Messages

571

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: July 16, 2014, 09:50:02 AM »

The switch is in the mach config dialog.  First tab.

Steve

572

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: July 15, 2014, 12:53:12 AM »

Build 1900 will have the tool path switch.  I released it to the web gods for distribution.  Look for it mid morning.

573

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Disable button unless Idle

« on: July 14, 2014, 05:55:53 PM »

We are talking about Mach 4 demo here.  Mach 3 can't disable any buttons. 

Steve

574

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: July 14, 2014, 02:00:22 AM »

1) In the next build.  Maybe by Tues.  But don't hold me to it!  
2) Edit the screen.  Then click on the top element in the tree.  You will see the refresh interval at 50ms.  There are two intervals there.  Refresh and PLC.  Leave PLC alone unless you are on a really super slow machine.  
Steve

575

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: July 13, 2014, 12:58:25 PM »

No.  If there are macro scripts for those M codes, then they are run instead of the stock actions.  So if you have the "example" scripts, all it will do is print "Spindle Clockwise", etc... in the message area.

The stock action is to use the spindle delays in the config and turn the signals on/off.  If you want more control, write a M3/M5 script.  For instance, my VFD can tell me if it is at speed or at zero.  I can then make the M3/M4/M5 scripts wait on the speed or make sure the spindle is stopped before moving on.

Steve

576

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: July 13, 2014, 12:21:50 PM »

The next step is to put a switch in the Mach 4 config to disable the advanced tool path.  Then you guys can have a Mach 3 like tool path.

Yes, try bumping the screen refresh rate up to like 75ms.  Or 100ms (which was what Mach 3 was).

Steve

577

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Re: Mach 4 and Galil

« on: July 12, 2014, 02:12:37 PM »

Francisco,

That is how the plugin works right now!  If you enable debug file logging, you will see LOTS of LI commands.  It will be no different for Mach 4.

Steve

578

Galil / Re: Plugin DLL Defective.Reload.

« on: July 12, 2014, 02:04:02 PM »

Galil.m3p is just a DLL renamed with the m3p extension.  It has the m3p extension so that Mach can associate that extension with the Windows shell and make it install when you double click it.   Nothing other than that!  You can simply rename Galil.m3p to Galil.dll and copy it to the plugins directory.

It never helps to uninstall and re-install Mach to get a Galil running.  People seem to do this all of the time though.  Sometimes the registered action for the m3p extension gets messed up in Windows and re-installing Mach fixes the m3p extension association.  But I can assure you that deleting Mach, re-installing, deleting registry keys, etc...  does nothing for the Galil plugin.  It is just a DLL.

If your Galil is configured with an IP address on your local network, then all you really need to do is copy Galil.m3p to the plugins directory and rename it to Galil.dll.  There should be no other Galil plugin in the plugins directory.  Then start Mach and choose the Galil plugin as the motion plugin.  Then configure the Galil plugin and select your controller from the drop down list.  If your controller is not seen in the drop down list, then suspect that the controller's IP address is not correct and/or missing.

Setting the IP address on the controller requires that you either let the controller get an IP address from DHCP or making a serial connection to the controller with Smart Term/Galil Tools/Galil Suites.  Then enter the IP address with the IA command.  e.g.  IA 192,168,1,10 <enter>.  Then you need to save the IP address with the BN command.  That way the IP address will "stick".

Steve

579

Galil / Re: Mach3/Galil DMC-2160 initial set up

« on: July 12, 2014, 12:49:51 AM »

Jim,

The limits are a bit complicated.  This is because they can be wired as sourcing or sinking.  Meaning either + or - to LSCOM.  This will change the way the limits are "seen".  Wired one way, the limits will be seen as low active.  Wired the other way, the limits will be seen as high active.  So you task is to figure out what your system is and set CN appropriately.  CN is set in the plugin config with "Limits active low" check box.  The quickest way to resolve this is to see what works in the Galil Tools/Suites terminal while looking at the limit switches in the watch window.

Steve

580

Galil / Re: galil DMC-4123 setup

« on: July 12, 2014, 12:43:35 AM »

First, do not use USB to communicate to the Galil under Mach.  It is just a virtual com port and you are limited to com port speeds.  It is not fast enough.  Use the Ethernet port on the Galil.  USB is fine for setting up the controller, but it is not going to cut it for high speed streaming of position data. 

The ports and pins are listed in the Galil plugin PDF document.

Steve.