Messages

51

Mach4 Plugins / Re: Is it possible to map ‘continuous’ jogging to an analog input?

« on: January 07, 2023, 12:32:52 PM »

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well.  I was poking around in the screen editor and found the commands I think.

There is a functionality in the pokeys that allows you to map the analog input to a percentage, I was going to use that to set the jog speed.

The one sticking point I still see is how to update the speed as the joystick at runtime.  Ideally i would want something like this:

- enable joystick jogging (another input)
While enabled:
- read joystick position, if not "0" (centered), convert to %
- jog in direction indicated (keyboard/gui command) at % of rapid traverse speed

Continue the while loop until joystick jogging is disabled.

If I use siglib to monitor the register and input, is it safe to assume that it will update at the 50ms rate?  That should be fast enough for reasonable manual control.

Seem reasonable?

52

Mach4 General Discussion / Is it possible to map ‘continuous’ jogging to an analog input?

« on: January 05, 2023, 09:00:58 PM »

Hi all,

I have an ESS with a pokeys 57E that i am using for additional i/o.  I was wondering how i could map a pair of the analog inputs (with a potentiometer joystick connected) to work as continuous jogging.

I’m not looking for super precision, as i have an MPG for that.  I’m wanting to do coarse movement with the analog input joystick and fine movements with the pendant.  (This one axis at a time stuff is getting old).

There is a tutorial from Pokeys on how to map an analog input to the FRO, and i was looking to adapt that for the jogging but I can’t figure out where to look for the continuous jogging command.

53

Mach4 Plugins / Is it possible to map ‘continuous’ jogging to an analog input?

« on: January 04, 2023, 12:30:11 PM »

Hi all,

I have an ESS with a pokeys 57E that i am using for additional i/o.  I was wondering how i could map a pair of the analog inputs (with a potentiometer joystick connected) to work as continuous jogging. 

I’m not looking for super precision, as i have an MPG for that.  I’m wanting to do coarse movement with the analog input joystick and fine movements with the pendant.  (This one axis at a time stuff is getting old).

There is a tutorial from Pokeys on how to map an analog input to the FRO, and i was looking to adapt that for the jogging but I can’t figure out where to look for the continuous jogging command.

54

Mach4 Plugins / Re: Mach4 WHB04B-6 axis or WHB04B-4 axis enable plugin setup

« on: January 04, 2023, 12:21:22 PM »

This may be a crazy question, but is the source code for this plugin available anywhere? I can try to help fix it.

Thanks

55

Mach4 Toolbox / Re: Tool Change Script for Mach4 - A collaborative effort for a Tool Setter Macro

« on: December 21, 2022, 04:01:21 PM »

absolutely!

56

Mach4 Toolbox / Re: Tool Change Script for Mach4 - A collaborative effort for a Tool Setter Macro

« on: December 21, 2022, 01:10:52 PM »

Thats great! I’m currently setting up my machine to use the ATC and tool setter (tool carousel is in the works).  I’m also a LUA neophyte but I’m going to use this project as my first one.

If i follow correctly, i could insert the actual tool changing code (or call to a subroutine) right where you prompt the user to change the tool in your code. 

(i will use a pokeys to work as the plc to control the tool changer and control it with mach)

Great work. Thanks for the inspiration

57

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: 5 Axis workflow for tool length compensation?

« on: July 28, 2022, 09:26:26 AM »

Very nice KatzYaakov!

my machine will also have limited rotation C axis.  I look forward to seeing your kinematics.

58

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: 5 Axis workflow for tool length compensation?

« on: July 27, 2022, 01:17:29 PM »

No, this is the root of my question actually: for normal xyz coordinates, mach does the tool and fixture offsets.  Since the 5 axis toolpaths are more complicated, does mach still do the tool offsets for you or do you have to the post-processor/cam do it?

If the cam/post processor has to do it, you have to recalculate the toolpaths there for each tool after you measure its offset.  Not a huge deal, but not ideal.

One workaround i thought about was to use a jig to make sure the tool offset was the same as it was in the CAM software, basically mimicking what you’d have with ATC collets. 

But if mach was able to apply tool offsets in 5 axis, i have to do nothing  extra

59

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: 5 Axis workflow for tool length compensation?

« on: July 27, 2022, 11:08:40 AM »

AH, Yes, that makes sense for a trundle style 5 axis, I'm building a wrist-style. That's why i'm thinking that some real-time (or macro-able tool length compensation is needed)

My current thought is to build a jig where I can pre-set the toolheight precisely (not the easiest thing with a manual chuck).  Of course that complicates things because each tool has a different stick-out.

60

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: 5 Axis workflow for tool length compensation?

« on: July 27, 2022, 12:31:45 AM »

Whats WCS?  (forgive my ignorance!)