First, I'm not that good in English, but I try to explain my problem...

I'm "playing" with my 4 axis.... but ik have so problems, and I don't understand why I goes wrong...

normally if my tool is broke.... I push feed hold.... jog Up....   change the tool.... jog to a position to zero my z-axis, en press cycle start.... Mach3 shows a pop-up... I push oke... the z-as goes to safe z... x,y goes to the place I was wen I push Feed hold... I press Cycle start again... and I go on with the job.....  (maybe is this procedure wrong? but It works always alright..)

now with the 4 axis.... push feed hold.... change tool...zero my z-axis.... press cycle start ...pop up .... push oke....    and the A-axis start to turn?!?   why?....    I didn't turn in with jogging? 

also normally if the tool is broken... I push feed hold, and then reverse run, so the machine is back by the place where the tool was broken.... and then I'm change it, and start again with the procedure I explain in the top of this topic....
but now by the 4 axis....  press feed hold... press  reverse run....  and here also the a-axis start to turn?... the tool goes straight through my already machined workpiece ?

what do I wrong?  is it something in the configuration?   please help!!

I do not KNOW, but I suspect you are asking for too much. I don't think Mach3 can really handle that. Nice idea, but ...

I break my programs into modules (m98 p10, m98 p11, etc) so I can comment out the bits which have been done and just restart the needed one. That means the machine repeats some machining - but it WORKS.

Cheers
Roger

o... wait... was normal x,y,z toolpad.... I only use the a_axis for turn 90 drgrees later....   so it don't was a rotating toolpad.....

so why start it to turn?

> so why start it to turn?

Bug in Mach3 in that part of the code. Don't rely on it.

Cheers
Roger

a bug... really?

You need to read through the General Mach Discussion forum a bit. Mach3 was not designed to grow this big or sophisticated, and unfortunately that means there are some fundamental design flaws in the program which can NOT be fixed. The .062 is about the best version available, and it keeps most of us happy - provided we do not try using the bits which don't work.

This is why Mach4 was started: a total redesign from scratch to overcome the bugs embedded in Mach3. However, Mach4 is not yet complete, so many of us have stayed with Mach3 for the moment.

For what it is worth, I am running WXP SP3 or W7, Mach3 .062, an ESS and some Homann MB-02 Bobs - on a semi-production basis.

Cheers
Roger

oke... I know now how to work around it... so   Thanks!