[maxlem]

Hi,

I recently ordered a 4-axis Taig CNC machine. I want to use it, aside of standard metal working, to perform repeated trajectories in space. I'd need mach3 to output the current poistion (x,y,z,a), velocity components and acceleration components at every time step (say 10-1000Hz)

I'd like some pointers on how to do that with mach3, I'm a software engineer, I'm not afraid of coding some plugin, macro, etc.

Thank you

[ger21]

I think you can use the macropump feature to read the DRO's. Not sure if it can write to a file fast enough, though?

[maxlem]

Looks simple!

I Should be ok with these, and CDate function. I don't how how precise it is though (I need at least milisecs, ideally usecs)

Wiki

"ZMachine" = Z Mach Positions (G53 Coordinates)

"XMachine" = X Mach Positions (G53 Coordinates)

"YMachine" = Y Mach Positions (G53 Coordinates)

"Encoder1" = X Encoder Position

"Encoder2" = Y Encoder Position

"Encoder3" = Z Encoder Position

"Encoder4" = A Encoder Position

However, how can-I make sure that I don't over-stress mach3?

[H.O]

Hi,
Reading DRO's and writing those values to a .txt file is easy to do (as you've discovered) but you'll NEVER get the update rate that you are looking for. The macro-pump runs at roughly 10Hz and AFAIK that is as fast as it gets without going to a custom plugin. Besides, the Mach3 application (which is what calculates and displays the info in the DROs) runs at 10Hz (again AFAIK) so even if you would find a way to read the DROs at 10kHz it wouldn't give you much.

Writing a custom plugin might allow you to do it quicker but it's a much steeper learning curve. I see you are a software engineer so that'll help a lot but I'm pretty sure you'll never get uS or even mS timing resolution.

To be sure though contact ArtSoft, post on the Machsupport forum or on Mach3 Yahoo's usergroup as the author(s) of Mach3 hangs around there and they'll give a correct answer for sure.

/Henrik.

[maxlem]

10Hz would be better than nothing. I found a way to get the kernel timer (see below). But now I want to slow it down with som sleeps, but it refuses with a "Type Mismatch" error.

I'm getting a lot of "Type Mismatch" errors in the script engine

For example Code from this guy :
Henrik

'---=== M3 Macro ===---
Declare Sub Sleep Lib "Kernel32" (ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long)

 'ActivateSignal(Output3)            'Release the break
  Sleep 200                                'Wait 200mS
  'DoSpinCW()                             'Start spindle

Fails with a type mismatch. It seems to be because the cypress vbscript types are 16-bit style (i.e. 16-bit int, 32-bit long) while the Kernel's type are 32-bit type.

I tried with a custom type :

Type MyType
low As Long
high As long
End Type

Wich worked for

Type HighResTimer
	low As Long
	high As Long
End Type

Declare Function QueryPerformanceCounter Lib "Kernel32" (ByRef current As HighResTimer) As Boolean

But it wont do for Sleep()

Edit : ok found this
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?p=522304

[H.O]

Hi,
Yes, the Sleep command has now been "integrated" so you should no longer declare the Sleep as being in the Kernel32 library. I don't know if you realised but henriksplace.se is actually my site ;-) I'll have to update that section of the site to reflect this change as it's been like this for quite some time now......

Good luck!
/Henrik.

[maxlem]

no I didn't realize!

Thanks for the ressource, it is what got me started!

I finally managed to finish a first version of the script. It seems to work fine, but I wonder if it could affect Mach3's normal behaviour.

What is this macro pump checkbox thing?

Right now I run the script from the script editor start button. I suits my needs, but is there a cleaner way?


Here it is

Type HighResTimer
	low As Long
	high As Long
End Type

Declare Function QueryPerformanceCounter Lib "Kernel32" (ByRef current As HighResTimer) As Boolean
Declare Function QueryPerformanceFrequency Lib "Kernel32" (ByRef  current As HighResTimer) As Boolean

Const TimeSteps = 1000
Const Dimensions = 4

Dim positions(Dimensions,TimeSteps) As Double
Dim timestamps(TimeSteps) As Long
Dim timestamp As HighResTimer
Dim frequency As HighResTimer
Dim fileNumber As Integer



DoOEMButton(1000) 'Cycle Start



For timeStep = 0 To TimeSteps

	For dimension = 0 To Dimensions
		positions(dimension, timeStep) = GetDRO(dimension)
	Next
	
	If(QueryPerformanceCounter(timestamp)) Then
		timestamps(timeStep) = Abs(timestamp.low)
	Else
		MsgBox("QueryPerformanceCounter returned false!")
		
	End If


Sleep (10)

Next

DoOEMButton(1001) 'Cycle Pause

fileNumber = FreeFile

If Not Kill("C:\Mach3\log.txt") Then
End If

Open "C:\Mach3\log.txt" For Output As fileNumber

If QueryPerformanceFrequency(frequency) Then
	Print #fileNumber, "Timer frequency: " & Abs(frequency.low) & "Hz"
End If

For timeStep = 0 To TimeSteps

	For dimension = 0 To Dimensions
		Print #fileNumber, positions(dimension, timeStep) & "    " & timestamps(timeStep)
	Next
	Print #fileNumber, " "
Next  

Close

MsgBox ("Succes!")

[H.O]

Hi,
A macropump is a script that is automatically called at rouhly 10Hz. You save the script with the name Macropump.m1s in your machine profiles Macros folder and then activate it with the checkbox. You may need to restart Mach3 as well. Now the script Macropump.m1s is called 10 times/second. Not sure it's the right aproach for your particualr code though.

/Henrik.

[maxlem]

No it doesn't suit my needs, as i don't want to open/close the data file at 10hz. I prefer to use an array. Good to know, though.


Thanks