[M Kiser]

I have a laser welder that I added a motion system to. Gecko steppers and 540 box, Mach 3 and a lot of machining to get it all together and working. Everything worked fine, but the mouse and keyboard were pretty bad as input devices.

I read some good things about the pendants that Vista CNC sells and ordered their P2S because it has the ability to command "cycle start", "stop", "rewind", etc.

The pendant is pretty nicely made. The housing is plastic but sturdy, the switches work nicely and the MPG works just like the ones on $100K cnc machines.

But I've run into a glitch that REALLY needs to be fixed before I can use it.

I have a program to laser weld a part that requires the use of filler wire. This means that stop points (M1s) are needed in the program to get the wire in place before it starts the feed move.

My problem is that when I use the "cycle start" button on the pendant while the optional stop (M1) is on in Mach 3, it loses it's mind and goes into rapid traverse mode! And it stays that way until I exit and reload Mach 3.

If it had been a milling machine there would have been lots of broken pieces.

Has anyone else encountered this problem?

Mike

[RCaffin]

My problem is that when I use the "cycle start" button on the pendant while the optional stop (M1) is on in Mach 3, it loses it's mind and goes into rapid traverse mode! And it stays that way until I exit and reload Mach 3.

Does it do the same thing if you use the keyboard instead of the pendant? Crucial Q.

Cheers
Roger

[M Kiser]

If I don't use the pendant it feeds as it should through the whole program whether optional stop is on or off.

If I use the pendant while optional stop is on, it works as it should until I use the pendant cycle start to restart the program after an optional stop. That's when the feed moves become rapid moves. Once this happens it stays that way regardless of whether the commands come from the pendant or keyboard. The only way I've found to restore it is to exit the program and re open it.

If I use the pendant with optional stop off, everything is fine. It seems like the combination of optional stop in Mach 3 and cycle starting from the pendant is where the trouble is.

[RCaffin]

I did have a few problems with my pendant, but they were all fixed by checking the key-code assignments for the various pendant buttons. I think that is in the manual somewhere, and in the Config menu.
In your case, maybe a couple of assignments are wrong?

Cheers
Roger

[M Kiser]

I wish I knew what you are referring to! Key code assignments? My manual doesn't say anything about that. Is a more comprehensive manual available that I don't know about? I also don't have anything in my config menu about key assignments. I'm assuming that you are referring to the config menu that is within Mach 3?

I'm really out in the weeds here!

[RCaffin]

Well, I think you need 'hotkeys'. The Mach3Mill.pdf has sections 5.6.2, 6.2.5 and 6.2.7.1 on these.
The problem is, I went through this some time ago to sort it out and I FORGET what I did!
Very possibly one of the gurus may be able to tell you.

Ah - find Mach3Mill_Install_ConfigV3.pdf on the artsoft web site. It is a bit more explicit than the older Mach3Mill.pdf

Cheers
Roger

[M Kiser]

Here is the latest in the saga with Mach3 and a Vista P2S pendant.

I configured a totally new Mach3 with all of the settings from my original. I left the Vista P2S pendant in another room. And everything works as it should! No more rapid moves where there are supposed to be feed moves. All evidence at this point indicates a problem with the Vista P2s pendant plugin. My Vista P2S will be sent back.

Any suggestions for a pendant?

[RCaffin]

I bought one of these from this vendor, for all of US$25:
CNC 4 Axis USB Pendant Manual Remote Control JOG Encoder FOR MACH3 Only | eBay

The first one worked fine except for one button, which did not seem to do anything. I contacted the vendor asking what it was meant to do. After explaining that all the other buttons worked fine, HE decided the unit was faulty and sent me another one - fairly quickly. I had not pushed at all.

OK, no MPG wheel, just simple buttons. I can live with that, for that price. Yes, I sometimes use it; the rest of the time I use the KB.

Now, I don't know whether the 1st unit was in fact faulty or not, but the support offered was rather more than I had expected!

Some other eBay vendors have been, shall we say, somewhat less inclined to rectify any problems. I will never ever do business with giorgio11185 again. He sold me 5 broken second-hand centre drills as 'new never used', refused to do anything about it until I lodged a formal complaint, then promised to send replacements but never did. Actually, I don't think he even knew what he was selling, even though I sent him detailed photos of the broken tips. A bad egg.

Cheers
Roger

- - - Updated - - -

I bought one of these from this vendor, for all of US$25:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CNC-4-Axis-USB-Pendant-Manual-remote-Control-JOG-encoder-for-Mach3-ONLY-/281725172358?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item419820fa86

The first one worked fine except for one button, which did not seem to do anything. I contacted the vendor asking what it was meant to do. After explaining that all the other buttons worked fine, HE decided the unit was faulty and sent me another one - fairly quickly. I had not pushed at all.

OK, no MPG wheel, just simple buttons. I can live with that, for that price. Yes, I sometimes use it; the rest of the time I use the KB.

Now, I don't know whether the 1st unit was in fact faulty or not, but the support offered was rather more than I had expected!

Some other eBay vendors have been, shall we say, somewhat less inclined to rectify any problems. I will never ever do business with giorgio11185 again. He sold me 5 broken second-hand centre drills as 'new never used', refused to do anything about it until I lodged a formal complaint, then promised to send replacements but never did. Actually, I don't think he even knew what he was selling, even though I sent him detailed photos of the broken tips. A bad egg.

Cheers
Roger

[daniellyall]

vista m2 it has better safety built in to it and it can bounce and still work dropped it a few times never had a problem with it

[OlfCNC]

What safety does it have?
The issue the OP described does not sound safe.

[daniellyall]

the way you have to you use it 2 button pushes for jogging or you have to hold two buttons for the other functions there is only one button that's a push once ESTOP jogging is 5%, 50%, or 100% where its used there is a lot of RF noise it has never mised a beat

[M Kiser]

Acting on a recommendation from Mach3 support (very happy with them!), I cloned my new working configuration of Mach3 and loaded the Vista plugin again. The problem I was having is gone! I have racked my brain trying to figure out what I did differently this time but I can't think of anything.

There is one new problem (nothing to do with the pendant) that I'm puzzled by. The A axis doesn't seem to feed in inches per minute any more. It is in degrees per minute. With the old configuration, you could set the radius and it would convert the feed rate accordingly.

Any clues?

Mike

[M Kiser]

The problem came back! Just out of the blue. I welded several parts with no problem, then it went back to it's evil ways and substituted rapid moves for feed moves.

On a positive note I did get the A axis feed working thanks to ger21 on the Artsoft forum. A setting (use radius for feedrate) in the toolpath window in the config menu.

[M Kiser]

I just got this response from Vista:

Hi Mike,

As said in previous email, this is a Mach3 bug.
From the pendant side, I can send you a modified plugin that disable the function of feedhold, so the start/hold button only has function of start. This will avoid to put the machine in hold position when press the button.

You can assign any one of the F key to feedhold Funtime.


Thanks,
Lee

[M Kiser]

The latest:

Lee sent the modified plugin, and all has been well for several days now. I hope it stays that way.

I have to wonder though, if Vista is aware of this bug why do they ship pendants with plugins that interact with it in such a dangerous way? Wouldn't it be safer to only ship the modified version?

Mike

[daniellyall]

depends how many people say about you may be the first