Messages

11

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: Galil plugin for ISA bus card ie. DMC 1040

« on: November 30, 2007, 06:44:40 PM »

I asked a few years ago about supporting the DMC-1040 since there are so many on the surplus market. I'm guessing the demand isn't sufficient.

The ISA bus isn't a problem unless one is trying to send the S/D pulse train through it. That would defeat the purpose of the board.

12

Competitions / Re: ******Guess and win a G100 Grex******

« on: May 22, 2007, 08:48:44 PM »

2,400,000

I'm not very imaginative.

Doug

13

Modbus / ModIO and overrides

« on: February 03, 2007, 08:44:32 PM »

I would like to have overrides for spindle speed, feed and rapid rate. The rapid override may seem odd but I find it quite useful in preventing crashes during program testing. Is it possible to create a rapid override using the macropump?

14

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: hardinge hnc to retrofit

« on: December 17, 2006, 06:34:09 PM »

Re your spindle drive.   Does your machine have the split cone pullys and the small motor and leadscrew to infinately change ratio? My 1st retrofit had this arrangement, and I kept it while using a VFD.   I rearranged it so that it effectively became a LOW/HIGH gearbox moving from one limit switch to the other.   Wayne... 

I have an HNC that I am getting ready to retrofit. It never occurred to me to use the varidrive as a transmission. Great idea!

My hnc came out of a university lab and had never been used. It still has the shipping brackets attached.

What did you do with the servo motors on your machine?  I need to install encoders and wondered if I should just dispense with the motors and start fresh.

Doug Harrison

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: Exact homing

« on: May 13, 2006, 11:00:31 AM »

This is a weakness of Mach that will probably not be fixed.

Let me re-phrase that:

It is a weakness of all open loop step/direction cnc software.

Doug

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Exact homing

« on: May 13, 2006, 09:44:59 AM »

Victor,

To answer your question, no, Mach does not home to an encoder index. It is designed to home to the limit switch. Attempts have been made to adapt circuits into the homing relays to allow homing to an index. The most effective is to adapt a slotted wheel to the motor or leadscrew and use an optical sensor ANDed with the limit switch.

This is a weakness of Mach that will probably not be fixed.

Doug

17

Mach Screens / Re: Discussion of trying to find a "best Practice" list for screen design

« on: May 04, 2006, 10:17:04 PM »

Hi Jeff;

I'm new to the forum so I'll limit my response to those items for which I have a definite opinion.


3)  Are graphic images on buttons superior to text?

No. Icons are cryptic. And since they are not universal it is difficult to remember them from one program to the next.


6)  Is is important to maintain consistant formats and locations of functions from screen to screen?

Yes. I remember the early Bridgeport DX32 control where each screen seemed like a different progam. One screen used esc to get you back to the previous screen. Another screen used F1 to go back. Another used enter (figure that one out).  Put items in the same place on each screen and make the keys do the same in each screen. You can use a different colored header (or border) on each screen to readily tell them apart.