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Servo testers are cheap/simple and you can get some pretty big/powerful servos for models...

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/P4PM-GT-Power-CCPM-Servo-Consistency-Master-Servo-Tester-for-RC-Plane-Car-Boat-/201125072304?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2ed3fd0db0

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Dave K

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In a message dated 11/02/2015 13:03:01 GMT Standard Time, mach1mach2cnc@... writes:

Hi,

I'm run out of axes on my saw machine and would like to have one additional
axe without the connection to the PC.

Is there a way how to manually drive stepper motor with MPG
(incremental encoder).
The idea on how to do it is pretty simple, but how to convert A/B
signals from MPG to get
direction pulse for stepper driver. Is there any hardware available
regarding this issue?

Any idea is highly appreciated.

Tom

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i looked at that page several times but managed to miss the script language reference. got it now.

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Manuals are here:

---

From: "Spencer Chase lists@... [mach1mach2cnc]"
To: mach1mach2cnc@...
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 1:16:21 PM
Subject: [mach1mach2cnc] macro editing?

the mach3 manual in section 10.9 says "The operator>Macros menu iten
displays a dialog which allows you to see the currently installed
macros... The dialog also has a help button which will display the VB
functinos which can be called ...

there is no macros item in the operator menu. there is a VB script
editor but i can not find the help menu. i would like a list of the
functions so i can write some macros. where can it be found?

--

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@...

(425) 791-0309

------------------------------------
Posted by: Spencer Chase
------------------------------------

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--

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@...

(425) 791-0309

the mach3 manual in section 10.9 says "The operator>Macros menu iten displays a dialog which allows you to see the currently installed macros... The dialog also has a help button which will display the VB functinos which can be called ...

there is no macros item in the operator menu. there is a VB script editor but i can not find the help menu. i would like a list of the functions so i can write some macros. where can it be found?

--

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@...

(425) 791-0309

Troy:

One inch = 16 turns.
One turn = 200 x 8 = 1600 steps.
1600 x 16 = 25600 steps per inch.

Sounds like you have it right.
What results do you get if you move one inch, G1 X1 F10 from 0,0,0 ?

I use about 1000 steps /mm on steppers, at 1:3 (mill).
The 1:3 (belt) transmission accounts for my higher (ball)screw rise, around 4-5 mm typically.

--
-hanermo (cnc designs)

Did you go into device manager and under computer did you change the acpi driver to the standard pc driver. Sounds similar to what I had going on when I first started out. Also go into your BIOS setup and disable all the stuff like on board sound and ethernet controller. Basically all you want running is your mouse, key board, and LPT port controller. No wallpaper no screen saver no internet all you want is a very basic XP installation and no power management stuff running. Go back and follow the XP optimization procedure step by step. And all PCs are not created equal. Some are real dogs to get Mach 3 to work on.

Eric

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i have a part that has a bunch of features (mainly pockets) that i drew separately. each one has 0,0,0 as its center so i can use G52 offsets to control the location of each feature separately. this seems to be working pretty well after putting copious comments in the code to remind me how to adjust the offsets to get the features where i want them.

i cancel cutter radius compensation G40 and cancel offsets G52 X0 Y0 Z0 at the beginning and end of the program as well as before setting the offsets for each feature.

most of the time everything works correctly but occasionally i seem to get an offset that does not cancel. if i use the MDI to enter G52 X0 Y0 Z0 jog to X0 Y0 Z0 and zero all axis, i think it works. still not sure what causes the persistent offsets.

if i look at config fixtures there is a G54 with offsets that come and go depending on ??? there are no G54s in my code and i don't understand how they get there or whether this is what is causing the mysterious offsets.

is G54 something the Mach3 uses internally, copying the G52 offset? what can i do to avoid having strange values added to the fixture table and possibly being used? if the program is not run to completion i understand that some offset might not be cancelled but shouldn't clearing all G52 offsets at the beginning of each program take care of this?

should i use a G54 X0 Y0 Z0 at the beginning of each program, as well?

--

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@...

