Messages

21

General Mach Discussion / soft limit warning

« on: July 26, 2009, 02:38:31 PM »

Hey All,

Well after a couple months of my router being down because of a crashed computer (had to reload all my software and new HD) and broken z-axis I am almost back and running. Unfortunately I did not save a copy of all my Mach3 settings so I am starting all over again

This time around I added another switch in series with all the axis for home and limit. Now I cannot get my system to run because I get a "limit switch triggered " error but on the diagnostic screen, none of the switches our triggered?

I have the soft limits set to X-100, Y-100, and Z-200.  I have the unit configured in inches so maybe those have to be smaller values?
I have a couple of screen shots, any ideas what I did not configure correctly?  I watched the Mach3 video tutorial and thought I had everthing correct.
skipper

22

General Mach Discussion / Re: Can someone review my code adn explain M01

« on: March 04, 2008, 01:21:38 AM »

Hi Chip,

I was trying to follow along with your changes. I ran your modified program and could see that there no longer are any pauses where I had to hit the cycle button again.  With my original program, I had to hit the cycle buttom at least three times before it went into the cut mode.  Your program also send the tool back to zero right after it finishes the last cut and it only raised the tool slightly off the part which is nice because I had to watch it raise painfully slow up to 2".

This happens before M01 but when it finishes if ends up on M01.  I have attaced pics of the Config/Fixtures and Config/Tool Table.  Tool table looks all empty but config/fixtures does have an offset.  Should these all be zero?

I did not think I had to learn g-code because I thought the cam did it all but I looks like there is alot of g-code tweeking that needs to be done. Can anyone point me to a good tutorial?

Thannks,
skipper

23

General Mach Discussion / Can someone review my code adn explain M01

« on: March 01, 2008, 12:59:47 AM »

Hi Guys,

Well I am still learning this Mach3.  I am still only practicing doing dry simulation with a pen loaded to my router and no router yet.  I made this simple circle pocket and everything seems to work out except in the beginning of the program.  The pocket I am cutting is only .01 deep , the matrial is .1" thk, but in the begining of the program during the M01 step, the z will go to -.4593, why?  Had this really had a cutting bit, it would have cut into my table.  When I set up the zero position in mach3, I set it up so that the tool is at the top of the work piece.
Can someone look at my code and see if there is something wrong.  The code was generated with solidcam using FANUC as the controller.

May be someone can run the code?
Thanks,
rene

24

General Mach Discussion / Re: controller type for SolidCAM

« on: February 20, 2008, 01:29:40 PM »

I am using SolidCAM and I did not see Mach3 as a controller option.  I also joined the Mach3 Yahoo group, my membership is pending.  Hood thanks for the post files, I guess I need to find out how to load them into SolidCAM.  Is that what I am supposed to do?

Thanks,
skipper

25

General Mach Discussion / controller type for SolidCAM

« on: February 19, 2008, 12:52:26 PM »

Hi Folks,
I am using SolidCAM as my CAM program.  When setting up my part, it ask for a controller type.  They list a bunch but the default is FANUC.  Is this the one that I sould be selecting to use with Mach3?
I am assuming FANUC is a contorller like Mach3 correct?  I asked this question in the SolidCAM forum of CNCzone but got no response.

Thanks,
Skipper

26

General Mach Discussion / Re: Metric/English unit help

« on: February 18, 2008, 02:29:48 AM »

Hi Larry,

Right next to the start cycle button there is a button called "Edit G-code".  This will bring up the G-code file into Notepad which will allow you to edit it.  I was not sure really what I was doing but I added G21 on the 3rd or 4th line of where the g-code began and hit save.  The program seemed to work after that with the correct scaleling.  The top line that I circled, I am not sure how to edit that line.  Hope this helps, I am just learning all this stuff myself.
skipper

27

General Mach Discussion / Re: Metric/English unit help

« on: February 14, 2008, 01:06:52 AM »

Hi All,
you mentioned that the G20 or G21 should be at the begining of the program.  It seems that my programs do not have this when I load the Gcode.  I see that it is on the top line (see pictue) but how do I edit that line?  I ended up trying to edit the program by adding the G21 line and it worked. Is the machine suppose to add the line automatically?

Also, I have attached another picture.  Why does the program start so far away from where it is going to start cutting (see pic).  The x-coordinate is over 200mm away from the part.  If I zero my axis at the corner of my parts, shouldn't that be where the mill should be located to start cutting?
thanks,
skipper

28

General Mach Discussion / Metric/English unit help

« on: February 11, 2008, 01:53:58 AM »

Hi All,

I recently got my first real g-code from a part I made loaded on to Mach3.  I created the part in Engish units but the CAM program converted it to metric . So, I can see that the gcode has rather large units, so they are metric.  How do I tell Mach3 they are metric and not English units.  I think my Mach3 is reading the gcode file in inches and it does not have room to run the program with out exceeding the physical dimension of the machine (Rockcliff Router)  The code calls out fog Gx25 but it want to travel 25 inches instead of the proper 25mm.  Is this clear?

Thanks,
skipper

29

General Mach Discussion / Re: So Close to it working!

« on: January 22, 2008, 01:02:12 PM »

Hi All,

The x-axis turning in only one dirction  problem has now been solved.  It turned out to be a bad G203V drive.  I sent it back to Gecko and they said that it had a "defective opto isolator", that sometimes they get a bad one from their sources.  I appreciate all the help everyone given me.  I am disappointed at how much time I spent trying to figure out the problem, my machine should have been up running over the Christmas holidays and now I am well into January, live and learn.

So, I am now able to home all my axis but I think I still need to set up my soft limits. Mach3  comes loaded with a couple of G-coded programs.  I ran a couple of them but a few times they went beyond my machine travel and I had to shut my machine down.  I built the standard Rockcliff router, which I believe has 18x24x6 inches of travel.  Do I then just set up my soft limits to these values?  I looks like the values are suppose to be in metric because there have numbers like 100 and 200?

Again, thanks for all the help, I still need a long ways to go before I can actually start cutting material.  I see that there are share files on this site but can I get any g-coded programs here?  I still need to learn how to convert a dxf file into g-code.  I am using solidworks and solidcam.  I have experience with solidworks but none with solidcam. I really need to come up to speed on solidcam but there are not alot of tutorials out there.

Thanks,
rene

30

General Mach Discussion / Re: So Close to it working!

« on: January 14, 2008, 02:02:36 AM »

Hi All,

I have not been able to work on my motor problem until today.  I tried to set the step dir to active high as suggested on cnczone and it made no difference.  I also tried to re-making the connection and it also made no difference.

I checked the dir output from the bob board to see if I get a + and - voltage coming from Mach3.  I did so on the x axis and when I jogged x- the voltage was 2.47v, when I jogged x+ the voltage was 0.00v.  When I checked the same for the y axis I got the oppisite, y- gave my 0.000v and y+ gave me 2.47v.  So, I concluded that the output voltages are ok.

I then swapped the x Gecko drive with the y Gecko drive to see if the problem follows with the drive.  To my suprise, the problem did follow. There is a problem with my Gecko driver.

I am going to call them tomorrow and see about fixing it or other suggestion.

Thanks for the help I'll keep you posted.

Rene