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Macros / Using the serial port for a toolchanger macro
« on: November 05, 2006, 03:24:05 PM »
Hi to all,
Wow, the first to post a macro here.
I've been planning to update the way Mach3 sends signals to the toolchanger and decided on the serial port as the best option.
I'm using an 8051 microcontroller and have just finished the routines
and using the programmed micro, Try to get Mach3 to talk to it.
Using the info gathered from the forum, another thanks to Dave Murray's post for providing some of the code I have create this macro which shows how to use sendfifo () and getfifoentry () to communicate with a micro.
It features a simple handshaking to and from the micro and will display errors with the communication in Mach's message window.
All the code has been produced with helpful explaination
Mach3 now talks to the microcontroller and so the next job is to integrate the micro into some electronics and connect to my toolchanger. It'll be a while then!
All the usual diclaimers, This macro is intended to help you understand how to write your own macro for your machine.
Or you can alter this one if it suits your purpose.
cheers
John
'****************************************************************************
'Intellectual property of John Pearson (aka cjmerlin) created on 5th Nov 2006
'****************************************************************************
'This macro was designed for an 8051 microcontroller connected to a Denford Orac Toolchanger but can be
'used with any suitably programmed microcontroller.
'It uses a simple form of handshaking with the micro in the form of a carriage return value sent to, and received
'from the micro.
'it also has Error coding to get out of routine loops, which displays in the Mach message box
'First thing to do to enable Mach to talk and receive input from a micro is to click on 'config/ports & pins'
' and select event driven serial control.
'Next go to 'config/serial monitor' and configure the port,baud rate and click parity = none checkbox
'Click 'reconnect/save changes' button and then restart Mach.
'You should now be able to use this macro if your micro has been programmed to send and recieve the values below.
'Note to make them easier to see, all microcontroller values are in hexadecimal and start with '&H'
tool = GetSelectedTool()
ToolCommand = &H1E 'Tells microcontroller the job is tool change
JobDone = &HB6 'Micro sends this value when the job is done
CReturn = &H0D 'Value of carriage return in Hexadecimal
Sendval = 3 'Number of tries to send command before producing an error
RecVal = 10 'Number of time to wait for receive handshake value from micro before producing an error.
Select Case tool
Case 1
ToolN = &H1 'Tool value sent to microcontroller
Case 2
ToolN = &H2
Case 3
ToolN = &H3
Case 4
Case 5
End Select
message "Changing To Tool " & tool
'============================== Send Command and recieve return chr ===============================
Do
q =q +1
If GetInf = Chr(CReturn) Then Exit Do 'if micro returned chr "1" ,job done exit loop to next routine
For count = 1 To 5
x = getfifoentry() 'Flush buffer, Rule of thumb is to flush once per chr recieved during job.
Next 'If Mach misses a carriage return it wont pickup what was sent
'and will add it to the next string of chr's sent causing errors
Call sendfifo (Chr(ToolCommand) & Chr(ToolN) & Chr(CReturn)) 'send 3 chr's 'Tool Command,Tool Number,carriage return or something
For t = 1 To 5 'Read buffer 5 times before sending command again
GetInf = getfifoentry() 'get buffer return chr
If GetInf <> "None" Then Exit For 'if chr returned then exit
SetTimer( 1 )
While GetTimer(1) < 0.05 'wait approx 0.5 seconds, this value works for me
Wend
Next t
Loop Until q= SendVal
If q = SendVal Then
Message "Sending Tool Command Error"
Exit Sub
End If
'====================================================================================================
'****************************** Waiting for Tool selected signal from micro **************************
Mrec = "none"
Do
q= q+1
If q = RecVal Then 'Gets us out of the loop after 10 tries and produces an error.
Message "Receive Error"
Exit Sub
End If
SetTimer( 1 )
While GetTimer(1) < 0.05 'Wait
Wend
Mrec = getfifoentry() 'get return chr
'message Mrec
Loop Until Mrec <> "None"
If Mrec = Chr(JobDone) Then 'If returned chr correct then job done
message "Tool " & tool & " Selected"
SetCurrentTool(tool)
Else
Message "Tool Change Error"
End If
Wow, the first to post a macro here.
