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Messages - Sage

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281
General Mach Discussion / Re: Shuttle pro ad on screen MPG
« on: November 22, 2008, 12:46:44 PM »
No, I didn't install the software that came with the shuttle pro.
SO your saying the flyout MPG still works for you.
I have no idea what happened then. I'll check it again today maybe a reboot will clear somethig.
If not, I'm going to need more advise.
I have *********.020 lockdown loaded. I wonder if that did it?

What version are you running?

Also what screen set are you running? I'd like to have the step size displayed on the main screen. Not sure where it can go though, I have the tool setter on the screen. It has some no-so-useful info taking up space.

Sage

282
General Mach Discussion / Shuttle pro and on screen MPG
« on: November 20, 2008, 10:03:15 PM »
I recently installed a shuttle Pro. It's fantastic but there's a couple of things I need to clarify.

Since I installed the shuttle pro the onscreen MPG (tab key) seems to be stuck in step mode. The XYZ arrows will only step and the mode button does not toggle between step and  fast motion modes. The step increment is also fixed at .001.
Is this normal? Even if I disconnect the shuttle the MPG does not return to normal.

This isn't a big deal since the shuttle pro does all this stuff now EXCEPT I can't figure out what option to attach to a button to change the step increment. The center wheel only steps at .001. I'd like to be able to toggle it through .001 / .010 / .1 like the on screen version does.
 I found the jog ++ and jog -- options but I didn't really want to use up two buttons. (plus how do I tell what the current increment is?

Anybody know what's normal or how to program the shuttle like the on-screen MPG.

Sage

283
General Mach Discussion / Re: Labeled my Shuttle pro...
« on: November 19, 2008, 08:32:07 AM »
I just received my shuttle Pro. This is fantastic !!!
I had absolutely no problem installing and configuring it. Thanks to Artsoft for implementing this so well !!

I see what you've done with the labeling now. I'm going to do the same once I decide what I want all the buttons to do. For now I've copied what you have.

I haven't investigated it yet but maybe someone can tell me how to make the "Ausie tool setter" macro work from one of the buttons.

Thanks

Sage

284
OK. Those are (except for manufacturer) exactly what I'm familiar with. And you are correct, you would only need a resistor for the LED half. I forgot about the BOB having a pullup to 5v on it's input so that would take care of the photo transistor collector side.

Hmm.... now you have me thinking.

I like your hardware to make it swarf proof too.

[edited - removed my comments about using optical switches for limits. The discussion was using them for home switches]

So you say they are "deadly accurate". I know they seemed to be in our old ticket transports but then our firmware used to jocky the ticket edge back and forth a bit in front of the sensor to get it just right.

How fast do you approach the sensors?


Thanks

Sage


285
What are the optical switches you mention. I've done a lot of work with optical interrupters which are an infrared LED, and receiver placed across a gap from each other, but they require some electronics to condition them. We used to use them in ticket transports to detect very fast moving tickets. I suppose you might be using a commercially packaged version of those giving an electrical "contact closure" or circuit path.

Sage

286
Valid reasons to have them accurate I guess.
Being that I don't do production work I don't find it a big deal to just zero over something on the part. I also turn the machine off in that part referenced position. Nobody tampers wih my home shop machine.
My trick for getting accurate machine co-ordinates after power up is to use theĀ  set of DRO's (legacy) also on the machine. I zero them on the part at power up. Then turn on Mach and the Stepper drivers (just in case something jumps the DRO's will read it)
I home the machine with Mach (which moves the table and sets the machine co-ordinates to 0,0) and then I send it back to the part using the MDI and the numbers registered on my DRO's.

 I guess we all work out tricks.

 The home sensors would have to be something better than a simple micro switch (like I have). I don't think a uswitch can be expected to be repeatable especially considering the conditions. 've never actually tested their accuracy or repeatability.
Apparently others have worked out some more accurate methods like lasers to do the homing. I don't really require it. (I don't think).


Sage

287
I'm sort of new to this so maybe I'm missing something in the question. Sounds to me like you are using the home switches 0,0 as a position to machine by.

The home switches are used on startup to set the MACH machine co-ordinates (for whatever it's worth) to 0,0,0 is but those positions are never used to reference a part when machining.
i.e You probably never set a part on the table and use the home switches as the botom corner of the part or anything like that.

The table is usually moved from there to somewhere in the middle of it's travel and the part placed in the middle of the table. Both a long ways away from machine home 0,0.
Then a corner (or whatever) of the part is indexed and then the working co-ordinate DRO's are zeroed. Those are what you work by starting from there.
The machine DRO co-ordinates at that point might be at X8 and Y4 but it makes no difference.

Bottom line - I don't see what difference it makes if the home switches are off 1,10 or 100 thou. You shouldn't ever be working near the home or using them for anything. I rarely even look at them.

(there are reasons to take them into consideration like whether you have enough room to set a fixture offsets or whether soft limits are going to be exceeded but for the most part I never even look at the machine co-ordinates.).

Maybe I'm missing something.


Sage

288
General Mach Discussion / Re: Bugs in Mach 3.42.015
« on: November 04, 2008, 09:02:22 AM »
I've also had a problem with the feed rate but in my case I've adjusted it with the FRO +/- buttons. Then somewhere along the way the machine changes speed apparently on it'd own (Perhaps commanded by an F word but not to the extent it changes) and the FRO buttons don't do anything any more. You can adjust them from 0 to the max and press the FRO reset and the speed does not change. You're pretty much stuck with the speed you have unless you start the G-code program again.

Sage

289
General Mach Discussion / Re: need help with g code and cutter comp issue
« on: November 03, 2008, 02:24:14 PM »
I'm certainly no expert on g-code but lets see if I can figure it out.

You haven't said what size cutter you're using but I suppose it makes no difference.

Using the Mach toolpath display I see the tool going across the bottom at Y = .6
and I see it going across the top at Y = 1.75

I assume you want the arc centered on that which would be:

1.75 - .6 = 1.15  divided by 2 = .575 added to the bottom measurement of .6 = 1.175

Your arc code has the Y dimension at 1.32

Is that the problem?

Sage

290
General Mach Discussion / Re: Another (bug) issue for the list
« on: October 30, 2008, 09:23:31 AM »
I'm not sure what drives the clock. My timer went for 22minutes but the machining actually took about 35. The clock is likely driven by the code reading the instructions rather than perhpas the code executing them and producing the step signals.
 No biggy. But another thing to be improved upon.

Dave

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