Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 06:30:00 PM

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - ventuseu

Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 »
21
CVI MachStdMill (MSM) / Go To Zero
« on: July 18, 2010, 05:13:56 PM »
Dave,

Nice work! Everything loaded cleanly (after a couple of minor screw-ups on my part - failure to read directions). After I cloned a new set-up and copied in the appropriate config settings for my machine, everything seemed to run as advertised...

(I'm using the CandCNC BOB, and after I remembered to activate the CandCNC pugins, everything it was supposed to do also seemed to work).

I'm having two minor problems, which I suspect are not Screen set problems, but may be interaction issues between the CandCNC plugins and MachSTDMill:

1. When I hit the "go to Zero" button on the Run screen, the X&Y axes move simultaneously to zero, and then the z axis moves to its zero. (Obviously, not the desired sequence). Changes to the safe Z setting seem to have no effect.
2. On initial start-up, I always get the mach "Reset Command failed-Limit Switch Active" message. If I have Mach toggle the switches, and go through this sequence twice(??), everything functions normally for the rest of the session.

Any thoughts on these two things??

I've cut a couple of small parts without problems, other than the two noted above.

Again, the screens are great- clean and well organized. I'm really looking forward to using the probing functionality...

Ventuseu


22
General Mach Discussion / Re: THIS IS DEDICATED TO "HOOD"
« on: April 30, 2010, 05:00:40 PM »
Hood, you're most certainly one of the good guys. Your ability to answer questions clearly, quickly, and without any trace of condescension is truly appreciated by all of us.

May you live a hundred years, happily making chips...

SF


23
General Mach Discussion / Re: Ruminations on Computers for Mach
« on: April 15, 2010, 02:08:45 PM »
Thanks for the suggestion regarding terminating tasks.

I tried that a while back, and at first thought I might have found something significant - in spite of the fact it is a "clean machine" (Mach, and very little else), there were 4 copies of scvhost running. Although I know that various Windows processes run different copies of this, I though four was excessive. I found one that I could stop with shutting down windows, but doing so didn't affect the missed steps problem...

Thanks,

SF

24
General Mach Discussion / Re: Ruminations on Computers for Mach
« on: April 13, 2010, 03:26:40 PM »
Hood,

The port driver interference makes sense. Do you think it would be worth installing a parallel port card and trying to run everything through it??

Thanks,

SF

25
General Mach Discussion / Re: Ruminations on Computers for Mach
« on: April 12, 2010, 09:42:19 AM »
Hood,

No, I didn't nuke the hard drive and re install XP. I guess it never occurred to me that re installing XP would help (although I did try a couple of versions of Mach along the way)...

Just prior to moving the PC out to the shop, I updated XP to the latest Service pack and installed all security updates, figuring that I should do that before XP support ends in few months. The updates installed without any problems.

Maybe I'll try a reformat and start over with XP, although it will be a kind of a pain - I don't have internet access in the shop, and I worry that the ID number on the computer may not be sufficient to "activate" the XP license (I don't have the original system disc, although I do have an XP disc).

Thanks,

SF

26
General Mach Discussion / Ruminations on Computers for Mach
« on: April 11, 2010, 06:52:39 PM »
I recently "upgraded" to an IBM ThinkCenter PC (1.5gig Pentium, 1g RAM, G-force video card, Windows XP) on my milling machine, and it has been missing occasional steps ever since. I've run through everything I could find on the forum (checking video settings in bios, optimizing services, motor tuning, pulse settings/speed, etc.) and it still misses a few steps every 30-45 seconds. (My ear has been well enough practiced that I can hear the faint "chirp" when it happens). When I recheck the position at the home switches after hearing the chirping, it seems to move a couple of thousandths of an inch each time. Swapping video cards/drivers had no effect.

After messing with it for a week or so, I took the PC from my old Mach controlled router (667MHz Pentium, 256 meg RAM, Windows 2000) that has run reliably for about 5 years. After transplanting the correct .xml file, it runs the milling machine perfectly...

Obviously, the solution is to replace the computer, which I plan to do. I'm really just curious if anyone has any thoughts on what in the world would cause a much "better" computer to not be able to run Mach?

27
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)
« on: March 19, 2010, 06:37:10 PM »
Hood & Jeff,

I'm using the Candcnc package of BOB and three other boards (their nomenclature is MTA100, Universal Breakout Board, Power Supply Board, and Table I/O Board) retrofitted into an old Dyna 2800 mill. They provide plug-ins for several configurations, including a pendant control.

When all is said and done, I've discovered that the Candcnc MPG plug-in interferes in some way with a couple of the Newfangled Wizards - specifically, it prevents data entry into the DRO's of the Circular Pocket wizard, and trying to solve that problem is what started this whole circus in the first place. By disabling all the plug-ins except the UBOB, everything works as intended.

I'll post a more detailed summary on the Newfangled subforum sometime this weekend...

As an aside, I've been quite pleased with Candcnc package. It has performed well, and made retrofitting a modern control system into a 20 year old machine a relatively painless job.

Thanks again,

ventuseu

28
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)
« on: March 19, 2010, 06:14:26 PM »
Problem Solved!

I reloaded the BOB plug-ins (which I should have done after the Mach reinstall), and everything works fine.

Thanks Hood and Jeff, for getting me pointed in the right direction (i.e., that is was not a Mach problem, but BOB related).

My weekend is looking a lot better...

Thanks again,

ventuseu

29
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)
« on: March 19, 2010, 05:30:20 PM »
Thanks. There are no brains listed...

One last check before I give up for the weekend: I disabled all the inputs except a single axis limit switch (assigned to the same port/pin as the home switch). I get the "Limit Switch active" error message regardless of whether it is set active high or low. However, when it is active low, no LED is lit. When it is active high, the limit LED is steady yellow. Is it likely that this "no flashing" condition is caused by the fact Mach can't reset because it thinks its on the limit switch?

Thanks,

ventuseu

30
General Mach Discussion / Re: Homing Switches have me baffled (again!)
« on: March 19, 2010, 04:50:30 PM »
I changed the switches to a different input (port 1, pin13), with no change in their behavior...

In Config/General Config the "Run Macro Pump" is unchecked. I've never used brains (if I had any brains at all, I'd forget about this CNC stuff and stick to flying motorless airplanes! ;D), so I don't know how to check and see if there are running...

ventuseu

Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 »