(425) 791-0309

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i have an old Emco Mill of similar or maybe older vintage. the only interface capability it had was a serial port. here is a pretty good article of the history of the Compact 5 and it describes machines that are very similar to my mill. there is no mention of a parallel port.

i am posting all the boring details below to show what i did with an old Emco that might be useful for someone else considering the use of one. i hope that the machine i "made" will be reliable and maintainable. if not i will probably buy a new machine and use the code, fixtures and experience with that machine.

there was something mentioned in this thread about a modification to the lathe wiring? but i have no idea what that might be. I doubt it could provide a parallel port.

my mill had serious electronic problems. every PC board was still available but at very high costs. i figured it i did get it to work in the original configuration there would be a series of expensive repairs over time. in addition the gcode that my machine would support in the original configuration was not very good.

the mill is very well made but has a very limited XY travel of something like 5 by 7 inches. the Z is much greater because it was used to control a "quick change" tool holder which as been removed (and saved in case i ever want to use it) it has very powerful 5 phase stepper motors so i had to buy Vexta drivers to be able to use a PDMX breakout board and Mach3 (Mach2 initially)

after getting it to work and making a few parts every now and then, it sit for probably 5 years without use. just recently, i converted it to a dedicated machine for making small wooden parts of which i need to make thousands. after getting a bunch of advise from this forum and making a two button pendant for controlling the loading and running of alternate gcodes, i have finally made something useful of this machine.

most of the machine is pretty generic and can probably be maintained without getting expensive factory original parts. i have no idea what i will do if one of the steppers dies. hopefully something generic will fit. the spindle motor came close to burning up due to a stuck brush in the holder. i imagine that the motor would be $1000 or more as an original part. it is a very large permanent magnet brush type servomotor.

i should have stopped the machine as soon as i heard irregularity in the motor speed but i thought this was just jitter in? the motor driver. i was very lucky that there was only minor damage to a brush holder and one melted wire. there are 4 brushes and i think that when one of them became stuck it put the full load of the motor on one brush set causing the lead to melt. i got very similar replacement brushes from Eurton Electric who got them to me very fast.

the machine is now working very well and i intend to do a production run as soon as i determine the fastest safe cutting speeds. i'm sure that others on this forum had discovered (if they are milling hardwood parts) that there are tricks needed to produce good finishes that are different from what you would do with metal milling.

this is also the only milling machine i have at my winter home. used in manual mode (very slow jogging) it has been quite useful for making little aluminum parts needed for the fixtures of the dedicated part making machine.

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Matt,
I can answer the first 2 questions.

Yes Mach3 will send outputs in demo mode the only limitation of demo mode is
the 500 lines of gcode.
Mach3 will run on laptops the main limitation is if you're using the
Parallel Port the voltage on some newer ones is only 3volts which wont drive
most PP controllers.
as far as the actual hook up to the Emco lathes I have no experience or
knowledge of the interface.
Chuck Smalfus

----- Original Message -----
From: "mattcrowe20@... [mach1mach2cnc]"

To:
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2015 4:34 PM
Subject: [mach1mach2cnc] Using mach 3 Demo mode

> Hello there! This is my first post regarding Mach 3 and its capabilities,
> so please bear with me. I am a high school Metal Shop teacher trying to
> get some CNC going for the class.
>
>
> I have a few EMCO compact 5 pc lathes I am trying to get running. They
> have not run since the late 90's but do turn on and the spindle turns with
> the key and switch. I have modified the U3 board by removing the chip with
> the octal latch and jumped the wires as per the instructions in the
> "digital machinist, 2007" write up. I have the lathe hooked up to a 25 pin
> serial port connector to a USB connector, and into a fairly new IBM
> thinkpad laptop running window XP.
>
>
> I downloaded mach 3 in the demo mode to see if i could get something to
> happen, before I spring for the full version of Mach3.
>
>
> My first question: Will the "demo" mode actually move the stepper motors
> if connected correctly?
>
>
> Second question: Will Mach 3 run off a laptop? I have seen conflicting
> information regarding this...
>
>
> third question: Is the serial cable connector going from the lathe to the
> computer something special? I just bought one for a printer to usb so I
> can connect it to my laptop computer. I'm not 100% sure its the right one,
> hence nothing happening with the lathe.
>
>
> It would be a big help getting started if I can get these 3 things figured
> out. Then i can start configuring mach 3 and see if there is any movement.
>
>
> Right now I have mach 3 running in demo mode, but it doesn't have any
> affect on the lathe. I have all the settings set as the article in the
> digital machinist says.
>
>
> So? what should I do?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
> Matt.
>
>
>

--

Best regards, Spencer Chase
67550-Bell Springs Rd.
Garberville, CA 95542 Postal service only.
Laytonville, CA 95454 UPS only.
Spencer@...

(425) 791-0309

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Alright thanks chuck and Rex.?

Art,
I have tried all versions of GSIM on my system, a MachMotion with Galil controller. Mach4 goes into failure immediately upon trying to startup under the diagnostics tab. The screen goes into frosted mode and a continuous wait circle appears until I click on the toolpath window and get the error window box where I can close t. I have tried debugging it with Steve Murphree, but we have no luck so far. Steve suggested that I contact you to try and get a debug build to try. Is it possible for you to send me one?
Thanks,
Kenny Crouch

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Right, too far back for me. :)