Good Evening

i like enable my machine with a Watchdog Signal from Mach4

My hardware config. is:

- Mach 4 Home Software (Unlocked)
- Darwin Parallel Port Plugin
- Interface from Benezan Electronic it`s cold "interface advanced Pro" (mini Breakout board)
  http://www.sorotec.de/shop/CNC-Steuerungstechnik/Interface---Platinen/Interface-Advanced-PRO.html
- 4 Leadshine DM556 Digigal Amps

first, why i would do that.
my old cnc machin has enabled the steering after startup winpcnc.
if i start mach 4 and press some butons in the software, the parallel port sent some uncontrolled signals to my interface and start form example my spindel or my second relais.

my idea was to do the same like my old controller (for safety). i would like send a signal in this moment if i enable the software by pressing the green button on the left bottom side on the screen.

what i`ve done:

in darwin, i configured charge pump 1 to pin 16 with a frequency of 10000Hz an enabled the Signal.
i`ve pressed the toggle button 2, 3, times and my led on the interface was going on and of. i was happy and was the meaning it schould working.

in the mach 4 sw i`ve configured the Machine enable to charge pump 1 and enabled the sw with the button on the left bottom side(enable/disable) but, no reaction on my interface!

i`ve tried a lot of other signals (Charce pump2/3/4 and others) and configs but it was not possible to start my interface (watchdog input) with the mach 4 software.

is sombody here who can help me?
how can i enable it?

Thank you for your help

Kind regards

beat

Did you remove the jumper JP2 from your "interface advanced Pro" according to page 7 of the linked manual?

Hi Swolf-SM

Yes, i did.

but, generally, do you know, is this possible?
or do you know how i can enable it by the enable Button? Config in Mach? How would you do that?

thank you for your help

beat

Hi beat,
I don't know. Indeed, I use the same breakout board (BOB) but I have sitting the Ethernet Smooth Stepper (ESS) between the PC and the BOB. As far as I know the ESS generates the charge pump signal by itself.
After hardly trying to remember what I did a year ago I come to the result that I never have checked whether the Charge Pump LED at the BOB follows the Enable/Disable button at mach4.
I installed and tested the hardware using mach3. The BOB is located in a control cabinet and this is closed since then, even after the upgrade to mach4.

Hope this helps, Steve

Hi Steve

Thank you for your Answer.
it was helpful.
but, if you start your Mach4 SW, how many times do you need press the enable button to start your machine? Just one time?
i have to press the enable button 3 times.

1st --> enable --> nothing happen
2nd --> Disable --> Interface Watchdog is on and Ready
3th --> enable --> i can Work

is this normal?

and:

could you tell me your Mach4 Output Settings?

Thank you :-)

kind regards

Beat

Hi Beat,
I have to press the Enable button once.

2nd --> Disable --> Interface Watchdog is on and Ready

This looks strange: If the machine is disabled the watch dog led should be off, I think.
But I will check this on my mill at the weekend.

Regarding to the output settings: I will make some screenshots, also at the weekend.

Steve

Hi Beat,
here is the behavior of the watch dog led at my mill:
The led is switched on (lit) as soon as mach4 has been loaded and the screen elements are being loaded. It stays on as long as mach4 is running and no e-stop condition occurs.
The led is off (unlit) when mach4 is not running or the e-stop button connected to the bob is pressed.
In the zip file some screenshots of my config are attached.
Hope this helps, Steve

Hi Steve

Thank you for your Help end sending screenshots.
yesterday i`ve tried a lot on my computer, the computer works not as you wrote me.
after long tries it was no longer possible to configure my parallel port plugin.
i thint it`s a problem with my computer (maybe some hardware problem)
i`ve tried to load a new operating system and create a state from a new computer.
this was also a problem, most of my tries i had a bluescreen with a pci fault.
now i ordered a new computer, i hope on thursday it will be here and i can try again...

but i`ve an other question.
you told me you use the same bob but with an ess between the interface and the pc.
could you send me a link to this ess modul?

kind regards

beat

Sure, I can. http://www.warp9td.com/ is the home page and on http://www.warp9td.com/index.php/distributors you can find a list of distributors.

Since your existing setup used a parallel port breakout board, you could also
consider a simple device like this:

http://www.pmdx.com/PMDX-411

Or if you are in Europe, as I suspect, you could buy this from the EU:

https://www.poscope.com/product/pokeys57cncd25/

Steve Stallings
www.PMDX.com