Greettings,

   Here is a plug in that will let you add upto 3 spindles across the Modbus (serial or TCP). One of the three will be the standard Mach OEM spindle.
It is Targeted toward a "Drop Spindle Lathe" with "Live Tooling".  So bascially you can control upto 3 Analog driven Spindle motors.  The Second and Third cannot Thread, but you can control:
ON, OFF, Speed, Enable, CW, CCW, Plus Options on: Upto 4 General purpose inputs, 4 General purpose outputs, Per motor.
Each motor will put out ONE Analog output for speed control, and each can have upto 2 Analog inputs, one for External spindle speed override, and one for True Spindle speed feedback.
You have the usual "User assiganed DROs and LEDs for setting up".

I included a Lathe 3 Spindle screen set in the installer, that also installs the S2 and S3 motor control Macros.......  (Please Read the "Help" Flash that comes  up when you push the "Help button" on the config screen.

This Plug in has a "Tabbed Config Dialog", and to configure it, you find its config in under the "Plugin Control" menu.

Special Thanks to: Ed Bryson, after I stuggled for 3 weeks trying to get tabbing to work, and all those incomplete info on MSDN. He found and example on Code Project and within 30 minutes of his help, my Tabbing was working, he also helped me get the Plugin config into the menu. My many, many thanks Ed.

********************   EDIT  ***********************

      Here is a NEW 3 Spindle installer, it has the new screen set (that turns off the S2/3 Spindle CW/CCW Leds), fixes a label, Also the xml is fixed
where the VB scripter window appears over the screen (had to drag it back from my second screen.......... ).

Scott

Hello Scott, This will be my first "Dig" into ModIO ad I have some basic questions for you.

Can the extra spindles be controlled with MDI ?
If so, what would I enter for say.....Spindle3,CW,S1000 ?
Also, what is the proper GCoding to select the extra spindle motors and set the speeds in a program ?
This is an excellent piece of work btw, Thanks.
RC

   

OK...I think I got this part figured out.


Pretty nifty Scott. With a little help, I think I might be able to get this to work for me.


Awful COOL,
Thanks Scott,
RC

Scott, One thing I noticed...M802 P1 Q1 R700 starts the spindle,
then to stop it, I have to include the P word or the ticker runs "P Out of Limits" or such and the spindle won't stop.
Just seem like M802 Q0 should be all that is needed.
No biggie, just wondering if you were aware and how difficult it would be to change.
Thanks again,
RC

look at your pulley ranges, and look at the Macros that are included that control the 2 other spindles and you will see what is going on.

scott

Hey Scott,
   On this .lset/XML only....when I hit OP/EDIT BTN SCRIPT then select a script btn, it only shows up in the task bar. It will maximize but will not restore to the smaller window.
Never seen this before and it is only with this .lset/XML.
It' the same with the VB Editor....either full screen or in the task bar. Nothing in between.
Is there a setting to correct this ?
Thanks,
RC

Scott,
 I noticed something else. If S1 is running and I hit the EStop, it stops.
But S2 and S3 will not stop when hitting the EStop/Reset button.
This is in simulation of course but the S2 and S3 RUN LED's remain lit so I assume that the spindles would not shut down on an actual machine when the EStop is hit.
Please verify and advise.

Thanks Scott,
RC

Ohhh.............  1st problem:  I develop with 2 (TWO) screens.........  I dont know how, but it sounds like the VB window is going to your "2cd" monitor.....
Goto "Control Panel" then "Display" Look for the section in where you can see Monitors 1 and 2, even though monitor 2 may be "Grayed" out click on it and make sure the "Extend my desktop" to this moniotr is UNCHECKED, hit apply then OK.

It is working Fine here, BUT, when I did what you asked here, the VB window opened in my 2cd monitor..............  If you have a second monitor plug it in and set your preferences for the second one as "Indepenant" not a "clone".

On the "E Stop"  the Macros 802 (CW), and 803 (CCW),  802 uses OUTPUT5, and OUTPUT6, 803 uses OUTPUT7, and OUTPUT8 they are hard coded in.
So, when ever mach is in a E Stop (reset) condition Mach "Kills" all outputs (the outputs above control the CW/CCW on signal to the Drive your using). So once you go to an
E Stop condition ALL OUTPUTS die. When you hit the Estop (come out of Reset), they do NOT turn back on unless you purposly Code them to come back on and override Mach3. I did not do that, So if all 3 spindles are running and you hit the E Stop all the OUTPUTS (and All ENABLEs) die. When you come out of reset Only the Enables will come back up, but you have to Re-Push the S1, 2, 3 CW or CCW buttons again to restart them...........  The thing that is throwing you is that the User LEDs that represent
the S2, and S3 CW or CCW condition DON'T  "turn off" when you hit the Estop button, and that is my Opps...........

So the solution for the User LED problem is attached. I redid the Screen L-set and I put in the "Reset" button, to execute a VB script, what it does is, when you push the reset it will turn OFF the 4 UserLEDs on the Screen. 

the Set is attached, put it in the usual place and restart your 3 spindle Lathe Mach .

scott

Hey Scott,
   The new .lset is OK now. Thanks for the explanation.

The VB window is still out of whack.
I have no selections for a second monitor in the settings....anywhere...that I can find.
Have never had a second one.
Any other tricks ?
Thanks Scott,
RC
 

I have no clue then why your VB  Window will not come up, then, mine is working like normal here.......... on that profile no probs.
If you can Bring up the window buy hitting the Maximize window from the window "panes" right click the VB one in the lower tool bar right click and hit maximize.
then the prob is in your video display.......  Reinstall mach and see if it makes a difference, If you have a "Vidio Card" Soft ware thing like from NVidia or ATI, open thier application and make sure it is set for ONE screen.

if none of that works, setting the screens to only ONE, or reinstalling mach, then it is a Windows issue that is beyond my understanding. Pehaps another could chime in on it.

scott

Oh, also the screens stuff is under the "Advanced" button under the standard display window dialog.