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Author Topic: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd  (Read 15621 times)

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Offline Chip

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2009, 01:05:33 AM »
Hi, Roger

One piece to your puzzle, Remove the M3,M5's from your Cam Post's and use the Z Direction pin to trigger your Laser on & off, Z- neg. will turn it on and a Z+ pos. will turn it off, This should remove the delay's your experancing.

Hears a LazyCam post with the M3/M5 removed, If you use it with LC's Mill Load you shouldn't have delay's, If you use it with LC's Plasma Load you can have Pierce delays also and a Mill and Plasma G code file.

You'll need to work in a Safe Mode Lockout "Button" to jog around and insure the Z is left in a Z+ pos State, A logic IC that see's the Safe Mode Lockout "Button" state and the Z direction Pin's state to fire the Laser.

Just A Thought, Chip

vmax549

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2009, 09:58:02 AM »
WELL I 'll be learn something new every day. DO you still use the Spindle speed to set the laser power??

How do you set it in Gcode,  Looks like normal Gcode is out the door???

I'll need to save this info for when I get the 1/4" plate burner done(;-)

(;-) TP
« Last Edit: August 17, 2009, 10:01:44 AM by vmax549 »
Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2009, 01:52:43 PM »
Chip,

This goes along with what Sid was thinking (turning the laser on and off). The problem is, the laser is not a simple on off device. I also need a way of controlling the power (just like you would do to control the spindle speed with normal milling).

I suppose I could create an external circuit with a rheostat to manually control the power but this really seems like a hack. Besides I then loose all hope of doing some sort of CV type power modulation.

What type of laser are you running? How do you control the power level of your laser?

I’m wondering if I could use the onboard relay on my PMDX122 BOB to open and close the PWM circuit. This way I could use the spindle output to generate the PWM Signal. I would leave the spindle on all the time and just send a signal to the relay to allow the pwm to get thru to the laser or not. This should fix the delay (unless the control signal to the relay has the same delay problem.)

I wonder if there will be a switch bounce type problem induced?

Thanks,

RJ
Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2009, 01:55:47 PM »
If this relay switching the pwm signal turns out to work, I wonder if we could use one of the rotary axis to generate the pwm and inturn get the benifit of CV to vary the laser power?

Any thoughts?

RJ

Offline Chip

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2009, 02:59:35 PM »
Hi, RJ

I have a 150 watt Yag laser, Sad to say at this point haven't even fired it UP, This discussion of M3 delay has come up several times quite awhile back.

Spindle speed can still be used with "S" value set in the Post's, 0 or any value you wish, Turned off (0) for rapids, Spindle speed to set power in LC Post {SPEED} for Power during cut's.

PM message your Phone # or do you have Skype phone.

Hears a G code file and a LC post to look at.

Chip

« Last Edit: August 17, 2009, 11:45:19 PM by Chip »

Offline Chip

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #15 on: August 18, 2009, 04:15:52 AM »
Hi, RJ

What type of laser are you using and what Cam SW for your post's, Hears a couple of pic's of my Cut Screen (It's a work in progress screen set), Used it on our water jet cutter and testing stuff hear, with PWM power and the spindle override you should be able to control the power on the fly.

Hoping to work on the laser soon, Who-Now's,

Just trying too Help, Chip

vmax549

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2009, 09:59:18 AM »
HIYA CHIP, I have a question.

I see you are turning the laser on/off with the z dir pin, great idea.

bUT I also see you turn the laser on and off with the Sspeed call S0-S3000. IS there a need to do both???

ALso let me know when you are ready to fire the YAG. (;-) I am only an hour away.

(;-) TP

Offline Chip

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #17 on: August 18, 2009, 11:30:37 AM »
Hi, TP

The S(speed) gives the PWM signal to set the laser power and Dir pin use eliminates the Slow M3/M5 on/off Issue.

I've got a couple small YAG tubes (1-2 watt's), May start there, The power-supply for the big one is the size of a small Import Car (3 phase).  ???

We should talk sometime.  :D

Thanks, Chip

vmax549

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Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2009, 05:31:06 PM »
YES I see the use of the dir pin, BUT do you need to also throttle the power back to Zero as well or can you just leave the S set to the power level you need and use the dir pin as needed?

I think we need to hold a meeting of the local  Water Buffaloes (macherteers) Sometimes those up north there seem to have all the fun.

Might even get Brian to make the trip in the winter when it is freezing cold and snowing. Most of the time we just sit around under the palm tress and sip umbrella drinks all winter with nothing to do, NO SNOW to shovel and all that stuff. (;-)

(;-) TP
« Last Edit: August 19, 2009, 05:33:45 PM by vmax549 »
Re: machine pauses after spindle/laser is triggerd
« Reply #19 on: September 16, 2009, 12:48:02 PM »
Hi guys,

It's been a while but...

I have tried the technique described above by Chip with very good success. What I did was to to generate a pwm signal from the spindle output and use the relay on my BOB (PMDX 122) to open and close the circuit between pin 16 (the pin outputting my pwm) and the laser. The relay is opened and closed with the direction signal from my Z-Axis (Since my machine has none). There is little or no delay like there was with the M3 / M5 commands.

In my gcode, the power level of the laser is changed with an S command from S 0 to S 100  for 0-100% power. So at the start of my program I toggle the direction to down to make sure the relay is open (G0 Z-.001), set the power with S command then turn on the spindle with M3 and leave the spindle on thru out the program. To toggle the laser on and off, I issue G0 Z0.001 for laser on and G0 Z-0.001 for laser off.  At the end  of my program, I issue M5 to turn off pulse generation.

I can post more info about my setup when I get home (I'm on lunch at work now) if anyone is interested. Just let me know.

The next step is to figure out how to vary the power as a function of the speed of the x and y axis while using the relay to open close the signal to the laser unit. I would like to use one of the rotary axis to generate the pulses instead of the spindle but haven't yet figured out the setup to do this. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Roger