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Author Topic: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.  (Read 6004 times)

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New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« on: January 16, 2007, 11:12:42 AM »
Hey,

I just purchased Mach 3 yesterday and it seems like its going to be a great platform to run my 3-axis router.  The questions Im goign to ask seem pretty simple but its really got me hung up for some reason.  Im not a newbie to the whole CNC world but jsut new to this software.

Questions:

1.  I have the Max & Soft Limits set in the homing page to the relative size of my table, 580mm X 1600mm X 300mm. But whenever I jog around the table, I have the ability to jog my unti past those values, how do I make it stop at those values like the video shows?  My Slow zone is set to 2 on all 3 axis.

2.  When I first start the program all three axis are at 0,0,0... There home spot, I can then jog all of the over to any value and then reference them, they go all back to home switchs (0,0,0) one at a time just like they should, then sometimes I can load a part of just jog say X over 50mm.  When I reference X in the Dianogostics, it might only come back 25mm toward the home switch and zero there all on its own...   

Anyone with ideas will be greatly thanked...

Thanks for your time,
Justin Tidwell

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Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2007, 11:52:16 AM »
Justin,
    Do you have your softlimits enabled? There should be a button on your screen that says soft limits. Jog all axis to the point where they would be out of the softlimits range and enable them.

I'm not sure what you are trying to do, or the problem is with the Ref. home etc. If you want to zero your dro, click the zero x,y,z beside the dro. This sets up your work coord. The ref all home button is where your limits are made. When you click it all of your axis should go to machine zeros. All of the buttons I have mentioned are in this screen shoot.

Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!
Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2007, 01:16:06 PM »
Ok, sounds simply enough, and yes, I had looked over the softlimits buttom, sorry about that.

What I was referring to concerning the home switchs was this.  When I go to the Dianogstics page, Z axis always finds zero no problem at all, but X & Y are sometimes hit and miss, meaning when I click the button next to the light to make it move to the home switch (0,0) that some times it works fine, hits the home switch then backs off just a bit.  The sometimes I can jog the unti in the middle of the table and click ref. and the thing only might move 3mm toward the home switch, the next click it could move 10mm and so on, then after another random click it might do it right and travel all the way back to the home switch.  Is there a step im missing?

Maybe a save function or something once everything is at the home spot?  my x / y soft & hard limits are set to (580,0) (1600,0)

Justin

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Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2007, 01:37:11 PM »
Sound to me like you may be picking up a little bit of noise. In general config, set your debounce to 100 and see if that helps. Does it do it while on the program run page?


Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!
Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2007, 01:49:21 PM »
This sounds like a good Idea, This mechine does not have everypart grounded to earth like all the machine at the plant, this is a samller unit in our basement.
Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2007, 02:01:03 PM »
I set the first debounce setting to 100, what about the index debounce?  Although it may have fixed it. 

When I click softlimits, it says Machine is out of limits to enable softlimits, or something of that nature.  This is with the all three axis at (0,0,0)

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Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2007, 03:00:19 PM »
Jog all three axis to a point that the softlimits would not be activated if they were on and then try to turn on your soft limits. Here is a screen shoot of how my limits are set up.

Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!
Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #7 on: January 17, 2007, 05:54:11 PM »
Only one more question, Thanks for all your help.

Is there a Bobcam Post Processor for Mach 3?  I have looked around and seem a bunch of talk but still alittle confused.

Thanks

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Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #8 on: January 17, 2007, 06:12:21 PM »
Do not be dishartened by this link and screen shot. I have seen where others are runnig, using Bobcam. If you have Bobcam and the post processors it came with we should be able to make you one that will work if there is not one already.

http://www.machsupport.com/cam.htm

Brett
;D If you could see the things I have in my head, you would be laughing too. ;D

My guard dog is not what you need to worry about!
Re: New to Mach 3, Just a few simple questions for you guys here.
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2007, 04:04:09 PM »
BobCad claims they will supply a post free of charge for any CNC software, might try them first.
chuck