I've been planning to update the way Mach3 sends signals to the toolchanger and decided on the serial port as the best option.
I'm using an 8051 microcontroller and have just finished the routines
and using the programmed micro, Try to get Mach3 to talk to it.
Using the info gathered from the forum, another thanks to Dave Murray's post for providing some of the code I have create this macro which shows how to use sendfifo () and getfifoentry () to communicate with a micro.
It features a simple handshaking to and from the micro and will display errors with the communication in Mach's message window.
All the code has been produced with helpful explaination
Mach3 now talks to the microcontroller and so the next job is to integrate the micro into some electronics and connect to my toolchanger. It'll be a while then!
All the usual diclaimers, This macro is intended to help you understand how to write your own macro for your machine.
Or you can alter this one if it suits your purpose.
cheers
John
'****************************************************************************
'Intellectual property of John Pearson (aka cjmerlin) created on 5th Nov 2006
'****************************************************************************
'This macro was designed for an 8051 microcontroller connected to a Denford Orac Toolchanger but can be
'used with any suitably programmed microcontroller.
'It uses a simple form of handshaking with the micro in the form of a carriage return value sent to, and received
'from the micro.
'it also has Error coding to get out of routine loops, which displays in the Mach message box
'First thing to do to enable Mach to talk and receive input from a micro is to click on 'config/ports & pins'
' and select event driven serial control.
'Next go to 'config/serial monitor' and configure the port,baud rate and click parity = none checkbox
'Click 'reconnect/save changes' button and then restart Mach.
'You should now be able to use this macro if your micro has been programmed to send and recieve the values below.
'Note to make them easier to see, all microcontroller values are in hexadecimal and start with '&H'
tool = GetSelectedTool()
ToolCommand = &H1E 'Tells microcontroller the job is tool change
JobDone = &HB6 'Micro sends this value when the job is done
CReturn = &H0D 'Value of carriage return in Hexadecimal
Sendval = 3 'Number of tries to send command before producing an error
RecVal = 10 'Number of time to wait for receive handshake value from micro before producing an error.
Select Case tool
Case 1
ToolN = &H1 'Tool value sent to microcontroller
Case 2
ToolN = &H2
Case 3
ToolN = &H3
Case 4
Case 5
End Select
message "Changing To Tool " & tool
'============================== Send Command and recieve return chr ===============================
Do
q =q +1
If GetInf = Chr(CReturn) Then Exit Do 'if micro returned chr "1" ,job done exit loop to next routine
For count = 1 To 5
x = getfifoentry() 'Flush buffer, Rule of thumb is to flush once per chr recieved during job.
Next 'If Mach misses a carriage return it wont pickup what was sent
'and will add it to the next string of chr's sent causing errors
Call sendfifo (Chr(ToolCommand) & Chr(ToolN) & Chr(CReturn)) 'send 3 chr's 'Tool Command,Tool Number,carriage return or something
For t = 1 To 5 'Read buffer 5 times before sending command again
GetInf = getfifoentry() 'get buffer return chr
If GetInf <> "None" Then Exit For 'if chr returned then exit
SetTimer( 1 )
While GetTimer(1) < 0.05 'wait approx 0.5 seconds, this value works for me
Wend
Next t
Loop Until q= SendVal
If q = SendVal Then
Message "Sending Tool Command Error"
Exit Sub
End If
'====================================================================================================
'****************************** Waiting for Tool selected signal from micro **************************
Mrec = "none"
Do
q= q+1
If q = RecVal Then 'Gets us out of the loop after 10 tries and produces an error.
Message "Receive Error"
Exit Sub
End If
SetTimer( 1 )
While GetTimer(1) < 0.05 'Wait
Wend
Mrec = getfifoentry() 'get return chr
'message Mrec
Loop Until Mrec <> "None"
If Mrec = Chr(JobDone) Then 'If returned chr correct then job done
message "Tool " & tool & " Selected"
SetCurrentTool(tool)
Else
Message "Tool Change Error"
End If
