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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    6855

    How do you like FlashCut?

    How do you like FlashCut's controller and software?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Posts
    7
    Flashcut just works flawlessly. It is almost transparent. You just connect to the Flashcut controller, load the G-code, zero things up and run.

    Flashcut uses a more conservative architecture in that the software just runs on Windows and communicates via serial port with a dedicated Flashcut Signal Generator box. The Signal Generator box provides the realtime clock that is used to generate control signals for your servo or stepper motor drive electronics. Other solutions often use the computer to generate the realtime control signals. The problem with that is that operating systems like Windows and Linux were not designed to provide realtime device control. Some systems like EMC require running a special realtime version of Linux, but that realtime Linux may not support a broad range of devices such as the Wifi network card I'm using.

    Flashcut also doesn't rely on legacy PC hardware like parallel ports to provide realtime control signals. Parallel ports hardware is almost extinct. Flashcut uses a simple serial connection to communicate with the signal generator, and I've found it works fine with a USB to serial adapter. So just about any PC with a USB port should work.

    I have a 4 servo Flashcut system driving a 4-axis Taig mini mill. The Flashcut software runs on an older 333MHz P2 IBM Thinkpad with a WiFi card. Because it's all just running under Windows 2000 and uses the serial port to drive the Flashcut controller I'm able to just access the G-code files directly off my CAD/CAM workstation. Also the fact that it's all running on my Windows network makes it easy to do iterrations when experimenting with getting the G-code just right.

    The servo tuning software that comes with Flashcut works quite well. It requires a second serial port for feedback from the servo controller. I have that running through a USB-to-serial converter. I've never seen much discussion of servo tuning based on my limited experience with this system it seems like an essential part of putting together a servo-based CNC system.

    Of course if you are running steppers that part is not necessary.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    779
    I'm also looking at this program too. I just downloaded the manual for the 2.1 FlashCut version. It looks like it will handle my 4 major requirements.

    1) 4 Axis simultaneous motion.
    2) Homing to machine coord. (G53)
    3) Fixture offsets (G54-G59)
    4) Tool length compensation in Z (G43)

    The pulse rate looks good as well. My 3D tool paths are getting too complicated for the controllers I have now. Even Mach 2.
    Thanks

    Jeff Davis (HomeCNC)
    http://www.homecnc.info


    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538
    Quote Originally Posted by HomeCNC
    My 3D tool paths are getting too complicated for the controllers I have now. Even Mach 2.
    I'd email Art and explain why Mach2 is not working for you. From what I've seen of his support, I'm sured he'd fix whatever the problem is. If you need a new feature added, he might even add that.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Posts
    7
    Note Flashcut doesn't generally move all 4-axis simultaneously. It uses a sophisticated scheme based on the Machine Tool and Homing settings. The manual goes into this in some detail.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    779
    Quote Originally Posted by richardl
    Note Flashcut doesn't generally move all 4-axis simultaneously. It uses a sophisticated scheme based on the Machine Tool and Homing settings. The manual goes into this in some detail.
    I thought I read this in the manual and was thinking that is was only in the HOMING that it did not move all axis at the same time for safety reasons.

    It better move all 4 while a Gcode file is executing!

    I'm going to talk to a rep before I get real serious.

    Ger21, I have told Art about the 4th axis problem. He said that Mach 2 is having trouble reading all the very small point-to-point moves in my Gcode file while operating under CV. He said to turn off CV! This is not acceptable! With CV off the machine moves in very jerky start/stop steps.

    Art seems to be too busy working on Mach 3 to listen to the problems Mach 2 is having. I guess most people are not creating complex Gcode like I am.

    Art is advertising Mach 2 as a professional level controller, but if it will not work with professional level (MasterCam) gcode. Then I'm looking somewhere else!

    I did not have any problems with Mach 2 while using it for just 3 axis. But now that I added my 4th, it's now falling on it's face.
    Thanks

    Jeff Davis (HomeCNC)
    http://www.homecnc.info


    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    383
    In my own limited experience with FC, I have been very impressed, Richard sums it up well. Having the signal generator in the system allows the PC to deal more with interpolation and "looking ahead" rather than timing issues. I run everything at 115K baud serially and have never had a problem with timing or communication.

    I do wish FC had a better macro capability, but that may be my own limited knowledge. Specifically, I'd like to set up my system so that when I do a tool swap, it'll do an XY traverse to a fixture (Z touch probe), descend, make contact, reset program Z=0, and resume the g-code file, without manual intervention.

