Messages

141

Mach4 Plugins / Re: XHC WB04 plugin

« on: June 10, 2021, 10:00:46 PM »

No, from the development site.  http://www.machsupport.com/ftp/Mach4/DevlopmentVersions/.  Get the latest hobby build.  Then install it to another directory and copy the mcXhcMpg plugin and sig file from the dev installation to your existing installation.  That way you don't mess up what you already have. 

Steve

142

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: External button "Enable"

« on: June 10, 2021, 05:44:10 PM »

No.  Just that my primary function is programming.  And I have been working hard with my head stuck into some new functionality that we are trying to implement.  I only get here on the forums when I have time. 

Something isn't right.  Things don't crash if they are correct.  Unfortunately, it is VERY easy to crash the system with bad LUA calls.  Because LUA is soooo close to C and there isn't much protection code in there.  That is one of the reasons LUA is so fast.  But it does come at a cost when developing.  The crash may be coming from some other LUA code in the PLC script even!  So the trick is locating where the problem is.  I tried your last script mocked up in my system and I didn't have a crash.  So again, the task is finding what is wrong.    Sometimes it isn't so easy. 

Another thing...  Have you considered using the PMC for this?  That is where the PMC shines!!  For external buttons and control panel items, etc...  You don't even have to map a discrete I/O to a signal in the PMC. 

Assuming your enable switch is not momentary, the following PMC file might help you along.  Just modify it for your input/output device.  You will have to "Generate" afterwards and then edit your screen and enable the PMC object.  I use the PMC for as Much as I can!  It makes moving to a new screen set a LOT easier if your I/O tasks are all done in PMC objects. 

Steve

143

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Tool Table Import/Export redux

« on: June 10, 2021, 05:02:09 PM »

The tool table is an INI file.  It is located in your profile's ToolTables directory and it is called "tooltable.tls".  It could be created with a Fusion 360 post if you are comfortable in their post processors.  Or you could make a LUA program parse the Fusion 360 tool info output and create your own tool table INI file.  Then load it with: mc.mcToolLoadFile(inst, "C:/Path/To/MyToolTable.tls").  Open the tooltable.tls file with any text editor and you will see how it is laid out. 

Steve

144

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Save tool table information.

« on: June 10, 2021, 04:50:37 PM »

So, I've got a mill that had some issues about freezing and closing Mach4 more often than I liked.  We got a new computer on it and that pretty much took care of the issues.
My biggest hassle when this happened was the tool table not saving when Mach4 closed unexpectedly.  I would have to re probe all of my tools again.
I was looking for a way to save my tool table information continuously in the PLC script ever so often and then automatically load in that information on startup.

I found this API call...mcToolSaveFile

If I ran this every time I set a tool offset, would this save my information and then load the new file on startup?

I don't get into LUA much anymore.  I have almost everything already written and I just transfer it all to new machines when we get them ready.

Chad,

Yes, that is the API call to use.  It will pull all of the current offsets out of the system variables and write them out to your profile's ToolTable.tls file. 

Steve

145

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: wine

« on: June 10, 2021, 04:38:17 PM »

Same status.  Trying to get there.  We are going to do 64 bit windows first.  That will get the code in 64 bit shape so that we won't have to do a 32 bit version on Linux.  The biggest reason we don't already do Linux is because there haven't been any great software protection solutions for Linux until recently.  We would be hacked within moments and then we would all starve.   

Steve

146

Mach4 Plugins / Re: XHC WB04 plugin

« on: June 10, 2021, 04:14:46 PM »

I am in the process of switching from Mach3 to Mach4 this pendant was next on my todo list.  I have enabled the plugin in the Configure>Control>Plugins>ShuttlePro

It's not working?  Went back checked in Mach3 and it does work so it's not the dongle.  Am I missing something?

Unlike Mach3, the plugin is NOT named ShuttlePro.  The XHC people used the Mach3 Shuttle Pro plugin as a basis to built their plugin and they didn't even change the name!!!  And to confuse things even more, they have sever versions of their plugin for different versions of the MPG.  ALL named ShuttlePro. 

Mach4 had its own plugin called mcXhcMpg.  You have to get the latest dev build to get the plugin. 

Steve

147

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Zero Brane wont run

« on: May 12, 2021, 07:15:00 PM »

What build are you running?  Did you upgrade from an earlier build?  It may be a LUA version mismatch.  It is finding the module DLL, but the DLL is failing to load.  Which usually means some dependency isn't satisfied.  And the only dependency machipc.dll has is Mach itself and LUA. 

Steve

148

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4Hobby_Installer-4.2.0.4612 update issue

« on: May 11, 2021, 09:59:48 AM »

I'm glad you are up and running! 

Steve

149

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4Hobby_Installer-4.2.0.4612 update issue

« on: May 10, 2021, 02:12:40 PM »

Perhaps your screen set has some LUA 5.2 (4300) code that is not compatible with LUA 5.3 (4612)?  Although I can't say this is exactly the issue, I can say it is most likely the issue.  You can start commenting out custom code in 4300, block by block if needed, until the screen loads in 4612.  That way you can determine what is causing the problem.  Then we can help you updating your LUA code. 

Both builds can coexist on your PC at the same time.  Just install 4612 into another directory, say "C:\Mach4Hobby-4612"

Steve

150

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Hazardous Motion - Mach4 Software

« on: May 10, 2021, 01:58:52 PM »

Yes, the runaway jog issue is a common configuration problem.  How do you think I knew you were using soft limits?    Because it is something that is common, as opposed to a bug.  And the result is EXACTLY the symptom you are complaining about.  Here is a link where I discuss properly setting the soft limits:

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=43196.msg279918#msg279918

There are literally tens of thousands of Mach 4 installations.  I know pretty quickly when there is a real bug.  If you are running a general release (4612), then I pretty confident there is no bug.  However, if you are running a dev build, your mileage may vary.  But you didn't specify which build you are running, so I don't know. 

Also, and this gets people coming from Mach 3, Mach 4 is not Mach 3.  Mach 4 acts more like an industrial machine control.  The stop button will not stop a jog, it stops a cycle.  The reset button will not stop a jog, it resets the interpreter.  The thing that would stop a jog is the disable button (if you have your drives connected to the motor enabled signals.) or the physical E-stop button (You have one, right?  But again, if that was implemented/wire properly).  However, it is your responsibility to make these work in the intended manner.  But both of those will stop a runaway machine, no matter what the cause. 

Steve