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Offline Davek0974

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #360 on: May 14, 2016, 05:14:43 PM »
Yeah, lots of ideas for the panel - that's the fun bit;)

Offline Hood

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #361 on: May 15, 2016, 05:25:21 PM »
Today I tested out the THC via its Test Function. Couldn't get it to work at all, the LEDs for Torch Up, Down etc worked but the Z would initially just give a small movement then nothing. Tried all sorts of settings in Mach but still nothing. That is when I got the light bulb above my head, I have the MPG module for the CSMIO/IP-S  and it was set to Z MPG. I switched it to the Off position and still nothing but then I switched to Y, moved it then switched back to Off and after that the THC testing worked fine. THC control must use Machs Jogging and with the MPG module setting Mach to MPG mode the THC commands don't work.

  So that could be a potential problem, as long as I remember to switch to Off before the THC starts to issue commands then it will be fine but if I forget then it will not work.
 To get round this I have had to wire a button on my hand held pendant as in the CSMIO instructions so that to get to MPG mode the button has to be pressed, without the button pressed it reverts to Jog mode. Having the button on a hand held pendant is a good thing really but as I normally don't have the pendant and just use the MPG on my panel then I normally don't utilise the button and instead wire it differently with diodes  and have an Off position on the rotary switch for the odd occasion I want to jog via keyboard. 

Ok so that problem solved I then tried to get my head round the THC buttons on the screen, took a bit of messing but I think I now understand how they work.

I set the speed to 100% and it works great, have seen mention of 50% for steppers and 90% for servos but  I don't have a problem with 100% it seems. Video below of it moving 80mm with the 100% setting and using the MiniTHC test functions.

https://youtu.be/N5hRuZsIglc


I also took a few pics of the breakaway torch holder for mc as my description probably didn't make much sense.
You can see the setscrews from both sides in the pics and also you can see a prox I have there that will be used to E-Stop Mach if the holder breaks contact.


Hood

Offline Hood

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #362 on: May 16, 2016, 07:23:14 AM »
Still not got the prox's yet but did set up the Index from the master and slaved drives and enabled Index Homing on the Y, and just used the one switch that is on one side of the Y.
I enabled the plugin to look at the difference between switches, now obviously there is no difference between the switches themselves as there is only one, however there is a difference between the Index so I was curious to see if it worked.
 It did , it was -1.118 units and it went well when I homed I could just barely see  the far side move back but it did. I then decided to make it -10.118 and homed again. This time I could clearly see the far side move back after the nearside had stopped but it was even more evident when I disabled the drives as this let the gantry jump back to its relieved position.

Here is a vid showing it.

https://youtu.be/2o2QPdYWD-I
Hood

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #363 on: May 16, 2016, 07:31:33 AM »
Nice,
how does index homing function?

Offline Hood

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #364 on: May 16, 2016, 07:36:52 AM »
You have a switch for each axis and the axis moves to the switch then backs off and then looks for the Index pulse from the encoder and stops at it.
It means the homing is deadly accurate as the switch accuracy (within reason) does not come into the equation as it is only used as a trigger to tell the control to start looking for the encoders Index pulse.
That is the way most industrial machine home and it is the way I have all of mine homing.
With the machines that I do not have the CS-Lab controllers on I do it in the servo drives themselves as my servo drives support that feature, it is however much simpler if the controller itself supports it and the CSMIO does :)

Hood

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #365 on: May 16, 2016, 07:54:12 AM »
Nice, that sounds damn good.
Its coming together slowly now.

Does it only need the one switch or 1 homing & 2 limits per axis

Thanks

Offline Hood

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #366 on: May 16, 2016, 09:09:21 AM »
I am not 100% sure but I think it requires a separate home switch for each axis.
On my machines I have a Home for each axis then 1 limit for each axis but the limits are in series. The one home switch is located roughly central on an axis and the triggers are at either end, thus the need for only 1 Limit switch per axis rather than 2.

Hood

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #367 on: May 16, 2016, 09:59:10 AM »
Ok, thanks, so it cant use combined home/limit like basic Mach does?

Will have to find some very heavy duty switches for this one i think.

Offline Hood

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #368 on: May 16, 2016, 10:21:07 AM »
Just set up the Z prox on the plasma to home and limits and it seems to work.
I have in my mind something about there being a problem with that on the wee lathe  but it certainly seems ok on the plasma so looks like you can.

Hood

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Physical buttons for plasma
« Reply #369 on: May 16, 2016, 10:23:54 AM »
Nice, I like simple :)