    The FC pendant looks nice but is priced very high. I am going to try one of these, recommended by a zone member -

    http://www.ymouse.com/

    I think a pendant will make jogging and zeroing much simpler than the mouse.
    Swede

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    78
    Swede, which one of the products were you looking at? The joystick thing? I am trying to decide which of the machine control packages to use on my machine. This is the very first time I will be building anything like this, and unforunately, my time and funds are quite limited. I want to make sure whatever I use will be forward compatible with an advanced toolpath generator like OneCNC, Visual Mill, or the like. I also like the idea of the external box controlling timing, as I do not really like asking Windows to do much of anything. If I could run this off of a Macintosh, I would... Also, do the axes have to use equal lead screws for circular interpolation?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    8

    Flashcut rocks

    Hey, just found this section, I guess its time to contribute.

    I have a Flashcut system and am very happy with it. It has worked flawlessly, and has very good documentation. The main reason I bought this system was for the microstepping, and the separate signal controller. I can run this from a pII 166mhz laptop with no problems, the signal controller keeps the machine running, even when windows98 decides to go on a coffee break.

    The other reason I chose Flashcut was for the 4 axis simulanious motion. After a lot of research, this was one of the few I found that could do it. I put the system together with a Sherline 5400 w/rotary table, and it has been a helluva lot of fun to learn to run.

    CNCalchemy

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    78
    Does Flashcut require equal lead screws for circular interpolation? My ballscrews are from a variety of sources, and none of them match for lead... My X is 0.25 inch, my Y is 0.2 inch, and my Z is 10mm. All new, precision ground C3 or better, though.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    8
    Here is a pic of the config page for flashcut 2. Its really easy to have different settings for each axis/ballscrew. You can also save different configurations as a setup file, and run different machines with just a quick reload of the setup file.
    (disregard the numbers in the boxes, this isn't a working config)

    Here is a pic of the screw setup page:


    Here is a pic of the Jog/control screen:


    You can use [ctrl]-[arrow key] to jog, so adding a pendant or hacked up keyboard would be no problem.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    78
    Nice. Thanks for the info. What kind of computer setup should I run for best results?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    8
    Sure, no problem. I'm in the middle of configuring new screws right now anyway.

    Just about any system will work for 2d, for 3d it takes a while to load up the gcode if you have an old system. Once its loaded, the pc speed doesnt really affect it, the signal controller is doing all the work anyway.

    A nice 2gig system with a gig of ram and a Geforce 7800GTX couldnt hurt though...

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    7
    HI, Jeff Davis ,

    Could you tell me how is the max. pulse rate generated by Flashcut. I am from China

    Thanks

    Tim

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    6
    I've used flash cut for several years now in a 3 axis stepper configuration. Everything has worked well for the duration. The only thing I know of is the time to complete job time is off on long files....I think the minutes really represent hours in that case, but in short jobs the timer has been correct. I think the signal generator will put out about 200khz but if I were you I would call Flashcut and ask them yourself. http://flashcutcnc.com/html/con_ssg.html (888) 883-5274

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    7

    Cool

    Hi Crafty,
    Thanks for your kind reply.
    1.
    Concerning the Max. Pulse rate, I have consult FC last year, they told me it is 30K
    I am nto sure what is realy means:
    It means When 3D continously conturing? if. Yes,
    How about 2D routing? and how about the pulse rate when rapid moving point to point?
    Usually, when 3D contouring, 5M/Min. will be a good speed, 2D is 10M/Min. and rapid traverse is 20M/Min.(stepper) or 50M/Min.(Servo).
    I wonder if FC controller can do that?
    Now I use A DSP controller, my machine is stepper and can run like above. But the resolution is bit lower ie. 0.005MM around.
    When I set the resolution up to 0.0025mm, the demo controller will tell me I should use other kind of signal generator, if there are many kind of signal generators for FC control system?Wht is your signal generator, standard type or other?

    2.
    As for Servo system, the FC controller is only half closed-loop i.e.the signal of encoder will go to the servo driver not to control system. I know I do work.

    3.The Manual of FC dose not mention the hanhold keypad, how to connet the keypad?
    Do you know if we can make our own keypad since Somebody in this forums say he make his own keypad? The function of FC keypad seems too simple and a bit too expansive.

    In general, I would like to learn more practical experience on FC from you and any others.

    Thanks in advance.

    Tim

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    18
    You can use a conventional external PS/2 keyboard to control FC using the programmable key functions within FC.

    Look at: http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xkdesk.php for keypads to use as a pendant. There are several mfgs of this type, usually used for games and such.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    75
    I love it. Love it love it love it. I had ZERO experience with CNC or machining and with Flashcut, OneCNC for CAD/CAM, and a Minitech Mini Mill 1 I was able to cut prototypes within a day. The time we have saved has paid for all of that stuff a hundred times over...

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    4
    We are very happy with Flashcut. It has worked without problem for 2 years. Someone mentioned using a USB to serial converter. Don't do it! According to their website it requires a real serial port. The USB interface does not have a realtime response so although it appears to work, it can cause problems with delayed data while windows is doing something else.
    ernie

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Posts
    6
    if you had to choose between flashcut and microkinectics stepper machines which would you choose?

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