Hello,

I'ts been a long time i've adjusted things in mach 4.
Atm i have changed from steppers to dmm servo motors on my machine.
I already wired ALM inputs when triggered to Feedd hold the machine, this i have done in the screen load script with the input signal triggering the feed hold.

Now my question, how do i handle the following situation:

Servo not ready (one motor not ready or no power to the servo system) should prevent the system from starting the cyclestart. I already implemented this for homing all of my axis, but can't figure out how i have done it.

If someone has some info top point me in the right direction, it would be very helpfull.
I'm no programmer at all, and it's been a long time since.

All the best,

Adam

do you have inputs that indicate the drive is ready? if you have these wired either as separate inputs to the ESS or as a string from one servo to the next. You can then write some code that looks for these inputs and won't allow the system to start if they are not high. I've done something similar and will post the coding I used shortly.  Bob

Thanks for the reply.

Yes i have inputs from the servo drive already in ESS.
Atm i have put some code in the screen script to prevent cycle start if one drive is not ready, but my machine is out for a couple of day's so did not have the possibility to test what i've done.

If you have some code, it would be appreciated.

Adam

Hi,
begs the question.......why?

I use 750W Delta B2 servos on my machine and have done for five years. In five years of operation I've never had a situation that I require the <CycleStart> need be inhibited.

Each servo has a fault output that goes to a distinct Mach4 input (via the ESS/breakout board) and one one (or more) fault inputs will cause the machine to Estop. I've had fewer than
half a dozen occasions over five years where a servo will fault, either following error, over voltage, over current or anything else. However, whenevr such a fault does occur then the machine
stops and will not accept a <CylceStart> anyway.

All servos (up to six for six axes) are enabled in common. Thus if you deactivate just one output from the ESS then ALL servos will stop. Thus if you had a condition that required
motion inhibit then just release the Enable signal. That would stop machine motion but the Gcode could advance. Thus if you hit <CycleStart> Mach would carry on as if the machine were
running normally ie consuming Gcode, but all the axes would not move as each servo  is disabled. Has a similar result.

I do have a Motion Inhibit signal, but its activated by the spindle. If the spindle is commanded to start after two seconds (or so) the spindle monitor board checks to ensure the spindle is rotating,
i.e. accelerating. If the spindle is not accelerating, say a fault, or VFD fault, or similar then I do not want the machine to start cutting with a spindle that is not spinning. This fault condition is detected by my
spindle monitor board and signals Mach 'Motion Inhibit'    and stops all motion until the fault can be cleared.

The question is 'are you sure you need it?' I have not ever needed <CycleStart> to be inhibited, but have made the effort to have the spindle monitor board inhibit motion rather
than burying a non-spinning tool into material.

Craig