I am new to brains and not sure if this will work.  I would like to count the number of time I drill a hole.  This way I can see what life I am getting out of the bit.  Can brains do this?

Thanks.  Eddy

Eddy - please do not cross post - especially numerous times. you already have an active thread for this here http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,20499.msg142371.html#msg142371

You really don need a macro pump or brains to do that. Just some simple Gcode.

I assume you are using a Sub program to do the drilling. If so then insert a

#500 = [#500+1]

 at the end of the sub. Each time the sub cycles it increments the #var 1 number. The #vars 500-600 are persistant and Mach3 SAVES them in the XML when it shuts down.

You can use the Var monitor to Do a query on the value of #500 and you have your running hole count.

IF you need to ZERO the VAR from the MDI #500=0 enter.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

Thanks for you help.  Is there a way with Screen 4 to display that variable?  I found the GCode Var Monitor.

SUre, Drop a UserDro on the screen say OemDro(2000)

Then you would need to create a macropump or add to the existing MP

'Macro to update Dro
SetOemDro(2000, GetVar(500))

(;-) TP

just as an alternative view, the reason you used a gcode var in the first place was...

You really don need a macro pump or brains to do that. Just some simple Gcode.

which of course was quite right, but now that you want to display it in a DRO you HAVE to use some macro coding so there's no point in using the gcode var anymore as the DRO will act as the var/counter.

Plus it seems a tad round the houses setting a gcode var to some value and then monitoring it in the macropump to see what it was you just set it to so you can copy it to another place. 

So like T says you'd drop a DRO onscreen and then in your gcode in place of your #500 = [#500+1]  you'd have (say) M666 (other numbers are available), where its code would be:

SetOEMDRO(2000, getOEMDRO(2000) + 1)

Plus of course you can now set/reset the val anytime to anything by typing in the DRO itself.

Ian