Recent Posts

41

Mach4 General Discussion / Can't seem to get PWM output

« Last post by jcizek on December 31, 2025, 07:02:37 PM »

Hello all,

I am trying to convert from a simple spindle on/off relay to full control with speed.  I have choosen Port 2 Pin 4 as my PWM port, and Port 2 pin 5 as my DIR port.  The DIR works fine and is switching the CNC4PC C41 board appropriately.    But I cannot get Mach4 to send PWM at all.  I am using an Ethernet Smoothstepper and have followed all of their instructions, and double checked that against the Mach4 instructions for PWM spindle, and that also jives with the CNC4PC published instructions.   I have an oscilloscope on the PWM line to monitor it.  I do have pins 2-9 on port 2 set as output, have set all appropriate settings in both the ESS spindle config, output pins, pins config menus as well as the spindle menu in Mach4 under general config.
I know the pin works ok as when I switch it back and forth from active high to active low in PINS Config, I see the Oscope trace move from 0 to 5 volts and back.  But regardless, I cannot get ANY PWM out.
Would anyone have any suggestions on where I might look to see my error?
Thanks
James

42

Mach4 General Discussion / Registers from a Macro

« Last post by cd_edwards on December 31, 2025, 12:47:52 PM »

local inst = mc.mcGetInstance()
local hreg, rc, ignoreDustBoot
hreg, rc = mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst, "iRegs0/nf/TRC/IgnoreDustBoot")
if (mc.mcInEditor() == 1) then
   mc.mcCntlSetLastError("crap")
end

This fails on Windows 10. One Windows 11, success. I've installed the latest VC++ package on windows 10 which fixed a machipc.dll error I was getting previously.
The register exists and has a value of 1. the rc code is 0, but hreg is 0 also. This should work. It's part of a larger script which has stored values for the dustboot location.

Colten.

43

General Mach Discussion / Re: Bitsensor LAN controller plug-in

« Last post by geast on December 31, 2025, 09:25:19 AM »

Hello all.
I try to communicate with this board but with no luck. I change the IP address of the PC ethernet card to 192.168.8.100 and althougth i get a response from card by ping at 192.168.8.8 the mach3 plugin does not "see" the card.
I try both plugins BS5Axes.dll and BsEth5.dll but none of them get a response from card.
I also try with the Paraminjector.exe to change the ip address of the card but with no luck. Only the -find works and finds the card at 192.168.8.8.
Attached are the two dll files if anyone can check them.

44

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Interact with MACH4 from another running external program

« Last post by cd_edwards on December 29, 2025, 11:41:49 AM »

You can use the Mach4GUIR.exe Remote GUI pretty easily.  Install Mach on the remote PC.  You will have to make a shortcut to launch the remote GUI and pass parameters to it.  A license is not required for the remote PC.

Mach4GUIR </r mach4.ip.address> </s screen name> [/e] [/f] [/m]

/r is required.  substitute mach4.ip.address with the ip address of the PC running the licensed Mach4.
/s is required.  It is the name of the screen set that the remote GUI uses.  You probably want to make your own custom screen set that does just what you want.  It has to be located in Screens directory of the remote PC.
/e is optional -- start the GUI in screen edit mode.
/f is optional -- start in full screen mode
/m is optional -- remove the menu.

You have to launch the remote GUI AFTER Mach is started on the controller PC.  There is no way to remotely start Mach with the remote GUI.  However, you can do Windows remote execution methods, given it is setup properly, with psexec.  https://ss64.com/nt/psexec.html

Steve

sorry for bringing up this old thread. I just discovered this and attempted it. Firewall is OFF on the machine running Mach4. There's a outbound rule allowing Mach4GUIr.exe. I can run Mach4GUIr.exe on the local machine with 127.0.0.1 but remote access is not possible as it gives me an unable to connect error. Unsure where to go from here though.

Colten

45

Mach4 Plugins / Re: MACH4 Problem z G83

« Last post by JohnHaine on December 29, 2025, 03:39:05 AM »

Why is g98 after g83? Surely g83 expects to be followed by the peck drill parameters?

