Hi, another newbie, both CNC and Mach3

I bought a secondhand cnc machine and modified it to work from the lpt port instead of the original obsolete controller. My main interest is drilling my pcbs and milling smd masks, but that is incidental.

I began with the cross.tap file, but in its original version the z axis was not operating correctly. The positive action to lift the tool was fine, but then it would not lower into the work after the first cut. Somehow or other it seemed as if the F word was supposed to do this but nothing happened.
All the rapid movements after the beginning were in the following format.
M5
G0 Z1.0000
G0 X5.7892 Y5.0536
f5000.000M3
f5000.000G1 X5.8909 Y5.0706

I replaced each occurence with
M5
G0 Z1.0000
G0 X5.7892 Y5.0536
M3
G0 Z-.1000
G1 X5.8909 Y5.0706

then everything worked, with the rest of the pattern being cut. Where have I made an error in setup or whatever with the original code?


Dave

 

Thanks!  I'm NOT crazy - I just started with Mach3 and the skull sample and I couldn't figure out why it would drop Z down, then go up and then never come back down again.  Go figure... 3 hours wasted.

Thank YOU, as well.
I thought I was posting to cyberspace.
There was obviously something so simple that I had overlooked.
I have had so many questions on Mach3 and Lcam over the last month but I decided to work my own way through, or around any problems.

Dave

Sorry Guys,

I did not think the post needed a reply, it looked more like a statement than a question. Sorry,

Graham.

No problems. I've learn't a tremendous amount by just looking at old posts.
It was a question in that I thought that if it worked for everyone else, what was I missing?

Dave