Messages

541

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Variable offset in Mach4

« on: January 13, 2019, 11:40:44 PM »

I forgot to mention that this stuff is in our current development version, build 4026.  The mapping wizard is mcMapSurface.mcc in the wizards directory.  Right now, the only way to load a map is with the surface map plugin configuration dialog.  In the future, there is a way to load maps via the register interface making it possible to totally automate mapping a warped/bowed PBC scenario without having to load files manually, etc...

Steve

542

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Variable offset in Mach4

« on: January 13, 2019, 11:30:06 PM »

Well...  It is pretty much doing the same thing as the Autoleveler program is doing.  Only it is compensating for the table error at the output (motors), not the input (G code).

The map file can be created manually.  But what a pain in the rear!  So Brett wrote a Wizard that generates a G code probing routine to automate the mapping.  Of course this requires the use of a touch probe though.  You can specify the resolution required and the area of the table you wish to map.  For the base table map, one would obviously do the whole table area.  As for the resolution, you need to make is fine enough for your application.  The error map is interpolated between the map points.  This is what I would call the base table map. 

After you have the base table map (or your table is flat and you don't need base table map compensation), you can just load a map for a particular part.  This is almost exactly as you describe with the Autoleveler process with the exception that the G code is not modified and instead, the produced map file is loaded. 

For warped/bowed PCBs, one would necessarily have to "map" the board each time a new board is done.  But for getting rid of table error, the base table map only needs to be done once.  So this will work perfect for the OP's issue. 

This table mapping isn't using the override axes.  However, the THC control does indeed use that.  THC control will also be front and center in the next release. 

Steve

543

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: get and set the G54 ,G55..

« on: January 13, 2019, 11:08:53 PM »

Those system variables reflect the LAST modal state set through G code.  They are informational only meaning they don't actually set the mode.  However, we do read them for presenting the modal states on the screen.  So changing them basically only changes what is displayed. 

The Fanuc manuals do not specify that those registers are read only.  But they do not state that writing to them has any effect either.  So we don't enforce the read only attribute and we don't allow the modal states to be changed by them either.  Besides, there is already an interface for changing the modal state for #4014.  G54, G55, G56, etc...   

I don't believe setting the offset with the #4014 system variable would work too well with the G54.1 style extended offset either.  So I'm inclined to think that those variables really are for informational purposes only. 

Also, a word of warning:  Be careful with setting system variables with screen elements (DROs or text boxes) while a program is running.  It may not have the desired effects because of the look ahead! 

Steve

544

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Variable offset in Mach4

« on: January 13, 2019, 09:43:27 PM »

When the next release comes out, we will have that capability.  We call it table mapping.  I should do the same for the lathe.  You can have a map for a table that isn't level.  Or a bed that isn't straight.  And then also layer maps on top of that if you need them!  Say a warped PCB on top of a table that isn't level.  The sky is the limit! 

Steve

545

Mach4 Toolbox / MOVED: LUA, repeat until

« on: January 11, 2019, 05:03:47 PM »

This topic has been moved to Mach4 General Discussion.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=39250.0

546

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 and Galill DMC 4133 on lathe

« on: January 10, 2019, 11:30:38 PM »

Steve,    how much of a process is it to get the plug in to work do you just need a guinea pig 

archoe

It is a big process, unfortunately.  I would pretty much need to be sitting right beside the machine.  Program, then test.  Rinse and repeat until it is done.  So I need to have easy and quick access to the machine.  This is the whole reason I was converting my lathe.  Because I had thought that would be the only way to get it done.  Doing something like threading "virtually" is probably an impossibility, orr it would take forever and a day. 

Steve

547

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 and Galill DMC 4133 on lathe

« on: January 10, 2019, 10:37:07 PM »

steve   $#(#$)()    No threading that is a deal breaker for me any idea when it might be implemented.      i think the drives have analog inputs 

Well...  I pretty much need a lathe that has a Galil on it to implement and test the threading.  I had started the conversion of my manual lathe years ago just for this purpose.  But it is not finished and probably won't be for a while because I really just don't have the time to get it done! 

Kenny Crouch, the other programmer on the Galil plugin, has moved to St. Thomas Island in the Caribbean and could not bring his lathe with him.  So...  we just really don't have any machine to test with at the moment.

Steve

548

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 and Galill DMC 4133 on lathe

« on: January 10, 2019, 02:27:20 PM »

What kind of drives/servos?  Analog or positions controlled?

The Galil 4133 will run either type.  But lathe threading hasn't been implemented in the Galil plugin yet. 

Steve

549

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Internal Search & External Links (such as Google) don't work?

« on: January 10, 2019, 01:45:42 AM »

It wasn't an issue of backups.  We backup everything but do not keep backups from the beginning of time.  The issue was that the forum version was too old to run with the version of PHP that PayPal now requires.  The forum version could not be updated due to the fact there were manual changes to the database that prevented the SMF upgrade scripts from running (one of the reasons).  So we had to move the forums to a server that had a down-level version of PHP that it could run on.  THIS is what broke all of the search links.  The manual changes were done by someone that no longer works on the forum (or the aliens) and nobody else knew what they were to back them out.  This required a painstaking install of each release of the SMF software and a review of it's associated DB tables/fields to compare with our DB to see what/where/when the changes crept in. 

Also, the SMF upgrade script was updated to use mysqli_query() at some point but the older 1.1 database upgrade scripts were not implemented correctly.  Like I said, I could write 10 pages on what all happened.  We seriously considered just starting over from scratch!  But we decided to put whatever effort was required into saving the data for posterity's sake.  It worked out.  But at one point, it we thought it would have to live on the temp server forever. 

Now we have to get the them back right, as the old theme is not compatible with this version of SMF. 

Steve

550

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Add or edit Mach4 Lathe screen

« on: January 09, 2019, 11:19:30 PM »

If just the reset button is all you want to use to turn the coolant off, then just add M9 to the Initialization codes in the configuration dialog.  These two strings of G codes will be sent to the control every time the reset button is pressed.  Or the mcCntlReset() API function is called. 

Steve