[beluga282]

To Ger21.

I'm working on my first "G-Code" using Solidworks and a demo of CamWorks Express.

I'm using 2 features : First, facing the part, and after, milling a slot.

I'm using two different tools for this.

Inside the "G-Code", I can see both of the "M6" command for the tool change.

During the milling process in Mach3, when it reach the second "M6", Mach3 move the router to the "tool change position", and wait for "cycle start". When I hit the "Start" button, it didn't go to the the fixed plate, and tells me "the Z plate is grounded ..." and activated the E-stop ...

Actually, my CNC machine is not totally finished, so I'm running Mach3 "vitually" on my PC, and I toggle all the switch by myself using few "hotkey" on the keyboard. So, the "Probe" was not activated ...

What is wrong ??

Thank you !!

[ger21]

I toggle all the switchs by few "hotkey" on the keyboard. So, the "Probe" was not activated ...

Mach3 thinks it is. You need to set up the probe input to be emulated and assign a hotkey to activate it. You may need to change the active low setting.

This is a safety built into the macro to prevent crashes.

[ger21]

You may need to have the parallel port driver installed for this to work correctly. If you don't, reinstall Mach3 and be sure to install the driver.

[beluga282]

Thanks for that fast answer !!!

I've checked the Mach3 input setup, and it was ok.

I've tested my g-code again, and the tool change did the right thing ...

Maybe, I didn't toggle the switch at the right moment during my previous test...

Anyway, I will probably connect all the switch next week. It should be better to test that with the real thing ...

Thank you again !!

[ger21]

It could be that you toggled the probe input too soon....

[Drools]

Gerry would you make a video of your machine using your Z auto Zero, not the simple one but the one that has the double down arrows in your screen set. (fixed plate one)

Thanks, it would be appreciated.

[ger21]

There's one on my website, but I used the movable plate twice, as I didn't have the fixed plate installed yet.

[HelicopterJohn]

Hi Drools,

Here is a link to a little video I did that may be of some help. I didn't actually change the tools, but this would have been done when they come to the tool change position.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfL9lTOQeF0]Mach 3 2010 Screen Set Demo Semi-Automatic Tool Change - YouTube[/ame]

Ger21 is the MAN! This screen set is the best buy I have made since starting CNC.

John

[Drools]

I'm working on my new little machine 12"x12", I'm at the point where I need to mount home switches and I want to implement the advanced tool setter as well. I just use the simple tool setter on my big machine but once I wrap my thick brain around the advanced tool setter I will implement it on the big one to.

I'm having a thick moment understanding the fixed plate the way I understand it is, the top of the fixed plate must be a static value in X/Y/Z space (is this called machine coords?) no matter what tool is used correct? How do I find this value?

In operation the initial auto-zero is done with the 2 plates, fixed and movable.
First the movable then after tool changes only the fixed plate is used.

[ger21]

I'm having a thick moment understanding the fixed plate the way I understand it is, the top of the fixed plate must be a static value in X/Y/Z space (is this called machine coords?) no matter what tool is used correct? How do I find this value?

You can place the plate anywhere you want, as long as the tool can get to it, and it's not in your way. The Z position doesn't really matter. As for the X and Y, you can just jog over it to where you want the tool to probe, and get the X and Y coordinates from the Machine Cordinates DRO's. Enter their position on the Toolchange Tab.

In operation the initial auto-zero is done with the 2 plates, fixed and movable.
First the movable then after tool changes only the fixed plate is used.

Correct.

[jasonharris22]

I finally started to put 2010 on my machine after getting the homing/limit switches installed on my machine.

I have followed the install instructions but I am having a couple of issues.

Right now I have my limit/home switches shared. I can ref all OK and I have my soft limits set up. It homes ok and mach3 keeps my within my soft limits nicely.

I set up a park position using machine coordinates as well as a toll change position. Both are inside my softlimits.

When I click on park or TC I get an outside softlimits error. It doesnt matter where on the table I am. Obviously well within my limits.

Maybe something silly I have done but it has got me a little baffled for now.

Here is my xml if that helps anyone, I would appreciate it!

Thanks,
Jason

[mademaster]

I like it,
nice

[thefu]

any of you know if its possible to have the toolpath screen setup like emc2? like the ability to click a part of the path and start from that line?

[ger21]

I finally started to put 2010 on my machine after getting the homing/limit switches installed on my machine.

I have followed the install instructions but I am having a couple of issues.

Right now I have my limit/home switches shared. I can ref all OK and I have my soft limits set up. It homes ok and mach3 keeps my within my soft limits nicely.

I set up a park position using machine coordinates as well as a toll change position. Both are inside my softlimits.

When I click on park or TC I get an outside softlimits error. It doesnt matter where on the table I am. Obviously well within my limits.

Maybe something silly I have done but it has got me a little baffled for now.

Here is my xml if that helps anyone, I would appreciate it!

Thanks,
Jason

There is no .xml file attached. You can email it to me if you can't post it here. Or, post a screenshot of the softlimit settings and the toolchange position and park positions.


I won't be able to check until later this afternoon, though.
Most likely, the issue is your Softlimit settings. Double check them, especially the Z axis.

[jasonharris22]

No problem, Its coming up midnight here so it wont seem like so long

All my sof limits seem to work perfectly as I would expect when jogging around the table testing out all perimeters including Z which stops 10mm short of the home/limit switch.

I should add although I dont know if it is relevant that I am using .43.062 and an ethernet smoothstepper.

I dont get any soft limits jogging around the area that is set for parking or tool change. I am sure it's something silly though!

[ger21]

any of you know if its possible to have the toolpath screen setup like emc2? like the ability to click a part of the path and start from that line?

No, Mach3 can't do that. But, if you scroll through the g-code, the corresponding toolpaths on the screen are highlighted, so you can see where you're at, and start wherever you like.

[thefu]

try doing that when you have a 5x10 sheet of nested parts for cnc plasma, over 20,000 lines of code....what a pain in the ass.

[beluga282]

Question for Gerry ...

As you probably know, my machine is almost done and I began some test during the weekend.

Today, I connect a piece of metal as a reference plate for the zero macro. And it works.

But, my router is a Bosh 1617, and I need to connect the "ground" wire to the tool before calling the macro ... And I forgot to connect that wire for my last test today. The router goes down, touch the plate, and didn't stop !!!

So, I suggest some improvement for this macro set. A simple pop-up should appear before the router begin to go down. This pop-up will have a simple question, "Did you connect the wire ??". If the user press "Ok", the macro will continu.

Also, somewhere in the screen, maybe in the tool change option, you can add a selection for that feature. So if the user has a permanent connection, like your machine, this feature will be disable ...

I've made some test in the 881 and the 889 macros, and it works. But I don't understand all the code inside these macros...

Thanks,

Yves

[ger21]

There's really no room to add a checkbox for that, but I can modify the macros for you if you'd like.
I suspect that the majority of users would not use it.

I've heard from quite a few people that forget to remove it, though.

[beluga282]

Yes, no more room !!!

Maybe you can add a "set-up" line at the macro's begining to enable or disable that feature ...

And also, maybe you will also have to modify the "M6" macros.

If you can make these modifications for me, that will be very very cool !!!


Thank you !!!