Messages

31

Mach4 General Discussion / What changes PCID?

« on: February 13, 2018, 04:45:12 AM »

I run Mach4 on Dell i5 USFF PC.

When I upgraded its memory, PCID changed and I had to issue a new license file.

I thought this is unreasonable at first... but OK... I changed the hardware anyway...

Then... what if I make a S/W level change? like re-installing windows... etc?

Does this also change the PCID and I have to issue another licence?

32

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach4 does not support Unicode?

« on: February 12, 2018, 12:01:46 PM »

Hi,

I really appreciate all the help you members given to me.
I'm growing little by little.

I had used DeskCNC for a while...
As you might know, it was discontinued a few years ago... very old fashioned software....
But it supported unicode and I didn't have to change folder names and .nc file names into pure English alphabet.
I just manage the file names in Korean language.

But Most recent Mach4 doesn't seem to support unicode.
If any Korean alphabet is included in the path to .nc file(no matter it is folder name or nc file name...), Mach4 cannot load it.

Mach4 doesn't support it? or I should change any configuration in Mach4?

33

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Jogging and DRO errors

« on: February 12, 2018, 11:41:29 AM »

This is a known issue that affects some motion controllers in the current build (3481). It has been addressed in later builds (I tested with 3633 and the issue was gone), which you can download and test here: ftp://ftp.machsupport.com/Mach4/DevlopmentVersions/
When we are ready to release a locked-down version, it will be available on our website and I will update this thread as well. If the issue persists in other versions, there is something else going on that we'll need to tackle.

Happy CNCing!
-Bryanna

Good news!!!

In fact, I have a similar issue too. I use ESS 216 + Mach4 3481.
Hope to meet the officially upgraded version soon.

34

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: VistaCNC P2-S malfunctioning with Mach4

« on: February 12, 2018, 11:12:05 AM »

I removed the keyboard plugin from the plugins directory completely, restarted Mach4, and the P2-S still bricks at some point, seemingly, or usually, while running gcode!! So it isn't the keyboard plugin, I guess.

An interesting aside, even with the keyboard plugin NOT in the plugins directory, the little keyboard shows in the tray briefly before disappearing.

That might be Mach loads keyboard plugin at starting...
Try unpkugin_plugin by DAZ.
This will make Mach4 not even try to load the plugins.

In my case, Mach4 loaded duplicate keyboad plugins... so I had many icon in the tray... and when I move cursor on them they disappeared....
Mach4 seems to have some problem managing the plugins....

I haven't seen bricking for 3 days so far...

35

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: VistaCNC P2-S malfunctioning with Mach4

« on: February 09, 2018, 09:22:36 AM »

Have you tried just removing the keyboard plugin from the plugins folder, or is that what you meant by unplug_plugin? Maybe it IS the keyboard plugin conflicting? I'll have to try that, I don't much like jogging with the keyboard anyhow, but I DO LIKE jogging with the P2-S, if/when it works.

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,32603.0.html

This is the link where you can find the plugin and video manual from DAZ the developer.

I unplugged all the plugins that I don't use. But I think keyboard plugin made the conflict.

I'm not sure 100% yet, but it seems works, I only experienced a BRICK only once today.

36

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: VistaCNC P2-S malfunctioning with Mach4

« on: February 09, 2018, 02:33:59 AM »

Hm.....

Removing unused plugins do help, but it seems not enough...

My P2-S became a brick again now....

37

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: VistaCNC P2-S malfunctioning with Mach4

« on: February 09, 2018, 01:21:04 AM »

I think I found what the problem was....
(Only for "Being a Brick")

The problem is not because of VistaCNC MPG but because of MACH4.

Mach4 does not properly unload unused plugins. It loads them in a hidden way.... ;(

I think keyboard plugin makes a conflict with VistaCNC pendant.

After I unloaded unused plugins with unplugin_plugin that DAZ posted in this forum, I could not find being brick for more than 3 hours.

Before doing so, I had to find myself holding a brick in every 5~20 mins...

Try unplugin_plugin by DAZ. This could help you too.



Praise DAZ!!!!!


Sawyer

38

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: VistaCNC P2-S malfunctioning with Mach4

« on: February 09, 2018, 01:15:44 AM »

Hi,

that while running gcode the pendant drops back to the screen reading VistaCNC iMach4 and is dead until a Mach4 restart

Surely it has to work that way. If Mach has planned and calculated a coordinated move and while that move is progressing you try to do a little jog
when the move completes the controlled point will not be where its supposed to be but displaced by the jog amount. Either way Mach has no knowledge
of where it is now and its still planning moves 20 or more instructions ahead. A disaster is about to strike.

