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Author Topic: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???  (Read 84205 times)

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #110 on: June 26, 2011, 08:06:55 PM »
Peter-

Thank you SO much. I am going to try to piece together what you have written in my mind. Every bit is bringing me a bit closer!

Would you be able to post your m999 start macro? if you did not want to post it, could you email it to me? natefoerg@gmail.com

Looking at it would help me fill in the blanks...
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #111 on: June 26, 2011, 08:40:02 PM »
Hi Nate,

All it does is sets the changer to the current tool at startup. This is needed a M6Start is only run when a Toolchange is commanded.

Cheers,

Peter.
----------------------------------------------------
Homann Designs
http://www.homanndesigns.com
email: peter at homanndesigns.com
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #112 on: June 26, 2011, 08:49:40 PM »
Sure, I get it now. Can you share your M6start?
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #113 on: June 26, 2011, 08:58:52 PM »
Hi Nate,

Sorry, not at this time as it's specific to the ModIO, and I have an up coming commercial use for it.

that said I'm happy to help you sort out yours.

Cheers,

Peter
----------------------------------------------------
Homann Designs
http://www.homanndesigns.com
email: peter at homanndesigns.com
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #114 on: June 27, 2011, 09:40:46 AM »
Hood-

Thanks. you were right about the plugin and how Henrik set his up. it is Serial via the Plugin. I just did not see that..

My understanding (very incorrect) was that to use the plugin, I had to comm over tcp.

Peter-

Thanks. I get the bit about the M6macro. your and Hood's help is invaluable. Additionaly Peter, I look forward to spending money on your products whenever possible. I wont forget that you were willing to help...

Offline fdos

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #115 on: June 27, 2011, 03:16:14 PM »
I'm here just rather busy.

I posted all the code in my HXL thread.  The CHNC turret is completely different though and a much harder animal to control.  

Basically all I'm doing is using a holding register to hold current tool station.   The Cubloc runs a basic loop which looks to see if a new station has been requested and operates the air valves to achieve this.

The CHNC turret is bi-directional and operates with an air motor.  My code is not going to help you really as my HXL turret is an indexing type and single direction.

You basically have to monitor the encoder and fire the stop solenoid in sufficient time to stop the turret on the CHNC.

You might want to find this guy

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6834017345329403743&hl=en#

I just googled "cubloc chnc" and that came up.


Wayne...

« Last Edit: June 27, 2011, 03:24:01 PM by fdos »
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #116 on: June 27, 2011, 08:08:08 PM »
Fdos-

Thanks for chiming in.

"The Cubloc runs a basic loop which looks to see if a new station has been requested and operates the air valves to achieve this." very good explanation!

Fortunately, the CHNC turret actually only runs one direction.

I have contacted the guy (Vince here) who made that video many times. sadly he is too busy to help, and cant provide me with any code or settings due to the PC that runs his lathe being down.

Its a heart breaker, knowing that data is all there, just inaccessible... 
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #117 on: June 27, 2011, 08:22:08 PM »
Hi Nate,

What part are you actually stuck on?

Cheers,

Peter.
----------------------------------------------------
Homann Designs
http://www.homanndesigns.com
email: peter at homanndesigns.com

Offline fdos

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #118 on: June 28, 2011, 06:58:59 AM »
It's been such a long time since I have been inside a chnc. 

Have you managed to decode the turret ecoder with the cubloc?  I seem to recall it's output is bcd.

Can you operate the air valves to lift turret, spin it and engage the turret stop?

If you can it's all down to getting the timing right.

 
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #119 on: June 28, 2011, 09:06:24 AM »
The part we kept getting stuck on was the autopolling input and output start registers. Nothing anywhere we could find seemed to tell us where we could find what the start registers should be. We looked in Cubloc book, online, and finally when hood pointed out that Henrik had used both serial and the plugin, we then had a known good number to start with for the start register.

Finally last night (late)we had mach communicating with the cubloc/cubase32/relay board. We could MDI T0101 etc, and trigger a different relay for each seperate T*********X. A great sigh of relief was heard coming from the three of us. We had been struggeling for many hours to get that elusive piece of info that was- a working start register number!

We have lots of work to go, but now that we have at least got T*********X triggering relays, we feel the worst is over, we hope...

Fdos- I am building an encoder simmilar to the original Hardinge encoder, made of hall effect sensors. I am using all eight sensors as inputs to the cubloc, so no need to decode anything.

Next are these tasks-
connecting relays on the cubloc to the solenoids.
getting the encoder installed.
getting cubloc to write the encoder position to Mach.
writing the Cubloc tool change code.
Installing the turret up or down sensor.


A big thanks to everyone for all of your help.

I promise to add everything that will be helpful/needed for the next person trying this. I am determined to not have the next guy struggle this much...