Hi All,
in Mach4Hobby we are limited to one out-of-band axis and that axis is always the spindle. As such there is good control over it via the API but not indexing. That is to say that the spindle
is meant to be free running and cannot without some work-around be stopped at some precice location/angle.
If I understand Mach4Industrial allows all six out-of-band axes. Does anyone know what control mechanisms exist for those axes? I imagine for instance it would be highly desired that there
could be more than on free running spindle for multispindle machines. I imagine also that position/index control would be available. I'm thinking that such a feature would be required of a 'tombstone'
type workpeice which required indexable movement in order that multiple parts could be made from the one tombstone as an example.
The workaround I have used with Mach4Hobby is to programmatically reassign my spindle as a rotational axis, C say, then call a C axis move to the required index. Provided no other axes are called
on the same line of Gcode then it could be considered that the C axis moved independently of all other axes ie a quasi 'out-of-band' axis.
I must say that until I understood the implication of the restriction to one out-of-band axis and that its always a spindle as applies to Mach4Hobby I would have said there is nothing about
Mach4Industrial that I'd miss. I'm now thinking that I miss not having indexable out-of-band axes, even one would be good.
Notwithstanding Chads use of MacroB and the glowing report he makes of it, it is not a feature that I require at this time, but would like at least one indexable out-of-band axis.
Craig