46

Mach4 Plugins / Re: MACH4 Problem z G83

« Last post by mirek1362 on December 28, 2025, 07:21:11 AM »

Ten plik jest wygenerowany przez Fusion 360
(1001)
(T1 D=13. CR=0. TAPER=118DEG - ZMIN=-17. - WIERTO)
G90 G94 G91.1 G40 G49 G17
G21
(-ATTENTION- PROPERTY SAFE RETRACTS IS SET TO CLEARANCE HEIGHT.)
(ENSURE THE CLEARANCE HEIGHT WILL CLEAR THE PART AND OR FIXTURES.)
(RAISE THE Z-AXIS TO A SAFE HEIGHT BEFORE STARTING THE PROGRAM.)

(WIERTO2)
T1 M6
S500 M3
G17 G90 G94
G54
G0 X0. Y0.
G43 Z15. H1
G0 Z5.
G98 G83 X0. Y0. Z-17. R2. Q3.25 F45.
G80
Z15.

M5
M30

a ten pisany z ręki
G54 G90
T1 M6
M3 S500
G0Z30 H1
X0 Y0
Z10
G83 G98 Z-20 R2 Q3 F45
X60
Y-40
G0 G80 Z50
M30

47

Post Processors / Rotary Laser PP

« Last post by Starfire2038 on December 26, 2025, 11:41:15 PM »

Hello everyone, I'm using latest Vcarve Pro to Mach4. I have a laser wrapped post processor that appears to be working for the most part. There is one minor issue with the A axis. In Vcarve the job size is L=3.0 and D=.6 ( D is the diameter of the roller so I can do calibration) Placed a rectangle with the measurements of Width = .5 and Height = 1.885 to go around the roller. In 3D view it looks correct. Use my post processor and it somehow changes the A axis value to a much higher number. ( G1A360.7538 ). See attached file.
I would greatly appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction on the post processor file to edit and correct this issue.

48

Tangent Corner / Tormach 1100 mill head weight causing lost steps with Mach3

« Last post by Trebleplink on December 26, 2025, 12:38:30 PM »

I assembled my mill in 2008 with nema 34 steppers and Mach3 running on XP.  It's worked well except on Long jobs,  and after extensive troubleshooting, I found that the Gecko 202 6 amp drivers would overheat and my X-axis would be off as much as a half inch. Added forced air cooling on the heatsinks but still no fix.

A couple of weeks ago I really needed to do some long jobs.

I bought 3 new Nema 34 steppers and drivers from Steppers Online.  These have encoders on the shaft and create a closed-loop axis drive.

X and Y were done first with no problems.  A day ago I changed out the Z drive lifting the Tormach milling head that I've used for many years.  The problem is that in closed loop mode it will intermittently fault out when lifting the Z axis.  If I turn off the closed loop (normal stepper action) with a dip switch, all appears to work.

This tells me that the Nema 34 steppers don't have quite enough oomph to keep up.   There is no guidance offered on setting the 3 servo coefficients.  Pic attached.

SO, I'm making a counterweight with cable, pulleys and such, and don't know how much weight to use to offset the Tormach 1100 milling head.  I'm guessing 200 pounds, but I don't know and it's not published on the website.

Anybody know?

49

Mach4 Plugins / Re: MACH4 Problem z G83

« Last post by Tweakie.CNC on December 26, 2025, 03:09:24 AM »

It would help if you attach your problem Gcode file.

Tweakie.

50

Mach4 Plugins / MACH4 Problem z G83

« Last post by mirek1362 on December 25, 2025, 12:37:31 PM »

Mach4 hobby sterownik CSMIO/IP-M, frezarka robiona. Program pisany z ręki lub generowany z Fusion 360 bez różnicy, dojeżdża na punkt zaczyna wiercić i po pierwszym wycofaniu zatrzymuje się na z2 i dalej nie idzie. A kod G81 i inne wykonuje bez problemu.
Proszę o pomoc lub jakieś wskazówki. Z góry dziękuję.


Mach4 Hobby, CSMIO/IP-M controller, milling machine. The program, whether handwritten or generated with Fusion 360, makes no difference. It reaches the point, starts drilling, and after the first retraction, stops at z2 and goes no further. It executes G81 and other codes without any problems. Please help or give me some advice. Thanks in advance.