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Getting started
« on: January 22, 2009, 09:32:33 AM »
I am just getting started, and in doing so, I have been using the Mill screen. My next step after this, will be to switch to the Lathe Screen, which as yet, I don't completely understand.

I am working with a home-brew lathe and matching X/Y plotter, originally built to run under MS/DOS with toolpaths written in BASIC, which operate the stepper motor controllers directly.I have rewired the stepper controllers and now I am switching to Mach3 in an effort to use industry standard methods. 

Everything that is to be done on the lathe, can be emulated on the plotter, and the drawings that the plotter produce are to scale, so it becomes a good test platform for developing profiles. With the plotter in mind...

I have Motor (spindle) control. On/Off, single speed, single direction, just as it should be for this equipment.  (on the plotter, Spindle On/Off? raises/lowers the pen).  M-Code M3 and M5 also work properly.

I have Jog, and I can regulate feed-rate for the lead screws and the "Fnnnn" parameters for P-Code "G01" work as expected.

My Lathe has a pneumatic (in/out) extender for the tail stock. The tail stock can be pulled back to face off the end of a piece, then extended to push a live center into the work. I need to figure out how to add a button to control this and help with a P-Code or M-Code to operate the tail stock. Could someone please point me in the right direction?  I am using Output #2, pin #8 , Port #1 for this operation. I have a simple parallel port monitor, and if I toggle Bit#6 (parallel pin #8) I can toggle the "Tailstock" LED on the plotter, so I know the pin is working.

The Mach3 program is simply awesome! My plotter makes drawings that are exactly to scale, and repeatable. I have re-traced some plots twenty times and the plotter never misses a lick.  When running the old BASIC programs under DOS, the program "stepped" the motors directly and would occasionally skip a beat, particularly at higher feed rates.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2009, 09:35:51 AM by TunerTom »

Offline Hood

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Re: Getting started
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2009, 10:02:18 AM »
Are you just needing a button to switch Output 2 on and then when you press it again it switches it off?
Hood
Re: Getting started
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2009, 10:39:47 AM »
Hi Guys,
   Two little macros would work the tailstock in the program, I used M800 and M801.
Then Two buttons on the screen with Script..Code"M800" and Code"M801".
Also put the OUTPUT2 LED there to see when it's active.
External buttons ? ? ?

And, where in the OEM list are the buttons for OUT 1,2,3 ? ?

RC
Re: Getting started
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2009, 10:41:43 AM »
And, where in the OEM list are the buttons for OUT 1,2,3 ? ?

Re: Getting started
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2009, 01:53:00 PM »
One Button that toggles... two buttoms for On & Off... either approach is OK as long as I can send codes in my script that do the same thing as  clicking the buttons do.  I will look and see if I can find the macros "M800" and "M801"

Thanks folks!

Offline Hood

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Re: Getting started
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2009, 02:11:48 PM »
You wont find the macros M800 and M801, they would be User Macros that you would make and place in your profiles macro folder and each time you called it either in a gcode file or the MDI line it would be executed.
 For a Button you would use Screen4, (its the screen editor programme for Mach) and you would add a buitton to the screen and then choose it to be a VB button. Then after you have saved the screen you can start Mach and then from the operator menu choose Edit Button Scripts and then add the VB.
 To toggle Output 2 you would put something like the following in the button.

If GetOemLED (853) Then
DeActivateSignal (OutPut2)
Else
ActivateSignal(OutPut2)
End If


Hood
Re: Getting started
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2009, 02:38:14 PM »
Thanks  for the tip.  I will look into this...

TunerTom
Re: Getting started
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2009, 03:13:14 PM »
I like the TOGGLE better....wasn't sure of the script though.
Thanks Hood.
RC

Offline Hood

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Re: Getting started
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2009, 04:04:19 PM »
Every day is a school day RC and I love learning :) Didnt think that way when I was at real school though ;D
Hood
Re: Getting started
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2009, 06:47:34 PM »
Me either.....I think that was the biggest opportunity I ever wasted. ::)
Oh well...now I'm in the school of hard knocks. :D
And you're one of my best teachers. ;)
Thanks,
RC 8)