Discussion / Anyone using a PM940

« on: September 08, 2017, 06:41:59 PM »

Hello,
After many years with a Super X3 and Mach 3 I am hoping to move to Mach4. I am waiting for my precision matthews PM940 CNC to show up. Are any of you using this machine with Mach4. If so, I would love to know your thoughts.

Thanks