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Author Topic: Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines  (Read 1306 times)

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Offline Airwave

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Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines
« on: March 07, 2021, 07:05:55 AM »
I've setup a Wee benchtop mill running Mach4, and apart from the wonky nut on the controls, it pretty much does what I expect, most of the time.
I've set up a 4 x 4 plasma table (currently just a table with a pen on it to test things)
And am having a helluva job getting it to do what I want. (The machine goes where I expect it to, usually)
But I'm having issues exporting G code to it from Sheetcam

Code generated on Sheetcam shows up fine on the Mill iteration of Mach4 (but the mill can't actually run it as the table is too small)
the same code, sent to the Table just won't run and shows up really weird on the screen.

Mill and table run off the same computer, off the same iteration of Mach4 under different profiles (one runs from a parallel port controller, the table runs off an ESS) both "work" with G code sent from VCarve.

Screenshots below.
Same G code file, Same computer, Same version of Mach4 different machine profile for each
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?



Offline Airwave

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Re: Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2021, 09:20:17 AM »
Well, stumbling towards something.
Code that causes the odd lines and stops that Profile running (snippet below)
N220G3X66.286Y80.257Z-0.500I4.207J2.702
N230G2X65.757Y80.942Z-1.000I3.679J3.386

If I edit it manually to this
N220G3X66.286Y80.257Z-0.500
N230G2X65.757Y80.942Z-1.000

It runs.
Toolpath looks fine in the window and the code runs just fine.

N220G3X66.286Y80.257Z-0.500I4.207J2.702
N230G2X65.757Y80.942Z-1.000I3.679J3.386
What are the "I" and "J" referencing?
Why does one profile of Mach4 ignore them and one profile hangs on them?

Offline Airwave

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Re: Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2021, 11:44:14 AM »
Aaaand, that stops the machine being able to go round corners . .
Fine if it's all straight lines, no corners  . .
Which part of the machine profile allows curves?
More digging to come .
Re: Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2021, 12:26:17 PM »
Have you checked that the Control (Mach4) Default Modes (Set under "Control Configurations") are the same for both profiles (In particular the "Arc Centre Mode" setting)?

The "I" and "J" are the "X" and "Y" centre for the arc and are defined as either an Absolute or Incremental position. 
« Last Edit: March 07, 2021, 12:28:36 PM by nick952 »

Offline Airwave

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Re: Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2021, 02:47:06 PM »
Nick, Huge thanks for the input.
I checked that between both profiles and they were set the same (incremental)
Gave up and set up a new profile (from scratch, imported nothing), which was not fast . .

Looked ok, imported G code fine, toolpath was as it should be, I was a happy little bunny . . . . but.
Everything was teeny tiny . . .
Scratched head, looked at motor setting in the ESS plug in and the Mach controller, all same same . .
for some reason looked at the general tab and it had defaulted to inches . . . . . gaaaar.
Bloody colonials . . set it back to Metric and all is well in my (now) slightly whisky infused world.

I have not the foggiest what was wrong.
However, it all works now.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2021, 02:48:53 PM by Airwave »

Offline smurph

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Re: Enhanced stupidity between 2 machines
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2021, 03:23:40 AM »
Nobody using the metric system ever landed on the moon.  :)  Sorry...  I just had to.  LOL

But here is something actually usefull.  You can export your profile from one machine and import it to another machine.  Use the menu path Help->Support->Package Current Profile.  Save that file to a USB stick and sneaker net it over to the new machine.  Then launch the Mach loader.  Not a Mach4Mill or any other "named" profile icon.  Just the Mach4 Loader icon.  When the "Select Profile" dialog pops up, Hit the "Import Profile" button and point towards your profile package you created.  It moves custom screens, macro scripts, settings...  everything. 

Steve