Messages

341

General Mach Discussion / Re: Progressive Move Error with X and Y

« on: August 24, 2008, 07:37:45 PM »

I guess you're getting confused with all the suggestions from everyone.
What I suggested was to put Z in place of either  X or Y IN YOUR G-CODE.
Not to swap cables drivers ports etc.

If Z was moving in plce of one of X or Y and the table still ended up out of position in the remaining axis, it might say something about where the errors are generated. Software or hardware. I can't remember my initial line of reasoning. If nothing else it might reveal some new clues with minimal efort.

You might also try removing the configuration all together for either X oy Y so no pulses are actually generated and run the code to see if the remaining axis comes back to the proper position properly. If it passes it might indicate the software or something related is not able to generate pulses simltaneously properly for two axis or the parallel port miht be browning out with marginal signals becasue it can't produce pulses on two pins properly.

And then you might extend that a bit to configuring both axis back in and remove the electrical signal to one of the axis. If this works it might indicate the software is fine but there is some cross talk or confusion in the signals going to the drivers or out the cables.

Sorry for the confusion.

Sage

342

General Mach Discussion / Re: Progressive Move Error with X and Y

« on: August 23, 2008, 09:55:24 PM »

Next time you're testing, humor me with a simple test. Try a combination of X and Z moves or Y and Z moves. Maybe just swap Z for either X or Y in your standard test,  and see what happens to the X or Y accuracy. Let me know what happens.

Thanks
Sage

343

General Mach Discussion / Re: Rotary A Axis limits disable

« on: August 22, 2008, 08:14:11 AM »

Yes, sorry I was always speaking about soft limits. I was getting lazy.
Yes. I was referring to having two rotary axis at the same time. With only one checkbox in the software to disable soft limits for all rotational axis it could be a problem (for someone. Wont be me any time soon). A suggestion would be to have a separate checkbox for each axis capable of rotary action like for the hardware limits (in ports and pins / inputs)

Thanks for your help. Working fine now.


Sage

344

General Mach Discussion / Re: Rotary A Axis limits disable

« on: August 21, 2008, 08:51:02 PM »

Darn. You guys are good. I must have looked at that page a dozen times. I even checked the box above it to have 360deg rollover.

I also have to hand it to Artsoft for thinking of everything too.

What I also found interesting when I was trying to fool it was that it would accept 9999 as you suggested and it also worked but it would not accept 370deg with the automatic rollover at 360 turned on. My thinking was that it should never get to 370 due to rollover so it should never limit out. Alas it didn't work.

So now the question becomes how does one have two rotational axis, one with limits and one without? I guess I'll worry about that when the time comes.

Thanks again.
Sage

345

General Mach Discussion / Re: Rotary A Axis limits disable

« on: August 21, 2008, 08:08:09 PM »

Not being at my machine when I replied before, I now realize what I really meant to ask.
How do I turn off the SOFT limits just for the A axis. I've tried all combinations 0 and 360 + and - and it seems to try to obey them all or complains that it won't move the A-axis at all because the soft limits are surpassed.
 I want to keep the other axis soft limits on for safety but I need the A-axis to go from 0 to 360 to cut some gears.

Sage

346

General Mach Discussion / Re: Rotary A Axis limits disable

« on: August 21, 2008, 11:30:49 AM »

Excellent. Thanks. I guess I missed that.

Now the answer will be out ther for the next person searching.

Sage

347

General Mach Discussion / Rotary A Axis limits disable

« on: August 21, 2008, 10:24:38 AM »

I have a rotary table on the A-axis. What settings do I need to put and where to disable the limits. I searched on the subject and someone mentioned a check box to enable / disable the A-Axis limits. They didn't say where it was. I don't see it.


Sage

348

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Wizard output - saving

« on: August 11, 2008, 11:08:32 AM »

I ran the gear cutting wizard and it appears to generate G-code with a main loop and a subroutine. When initially loaded into Mach I can see the main loop and I can edit code and save it out to a file. The subroutine appears to be in a separate file called index.tap which I guess must be a temporary file. Once the program runs into the subroutine I can stop it and save the subroutine out as a file as well. I wanted to save the files out so I can edit them a bit and use them later without having to run the wizard again possibly making mistakes entering the data, Also, don't have a an A axis so I would put pauses in to ask me to manually turn the rotary table for the next tooth.
 My question is - how do I use the two files again short of editing them together into one G-code file containing both the main loop and the subroutine. Is there a way to put them back into mach as two separate files to be run again?

Sage

349

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Gear cutting wizard - no preview

« on: August 11, 2008, 10:19:16 AM »

Maybe I'm missing someting with the gear cuttig wizard but but when I click the preview button the preview scren is black. Preview works for some other wizards. It posts code which shows up in the toolpath of Mach so the problem must be with the wizard itself. Any suggestions?

Sage

350

General Mach Discussion / reliability of feed hold

« on: August 08, 2008, 09:14:00 AM »

I had some code to cut a 2" circle inside a subroutine. The subroutine is called many times with a -Z feed before each time to eventually cut throuhg the plate leaving a 2" hole. I paused the program to clear chips using the "feed hold" button. When I pressed the "cycle start" button to get it going again the X&Y feeds took off heading somewhere and crashed the tool into the side of the hole. I can only assume it jumped out of the subroutine (and even the whole loop) and was heading home or to the next operation on the plate.
 Luckily it's a mill drill. The head was rotated around by the force and the part only slightly damaged. The tool is fine. A lot can happen by the time you get to the E-stop.
 In any case this begs the question - when is it safe to use the feed hold button? I've avoided it since.

Sage