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Author Topic: Torch fires when engraver should strart  (Read 3608 times)

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Torch fires when engraver should strart
« on: August 13, 2016, 11:09:18 AM »
I have been running Sheetcam and Mach3 for about three months but recently when sending gcode to mach the torch will touch off, rise and move to the upper right then fire. The code from sheetcam should be telling the machine to scribe. I can send only a engraving code to mach and it will still fire the torch but does not happen every time.
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2016, 01:18:51 PM »
Sounds like your ports and pins for output one and two are swapped (m3 and m4)

If you upload your XML , someone will take a look (you will need to call it something unique and upload it)
Rob

Albert Einstein ― “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2016, 02:13:59 PM »
If you are referring to ports as in software/firmware, that may be but I know no physical pin have been moved. As it has worked from when I first got the machine new, and does work with some files, I suspect a coding error. Yesterday edited the engraver file while realigning the plate marker. I’ve done that in the past as it’s required when removing/replacing the torch.
I now have a new issue to solve first. I had to plug in a Ethernet cable to down load a print driver so changes the IP address from 9.9.9.1 to auto which requires me to unplug the cable going to the controller. When I reconnected the Ethernet cable to the computer and set the IP back to the proper one is when this started. I’ll upload the file later.
Thanks for the response.
George
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2016, 02:30:43 PM »
I failed to mention I now have an error: CTftp wakeup Board Client failed to respond. I've also seen this before but don't remember what I did to resolve it. I seem to remember a screen came up saying about I had two of something running and I chose what I thought to be the proper one and ass went back to normal.
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2016, 03:43:03 PM »
What motion controller are you using?

Please upload the XML profile
Rob

Albert Einstein ― “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2016, 03:45:32 PM »
I solved the CTftc issue. I had overlooked the subnet mask.
Now I’m back to the first problem. I compared the Gcode with a test file that scribes and cuts and can see no difference in the top of the list. Here’s the Gcode.
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2016, 04:21:12 PM »
I’m not sure what motion controller I have or ever where to find the XLM profile. It’s an Arclight dynamics table with Mach3 and Sheetcam. My previously table did not directly use Gcode in the user interface so I’m a bit behind in that area. I have discovered some of the test files run OK but am unable to determine what the difference is.
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2016, 01:07:52 AM »
If you look at the Mach screen, normally in the bottom right hand side it will tell you what profile you are running.

Open up the mach3 folder (normally c:\mach3\) and look for your profile with the same name (for example Mach mill.xml, or more correctly for you, plasma.xml), copy it to your desktop, then change its name to say... moccasin1.xml... and upload it.

The XML file provides all of your settings in a raw file to mach3, the file is loaded at startup of mach3.

Unfortunately it can become corrupted on odd occasions .... which may be what has happened to you.

Mach is a dumb piece of software, if the XML says port 1, port 2 is for output 1, and for whatever reason it is changed to port 1, pin3... it will use that.... also... on the ports and pins tab, 2nd last tab, think it's mill settings, it says m3 uses output 1 for example, and output 2 uses m4 (top left hand side of the tab, if you swap these two settings over, your machine will probably work fine...... probably)

It may also be the sheetcam post processor......if you open up sheetcam, and go to the machine tab (think it's under settings,  top line), it will allow you to open up the post processor to edit it..... in hindsight, this may be your problem because when you want to run your torch, it moves off to one side (which is the engraver offset... and fires the torch....)

Basically these three bits tell mach3 what it needs to know to do stuff in the right order.

Hence if you upload the profile, I'll take a look at it.

Ill look at the tap file later (must admit should have looked at it earlier...., as it will probably tell me if it's the post processor)
Rob

Albert Einstein ― “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2016, 01:13:15 AM »
Right.... in hindsight... as liked at the tap file.... it's your post processor as its running m4... can you upload or email it to me (email link or personal message on the left hand side below my handle)

A quick edit and it should be sorted to swapm3 with m4 for the plasma and engraving tool.

(Or you can do it yourself, by editing the post processor under the machine settings in sheetcam)
Rob

Albert Einstein ― “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.”
Re: Torch fires when engraver should strart
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2016, 07:17:24 PM »
I found I have been using the wrong post processor all along. Acrclight was surprised it work at all. Anyway I am now back up and running. TA big thank you to robertspark for the help and direction.
George