Messages

31

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: About probing Z

« on: August 21, 2021, 06:28:50 PM »

I see you are using the Demo software.  I don't know but you might want to contact tech support to see if probing is fully supported in demo mode.

Also if you are using Mach4 Hobby I know by default it is configured to NOT let you move past Z zero in the negative direction.  Quick way to check is set your Z to zero and try to jog down.  You will know if it's disabled because you will get an error message that you can't travel past Z zero.  (I cannot remember the exact message).  If this is true then manually set your Z zero below the probe touch surface.  Then move your probe above your touch surface and try again. 

There is a way to change the configuration file to all you to move past Z zero in the negative direction.  I will have to check my notes but I'm again not sure if you can change it in demo mode.

Please give my suggestion a try and if it works then at least you have a work around.

I will search for the instructions on how to change the configuration file.

32

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach4 XAxis Motor only vibrates and does not move - suggestions welcome :-)

« on: August 21, 2021, 02:37:47 PM »

Hello CNC'ers!

I am running Mach4 and Pokeys57CNC.

I am at my wits end and can't track down a problem with my Xaxis stepper motor.

The problem is it just vibrates loudly and doesn't move.  (Short video attached if it let's me upload.  Yup!  That noise is the stepper motor!)

This machine had been running with no issue.  My issue started when I disassembled the machine to install new Y axis plates.  The machine was running fine (cutting then new plates I installed) before I disassembled it.  Literally all I did was re-assemble the machine and now the Xaxis won't run.  (All other axes are fine)

I won't bore everyone with all the details (of course unless you ask) however through series of elimination I thought I had it narrowed down to an aviator connector for power (A+/-, B+/-) at the stepper motor.  (Swapping stepper drivers, cables, checking stepper motor winding pairing, checked voltage, connections at stepper driver, tested motor on another axis, etc...)

Well that's not it!  I don't know what else to try.

Any hints, advice, past problems that would help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

33

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New Mach4 install and having motor problems

« on: August 21, 2021, 02:08:21 PM »

Hi stevehuck,

I don't have the same setup as you.  But this sounds strangely familiar to one of the symptoms shown in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJGi3QxAHkY&t=139s

Check it out at the 1:00 mark.  (Bad connection in direction signal)

34

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: About probing Z

« on: August 21, 2021, 02:02:41 PM »

Hi Toshio.K.  I don't have the ESS board.  But if you look at the Machine Diagnostics tab and close the probe circuit, does it show that it made contact?

35

Mach4 General Discussion / ZAXIS Decreasing (By Error) During Cut

« on: August 07, 2021, 03:17:40 PM »

Hello All!

Hoping to gather some brainstorming ideas from all the big brains here!  :-)

I have a problem with my machine, running MACH4 and POKEYS57CNC.  I noticed after the finish cut was completed that the Z height of the cut was normal at the start.  However when the job was finish (at the final cut) it was ~ 5mm too deep.  The job looks great if it wasn't for the erroneous cut.  There is no obvious stepping in the cut or signs of a problem.  So I am assuming that the z depth problem is gradual on each pass.  The job is 183 mm wide with a 0.1mm step over.  So mathematically I am assuming that for each step over the z axis is out (negatively) by 0.0027mm [183mm wide / 0.1 mm step over = 1830 steps, 5mm error / 1830 steps = 0.00273~ mm]  At this exactly how the cut looks.  It's smooth and "flat" looking, otherwise a good cut.  Now the way I see it is the z axis error is on the positive travel direction (up), when it's not cutting vertically.  My logic is if the actual zaxis move up is less than the programmed move, then when the zaxis moves down (and there is no error with the downward travel) it will move down too far (the same amount as the error on the upward movement).  Now this really baffles me as there should be little or no resistance on the zaxis motor on the z+ movement.

A bit more context on the machine zaxis setup. I have a 8mm x 1mm pitch lead screw with a flexible shaft coupling.  The stepper driver is set to 800 pulses/rev with a Nema 23 Closed Loop Stepper Motor 2.0 Nm/283.28oz.in of torque.

I've checked for interferences on the zaxis travel, there are none.  I also ran a reliability test moving the zaxis vertically up and down in the same XY location for 1000 cycles.  That is also ok.  At the end of the 1000 cycles the cutter is exactly where it should be in the zaxis with no error.

I have also checked the flexible coupling set screws to ensure there was no motor shaft slippage.  All checks out there also.  When I installed the motor I made a mark on the end of the shaft so I could align the set screw properly on the shaft flat.  It's right where it should be and the set screws are still tight. (there are 4 set screws total, 2 on the flat and 2 90 degrees off the flat).  There is 1 flat on the motor shaft.

I was also thinking about motor amperage.  However the stepper driver is outputting their max 5 amps which is the rated current for the motor.

I've got a lot of cutting hours on this machine and never had this as an issue.  I'm scratching my head here.  Obviously there is something I am missing.

Any feedback / help / ideas greatly appreciated!

Hope everyone is safe and healthy.

Best regards.

36

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING

« on: March 22, 2020, 03:00:20 PM »

So I seemed to have found the issue with the Z Axis Machine not zeroing on homing.

To make a short story of it I had my machine configured to run Motor0 (X), Motor1 (Y), Motor3 (Z) and Motor4 (A).

So it seems Mach4, or the controller plugin, did not like the fact that I had not configured Motor2.  I reconfigured the physical connections to my controller and the settings in the software so now I have Motor0 (X), Motor1 (Y), Motor2 (Z) and Motor3 (A).  Now homing works as expected with home in place on the Z Axis.

Weird software bug if you ask me.

Anyway just wanted to note it here in case someone else has an issue in the future.

37

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING

« on: March 22, 2020, 02:45:23 PM »

Thank you for the tip.  Stay safe and healthy everyone!  Seems like a good time to hibernate in the man cave and make some stuff.

38

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING

« on: March 20, 2020, 06:38:36 PM »

Thanks Tom.  At least I did make a copy of my original setup so I didn't lose anything.  I will try your suggestion.

39

Mach4 General Discussion / MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING

« on: March 20, 2020, 05:42:59 PM »

Hello All,

I have this nagging issue.  Wondering if anyone else has seen it.  I have a homing switch on X and Y axis.  When I Home the machine (Reference All Axes button) X and Y axes home and zero the machine axes properly. 

I have set the Z set to Home in Place.  If I watch the DRO (machine coordinates) I see that Z  will flash for a partial second 0 (zero) then revert back to it's value.  Therefore it will not zero at all.  It just stays at whatever value it is currently on.

Is there any other way to fix this issue through configuration or set the Machine Z axis zero through script or GCode?

I do have a support ticket in with ArtSoft.  Their suggestion was to install a newer version of the software.  I tried this and it didn't got so well as I lost all of my settings.  Trying to avoid the re-install unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks,

S

40

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: MACH4 HOW TO DISABLE 1 AXIS

« on: February 02, 2020, 06:52:58 PM »

Thanks for the tip