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Offline RonC

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Help with verify button
« on: March 08, 2009, 02:04:42 PM »
Hi guys
This is my first post so I hope I get things right
I am a 60 year old newbie, and have just got my mill up and running with Mach3. I have made a few simple parts, still amazed at watching the machine do its own thing! I am having a problem
where it seems that the machine is losing steps in the X direction, IE. one side of the part is smooth and the other side is stepped. It seems that as the programme comes to the point where
the down feed occurs it is short of the X position by a few thou. hence the steps on one side. When I tried using the Verify button all the axis start moving towards the home switches, but as soon as the X axis hits its home switch all the axis reverse for a short distance and then stop, the X & Y axis never reference, and the readings at the bottom of the screen are meaningless.
I have a switch on each axis wired in series acting as home and limit, could this be a problem?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
RonC
Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2009, 05:16:26 PM »
Ron, can't help you with the home and limit switch question, but I have had similar cuts (one side of part smooth and the other side showing steps (wedding cake tiers).  In my case my table was out of true by about .002 or .003 (running inch mode) over six inches.  Taking .010 cuts in a .375 piece of material would produce at least 3 tiers.

Since my mill is Taig with a nonadjustable (on the Y axis) headstock column (without taking it apart and hoping for a better fit after cleaning and reassembling), I made a cutting plate (3/4 inch aluminum)  I was able to shim this plate and true it to the the cutting quill.  Smooth cuts from front to back have been achieved.

Good luck and good cutting.  Hope someone more knowledgeable than I can help you with the switch questions.

Bob@BobsShop

Offline RonC

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2009, 08:49:41 AM »
Hi Bob
Thanks for your speedy reply, my problem is not with the column being out of square, ( though it was when I first had the machine).
What happens is I am cutting the outside of a rectangle, the Z axis puts on a 1mm deep cut and goes around the outline, when it comes around to put on the next 1mm cut depth it is about .1mm short of the first position, so when it goes up the right hand side it takes its new 1mm cut, but it also takes a .1mm shave off of the first cut! so making this side smooth. Then when it comes down the left hand side it is .1mm away from the first cut edge hence the steps.
I really need some help with the Verify command, as I am sure it is not working as intended on my machine.

Thanks again
RonC

Offline Chip

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2009, 03:44:38 AM »
Hi, Ron

Post your XML file for the Profile your loading/using on start-up, If your using the Standard defaults then it's located in C:\Macn3 folder,

It's named Mach3Mill.xml, Make a copy of it, Then Re-Name the copy to RonMach3Mill.xml, Use the REPLY button And Additional Options to send it.

As far as your Switches go, In "series" & NC (normally closed) will work just fine for a standard setup X-Y-Z, Sounds like there is a issue with your Pin

assignment's in Port's & Pin's and maybe Home & Limit's setting's, In your response what Input pin # is it set to and is it Gnd.-ed on one end. 

The problem your having losing steps in X axis could be several things, First if you haven't already tried reduced your Feed-rate on the cut's a little.

It could be an Active Low setting in Port's & Pin's, Motor Output's setting, If you used it to reverse the direction of your X axis and not used the

Reversed box in Home & Limit's to change the direction there, We'll figure it out.

Edit: Is this a Printer Post setup.

Saw your post, Got sidetracked, Chip





« Last Edit: March 10, 2009, 03:47:06 AM by Chip »

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2009, 01:44:00 PM »
Hi Ron,

I would also check that there is no binding or tight spots on your X Axis slides and leadscrew. This could cause lost steps and the stepped sides to the milling pattern that you mention.

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline RonC

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2009, 03:56:43 PM »
Hi Chip
The switches are connected to pin 10, probe to pin 11 & estop to pin 15. Homing works as it should, but when the machine trips a limit I press the reset and drive off the switch, as soon as the switch closes again it triggers an estop I press reset again and drive off OK is this correct? The switches are wired from pin 10 thro' each switch in series and back to ground on the bob.
I have tried using slower feeds but no better.
XML file is enclosed, I hope!!

Not sure what this means
Edit: Is this a Printer Post setup.
Saw your post, Got sidetracked, Chip

In reply to Tweakie the slides seem to be free and they are brand new ball screws.I can move the table by turning the end of the ball screw with my fingers.

Thanks for your time guys, much appreciated



Offline Chip

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2009, 07:17:24 PM »
Hi, Ron

After you hit a Limit SW go to Setting's page and set the OverRide Limit's button Red Led will start flashing beside it, Then back to Program Run screen and Reset,You should be able to Jog off the SW without another Reset required, Then a Ref All Home to start over.

Changed the Debounce Interval Value to 500 in General Configuration and cleaned up a couple of non used pin assignments in port's & pin's setting's pages, Also set the step/dir Pulse's from 0 to 5 in Motor Tuning page.

Hear are 2 XML's to try, Mod RonMach3Mill.xml It's cleaned up with your setting's, ModA RonMach3Mill.xml, I changed the step/dir LowActives to Checked and Reversed the axes in Motor Tuning, Some controls work better or not at all in this state.

If nether of these help your X axis issue, Try reducing your Acceleration values in Motor Tuning and post your G-code file.

Chip

Offline RonC

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2009, 08:58:40 AM »
Hi Chip
my word you must almost live online!
thanks very much for your super speedy reply, I am writing this in work (lunch hour)
so I will try them out tonight if I have the time, and get back to you.
Thanks again
RonC

Offline RonC

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2009, 05:36:30 PM »
Hi Chip
I finally managed half an hour in the workshop tonight.
The moda .xml wouldn't move the motors, but the debounce setting in the other XML cured the drive off
the limit switches, I have auto limits override selected and so don't need to go to any other screens to drive off, great!
However when the verify button is pressed all axis start to move to home, but as soon as one axis trips its home switch
ALL the axis reverse direction and drive to where they were but because two of the axis have not homed their readings
are meaningless.
Surely all axis should move to home as in a ref all move? It would be really helpfull to get this working to see if I am really
losing steps on the X axis. Is there another way to check this?
Thanks in advance
RonC

Offline Hood

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Re: Help with verify button
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2009, 06:00:37 PM »
I think there may be a problem with Verify, I remembered to try  it today and like you as soon as the Z was triggered all axis stopped.
If I get a chance I will go back to an older version of Mach and see if its ok with it.
Hood