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Author Topic: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.  (Read 1447 times)

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Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« on: May 01, 2020, 08:22:26 PM »
So, I upgraded Mach4 Hobby Lathe from what I think was version 4358 and now there is no motion of the Z axis when running a toolpath.  Also the toolpath display doesn't seem to move the Z Axis.  The GCode was created using Fusion 360 using the Mach4 lathe post processor.  No different than what has worked in the past.  Also, the reason I upgraded was because my Ethernet Smooth Stepper had to be upgraded and it wanted at least Mach4 V4435. 

I have attached the 3 files of a screen shot of the toolpath for both version and the G-Code.

I have downloaded every version from the FTP site and none of them will move the Z Axis.  The only one that works is 4300 ant it is too old for the ESS.

What to do?
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2020, 09:50:46 PM »
Can you jog the Z axis???

Mike.
We never have the time or money to do it right the first time, but we somehow manage to do it twice and then spend the money to get it right.
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2020, 09:56:47 PM »
Yes, it jogs just fine.  It is like mach is just not interpreting the G-Code properly.
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2020, 02:30:24 PM »
So, I completely reloaded Mach 4 in a new folder and it seems to be working now.  I was able to copy all the configuration over and got it running.  What a pain it is to upgrade.  Is there a technical note that I don't know about that lets you easily install a new release and not have to completely rebuild all your scripts macros and configuration?
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2020, 08:56:28 PM »
Hi,
updating to the latest build of Mach4 should be seamless.

In the Mach4Hobby directory there are many hundereds of files and sub directories. When you update to the latest build
all of those files will be overwritten. For example the file:
Mach4Hobby/lua53.dll   will be overwitten by a new copy of the same file that comes in the new build.

If however a file such as:
Mach4Hobby/Profiles/MyOwnMachine
will not be overwritten because there is no corresponding file in the update.

When the update is complete the installation will have ALL the exactly same files as prior to the update but just that
some of those files will have been overwritten by later version code, but all your original files (uniquely named), like
profiles and screensets will still be exactly the same.

This is where most newcomers trip up. We all (ususally) have a profile with an individualised name which will survive the
update unchanged. What most newcomers don't do is have an uniquely  named screenset.

For instance my prefered screen set is wx4.set (I have a mill). Over a period of time I will add macros and screen edits
to this screenset. If I then update then wx4.set will be overwritten and all my macros and screen edits are lost.

To overcome this I should make a copy of the standard (as supplied) copy of wx4.set and give it a unique name, say
MyMiniMillwx4.set. This is the screen set I will use (as nominated in the .ini file), and any macros and screen edits will ocurr
on that copy. When I update to the latest build it will not get overwitten and therefore all my tweaks and edits are not lost.

Your macros and and edits to the likes of the screenload script, PLC, PMC etc and any screen elements are stored in the
screenset, not the .ini file. Thus for those customisations to survive you must give that screeset a unique name so it won't
get overwritten.

Craig

'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'

Offline thosj

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Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2020, 10:48:05 AM »
Sound advice from Craig there, as usual. I go a step beyond. When I'm going to install a new version of Mach4, I rename the Mach4Hobby folder to something like Mach4Hobby_4322. Then I install the new version which creates a new Mach4Hobby directory. I then open two explorer windows and copy over my license, profile, screenset, plugins, docs, and maybe modules (I don't have any custom modules currently, tho'). If anything goes haywire, I can just rename folders to get back.

I go a step beyond and whenever I'm going to try something new, I copy the entire Mach4Hobby folder off to a different drive or network location for safe keeping. If I think of it I do this once in a while just for extra safety to always have a known, working copy of the entire Mach4Hobby directory I can simply copy back to C:\. Might be just me, but I fantasize that I NEED the machine to work so I do belt and suspenders!!
--
Tom
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2020, 08:24:50 AM »
@thosj

I do the exact same thing. Probably unnecessary but it gives me peace of mind!
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2020, 04:16:08 PM »
Mach added a new feature that is "Safe Z" sorta like the one in mach3.  You need to delete the 1801 paramter out of your parameters.ini file that is in your profile folder.

Description of the feature:

"Added a new feature to the Mill interpreter to make a z Value less them Parameter PV_ZAXIS_GCODE_MIN_VAL (1801) that it will change the Z to the value in the parameter. If the parameter is not in the parameter.ini it will do nothing..."

This change also affects Turn.


Delete the following lines:
[1801]
Desc=OEM parameter 1801
Type=2
Value=0
Andrew
MachMotion
Re: Lathe Z Axis stuck at zero after upgrade.
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2021, 08:47:03 PM »
This is so damn dumb.  Why not flash us a warning or something?  At least make the parameter visible in the GUI.  I just burned half a day on this stupid thing after an upgrade because I needed to get off of 4300 due to crashing.  Literally I had to dig through the logs and find the z minimum 0 due to parameter 1801 error message, or maybe a popup like, hey guys we just implemented this thing that will probably break a lot of your installs.  Check it out.  Or here is one, don't auto enable safeZ?  We already have a min/max Z setting in the axis configuration.  </Rant>