hello guys,

i tried out to create an own m6 tool change macro for my emco pcturn 55 lathe conversion with an pokeys57cnc board on Mach4. I want to learn and understand lua coding.
some function like if-then-else are not the problem.... my problems are to understand whats the codes are for like "mc.mcSignalSetState(..)" or "mc.mcToolGetCurrent(...)" or .....= math.tointeger(....).
Is there maybe a list/description of all possible "codes" in Mach4/lua which i can use?

kind regards
Andy

Hi,
they are called API's and they are documented in API.chm in Mach4 Docs folder, all alternately select API.chm from the
list when you click <Help Docs> when Mach is enabled.

Craig

Hi Craig,
thanks! i will look at it tomorrow. Is it maybe possible to get support from you to create the m6 macro?

andy

Hi Craig,
thanks! i will look at it tomorrow. Is it maybe possible to get support from you to create the m6 macro?
this is where i`am right now...

to understand it... i have a 6 position toolchanger which is driven by a 24V dc motor on "output3"only in one direction, the reference will be scanned by a encoder signal on "input0" and the tool positions are scanned too by another encoder light source "input4" ....for the input4 -> on every tool position i get a "1" signal from the encoder.
I need a loop to count the tool positions, because the only way of the Toolnumbers are 1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2,3,4,5,6,1,2....and so on... the only thing that works now, is if i write in my MDI "M06 T0202", the motor starts to move... but it doesn`t count the signals from input 4 and didn`t stop the motor.

Before of all... i made a reference from the tool changer so that it starts from tool number 1 .. that works.


function m6()
   
local inst = mc.mcGetInstance()
local out3= mc.mcSignalGetHandle(inst, mc.OSIG_OUTPUT3); 
local outstate = mc.mcSignalGetState(out3);
local signalfait = mc.ISIG_INPUT4
local max = "6"                                               --maximal tools
local selectedTool = mc.mcToolGetSelected(inst) --selected tool
selectedTool = math.tointeger(selectedTool)
local currentTool = mc.mcToolGetCurrent(inst)   -- current tool
currentTool = math.tointeger(currentTool)
local newTool = mc.mcToolGetCurrent(inst)        -- new tool
newTool = math.tointeger(newTool)


   mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, " ");                                          --delete error line
   mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G53 G0 x0 \n G53 G0 Z0") -- go to safety position

if (selectedTool == currentTool)then                                                --if selected tool is equal to current tool then
      mc.mcCntlSetLastError(inst, "new tool = old tool, toolchange not possible"); -- Error

   else
   
   if (selectedTool > max) then                                                     --if selected tool is greater than max tools (6)
      
         wx.wxMessageBox("tool number to high!     max tools = "..tostring(max)) -- Error text
         else
         
         mc.mcSignalSetState(out3, true)                               --Output3 - Toolchange Motor o
         
   while (selectedTool ~= currentTool) do                                       --start loop
         
   
   local selectedTool = mc.mcToolGetSelected(inst)
   selectedTool = math.tointeger(selectedTool)
   local currentTool = mc.mcToolGetCurrent(inst)
   currentTool = math.tointeger(currentTool)   
   local newTool = mc.mcToolGetCurrent(inst)
   newTool = math.tointeger(newTool)   

      if (mc.mcSignalGetState(mc.mcSignalGetHandle(inst, mc.ISIG_INPUT4)) == 1)  then --if "1" Signal on Input4 ,then
      newTool = currentTool + 1                                                                                      -- new tool = current tool + 1
      mc.mcToolSetCurrent(inst,newTool)                                                                         -- set current tool display to current tool number
         if (newTool > max) then                                                                                  -- if new tool is greater then max tool,then
         newTool = 1                                                                                                    -- new tool = 1
         
            if (newTool = selectedTool) then                                                              --if new tool is equal to selected tool, then 
            break                                                                                                    --stop the loop
            mc.mcSignalSetState(out3, false)                                                            --Output 3 off - toolchange motor stop
            mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"G43 H??")                                            -- set offset display to new tool offset
            mc.mcToolSetCurrent(inst,newTool)                                                        -- set current tool display to current tool number
            end
         end
      end
   end
end   
         
if (mc.mcInEditor() == 1) then
   m6()
end
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hopefully you can help and understand me
andy from germany