Greetings Mach3 Heads,
I just finished a Plug in for "Homann Designs" new Pendant Kit based on the Mod IO.
It is probably the most advanced Pendant you can get.
Functions:
1. Spindle Controls:
CW, CCW, Off (with Flashing LED while running),
Spindle Speed: Increment Up, Down, and reset Spindle Override.
2. Feed Override 5-200%, with dead band, (LED for Override active)
3. E-Stop button with E-Stop LED
4. MPG Operations:
• MPG Jog: X, Y, Z, A, B, and C (user can enable/disable axis for use in the configuration.
• Select Jog Type: Velocity only, Step/Vel, Single Step, Multi Step
• Select Jog Mode: Continuous, Step-Jog (can also control three step selections), MPG modes
• Shuttle Mode
5. Axis Zero Functions: for X-C, and a “T” function so that you can touch off a Tool and load that tools offset in the library!
6. Select Work offsets: G54, G55-59, G53
7. Home All Axis
8. Cycle Page Views in Mach!!
9. Increment Jog Speed up and down
10. Flood coolant, Mist coolant, Coolant Off
11. FIFTEEN!!! User defined Functions!!! Left switch has 12 of them each under one of the three soft-keys, with options on user defined Labels, choice to use internal Mach LEDs, and External LED above the soft-key!! The Mach User LEDs you pick can be used to trigger functions in Mach through a Brain and/or the Macro Pump! The 3 other User defined functions on the right switch are User LED only, and it only shows in Mach, and no external label.
The LCD will display up to 6 axis dynamically updated as the machine moves.
It has 3 soft Keys below the LCD that depending on the position of the left hand
Function switch, a Button function label will appear above the soft keys that will do
That function when Pressed. For User Defined Labels/codes you can choose from
4 to 6 Characters (with 4 looking the best, since at six due to the 2 Chars/register set up
It puts Button Labels B and C touching each other, so 4 Chars gives you more space).
Other Goodies:
The Plug-in comes with a “Pendant Screen” (see Pic), this screen is a Diagnostic/setup screen. It has ALL the functions that the pendant can control. It has “Labels” that display
Active/Dynamic states of the: Buttons (discrete Inputs), Analog inputs (3), pendant internal states, MPG Status, and Configuration channels from the Modbus.
The “Right Switch Function” displays the current Function/Mode of the Right hand selector switch, (Since the Left hand switch controls the Soft-Keys and the functional display on the LCD).
The Plug-in configuration Page has “Tunable Ranges” for the selector switches for the Left and Right switches. (they have default values, but in case your resistors are different this gives you a way to set your ranges). Since the Analog values coming to the “Labels” are “real Time” raw values, you can turn the switches to see where you need to set your
Ranges for the resistors you use. (I used 1K ohm, between switch posts.)
The Plug-in Will come with an installer that will Automatically, install a:
Profile, Screen Set, and it will configure the Serial Modbus for you. All you will need
To do is Activate your Serial Modbus, and Turn on the Plug in, then configure it, if you
Need different values than the defaults.
I may be adding the ability to Change Parameters within the MOD IO itself but still thinking about if I want to do that one or not…….
Scott “Poppa Bear” Shafer
S S SYSTEMS, LLC
Commercial Mach3: Screens, Wizards, Plugins, Brains,PLCs, Macros, ATC's, machine design/build, retrofit, EMC2, Prototyping. http://sites.google.com/site/volunteerfablab/