A pendant (or jog or MDI or screen script) can only move the machine if Gcode is NOT running ie the control state is Idle. <Feed Hold> does not put the control state
to Idle, <Feed Hold> followed by <Stop> do.

Craig

You would have understood what Tom said if you had had a VistaCNC Jog with screen.
"VistaCNC iMach4" on the screen... that means it became a brick. No operation available until restarting Mach4

Sawyer

39

Mach4 General Discussion / VistaCNC P2-S malfunctioning with Mach4

« on: February 08, 2018, 03:10:06 AM »

Hello Dear members~

I recently bought a P2-S USB MPG pendant from VistaCNC to use with Mach4.

I updated its firmware to work with Mach4.
(I downloaded the file from the official website of VistaCNC. Maybe the latest version.)

I copied 2 plugin files into Mach Plugin folder.

I thought it worked at first.

But I got problems....


I use Mach4 Hobby(Installed last Month), ESS (Plugin 216)+ MB2(Ver 2.0) in Windows 10 64bit.


1> F1(Ref Home)/F2(Zero All) runs with "Single" click. => These should be done with double click, right?

2> F3(Goto Zero) don't work. When I "Single" click at F3, Mach4 says "Axis 4 commanded while disabled"

3> In step mode, Can't I save the configuration? I don't use 1mm step... I usually use 0.01mm step. But when I restart Mach4, it turns to 1.00mm step that I don't use...

4> Can I edit F1/F2/F3/F4 functons? I want to allot a function to F4 too.

5> This is the crucial problem I have now... P2-S often becomes a brick... to use it I have to restart Mach4... I can't restart during machining work....


Anyone experienced the similar problems?

40

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: M6 Doesn't work...

« on: February 08, 2018, 02:41:20 AM »

Hi Craig,

The way it works differs from various versions of LUA.

In my case, multiple GcodeExecutWait() statements perfectly work without any trouble.

Code: [Select]

function m6()
    local inst = mc.mcGetInstance();
    local xstart = mc.mcAxisGetPos(inst,0)
    local ystart = mc.mcAxisGetPos(inst,1)
    local guesslen = -100
    local selectedtool = mc.mcToolGetSelected(inst)
    local currenttool = mc.mcToolGetCurrent(inst)
    local toollen = mc.mcToolGetData(inst, mc.MTOOL_MILL_HEIGHT, currenttool)
    if toollen == 0 then toollen = 50 end
    local probestart = guesslen + toollen

if selectedtool == currenttool then
return
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, "Selected Tool = Current Tool")
else
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G90 G53 G00 Z0.000")
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G90 G53 G00 X25.000 Y352.500")
--    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G90 G53 G00 Y352.500")
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G90 G53 G00 Z"..probestart)
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G91 G31 Z-60 F100")
    local toolz = mc.mcAxisGetPos(inst,2)
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G53 G00 Z0.000")
local changetoo = mc.mcToolGetDesc(inst, selectedtool)
wx.wxMessageBox("Please change to tool number "..selectedtool.." "..changetoo.." and press OK to continue")
    currenttool = selectedtool
    toollen = mc.mcToolGetData(inst, mc.MTOOL_MILL_HEIGHT, currenttool)
    if toollen == 0 then toollen = 50 end
    probestart = guesslen + toollen
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G53 G00 X25.000 Y352.500")
--    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G53 G00 Y352.500")
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G53 G00 Z"..probestart)
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G91 G31 Z-60 F100")
    mc.mcAxisSetPos(inst, 2 , toolz)
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G53 G00 Z0.000")
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G00 X"..xstart.." Y"..ystart)
--    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst, "G90 G00 Y"..ystart)
    mc.mcToolSetCurrent(inst, selectedtool)
mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, "Toolchange Finished")
    --wx.wxMessageBox('Toolchange Finished')
end
   
end


if (mc.mcInEditor() == 1) then
    m6()

end
Above is the code that I use now.


But... for me I got one more need lol~


That is,

When I load the first tool in the beginning of the G codes, I want to make Mach4 memorize the tool height and length(?) automatically.

This will give 2 advantages.

1> I can easily replace a broken tool.
2> I can save time when changing to another tool.


Have you applied this to your code?

Give me some info~




P.S. M6 Macro code from DAZ video part 3 still doesn't work... I don't know why... But it doesn't matter because it would do the same thing as my M6 code does.