Topics

11

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 View Screen too BIG for my monitor

« on: January 01, 2009, 03:44:34 PM »

When I started Mach3 Mill this morning the Mach3 screen was about 30% too large for my 17" monitor.  For some reason it was way oversize.  Haven't had this problem before.
Opened Mach3 Plasma and it filled the monitor screen normally.

How can I correct this?   

Thanks

Hager

12

General Mach Discussion / After using the “Steps Per Unit” in “Axis Calibration” my CNC wont run properly

« on: September 02, 2008, 04:53:55 PM »

Using Mach3

Am in the process of fine tuning my CNC and have hit a snag while setting my “Steps Per Unit” in “Axis Calibration”.

I have been air cutting and using a pen to draw the various Gcode files, everything was repeating and running smoothly except that everything was half size. Sounds like I need to adjust the Steps Per Unit.  My drivers are set to "Full Step"  And in "Motor Tuning" the Steps per Unit was showing 2000. I am using a 10 TPI Acme so this sounds correct.  ? ? ?

I went into the Settings Tab and selected “Steps Per Unit” in “Axis Calibration” then the X axis, deleted the 0 and input 2”. Ran that and measured and it was 1”, input that figure and saved it. Did the same I think for the Z axis.

Went back to the Motor Tuning the Steps per Unit was still showing 2000. Hmmmm Thought this should be a different number now after what I did above.

Tried a X and Y axis manual jog and the stepper makes about one revolution and stops, and buzzes if I hold the jog button. It does this in both directions. It does this every time I press X jog.

Tried Z axis manual jog and it moves a few stepper rev. but only about 1 turn in the down direction every time I hit jog.

In the Diag screen each axis moves toward home slowly as long as i hold the button.

As I said everything was OK before I tried the “Steps Per Unit” in “Axis Calibration” utility.

Any Ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks

13

General Mach Discussion / Always in the Slow Jog Mode

« on: March 23, 2008, 01:00:37 PM »

OK I must have touched something I should not have because it will only Jog very slowly.

Here is the history leading up to this problem the best that I remember.

I was setting my Motor Home and Soft Limits.  And everything was working fine.  I would tell it to go to 0,0 and it would rapid then slow and stop right on 0,0 the same for G28 (think that is the Home code)  Hey this is nice and I liked the sound of the steppers when thay slowed.

I then started working on my limit switches (with soft limits turned off, no green box around icon), I would jog  and it would stop when hitting the switches all at the normal jog speeds.  These were beyond the Motor Home and Soft Limits but since the soft limits turned off I didn't think it would effect anything, and at the time it didn't, jog speed normal.

I then found a utility within Mach3 that woud automatically set the X+ X-  and XHome  (and other axis also)  I would jog (speed normal) to the X+ switch then click the screen it then stepped through the other axis. to do the same for the other axis.

I think it was after this that the machine would only Jog very slowly.  But I'm not exactly sure.

I think it was after this that my Jog was always in the slow mode.

14

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 Videos

« on: March 19, 2008, 04:12:43 AM »

I have watched several videos on the Mach3 video list and quite often they mention videos such as "Work Offsets"  and I cannot find them in the list.  Where would this one be? 

They also often mention the "Next video" and name it and again it isn't in the list.
Hmmm are there different lists of videos, guess i'm looking in the wrong place?

I really like videos it's better than the guide for me.

Today I learned how to setup Motor Home/Soft Switches.  But it took a few goes at posting my question on the CncZone to finally arrive at how to do it. I have the Mach3 guide printed out and if I only had it I could not have done it, so far the guide has not been very helpful to the new user. 

15

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Resize a DXFfile

« on: March 17, 2008, 12:34:18 AM »

My first post!!!

Have  a full version of Mach3 and TurboCad.  How can I resize a DXF file that is too large for my CNC to cut?

16

General Mach Discussion / Help Configuring Limit and Homing Switches

« on: October 23, 2007, 01:40:08 AM »

My 1st Posting!

I am confused about settingup my limit and Homing switches.  As you can see in the below drawing each axis has two normally closed switches, one just a limit and the other is both a limit and home switch both switches are wired in series.  The breakout board manufacture showed this thpe of switch configuration and I understand that this is possible, I just can't find the way to set it up.  The X axis is connected to pin 10 on the breakout board.  Mach3 must have a way of knowing the direction it is travling and if it hits a limit or a limit and home switch. The breakout board has Gnd, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15 for the limits, home and EStop switches.
 How do you configure this?  Also If a limit is hit I want to drive off of it automatically, to get out of theh error condition.
I also pasted a the input screen where I think this is done, but don't know how.  Please refer to tabs and screens in their exact names, so I can see how to do the setup.  Remember this is my first post.