I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.


You know the answer, EMC. Or linuxCNC

Karl

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks

On 2012-08-29, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.


You know the answer, EMC. Or linuxCNC

Yes. I figured out how to move the table in manual mode.

It seems to be moving fine.

i

Karl

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks

On 2012-08-29, Ignoramus9435 wrote:
On 2012-08-29, Karl Townsend wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.


You know the answer, EMC. Or linuxCNC

Yes. I figured out how to move the table in manual mode.

It seems to be moving fine.

Here's a video of it moving in response to manual operator commands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlSJB5rh4NE

I am aware that I should not quit my day job to become a
videographer.

i

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

You got your old CNC mill into shape with new electronics and laptop.
I believe you could do that with this one, too. I wonder if anyone
picked up where CR Electronics left off. Find them and you have it
made. Ask other Eyetalyun CNC firms?

====

That said, HELP!

I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
click motor control manuals, stepper drives, G540 rev 8.
Inputs are DB25 pins 10-13.


Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Sounds like a sign error (either in software or on the motor connection)
if the axis zero is not where you expect it. I use a different system,
but something like y axis scaling set to 126 when what you want is -126.

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

If the home and limit switches are in series, how can you tell which is
getting activated? Home is home, ho hum, no problem, limit is shut this
thing down yesterday.

Since you have few inputs, perhaps you mean (or you should) you have
limit switches all in series and home switches all in series? In which
case if you are blowing past the home switches to the limits, the
machine is moving too fast (home should to be done at great speed) or
the switches are too close to each other.

My general home routine is to go find it at a moderate speed, back up
until it clears, and then creep into it for setting. Then back up and go
at moderate speed to the next axis, repeat.

-notlarry

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:12 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

You got your old CNC mill into shape with new electronics and laptop.
I believe you could do that with this one, too. I wonder if anyone
picked up where CR Electronics left off. Find them and you have it
made. Ask other Eyetalyun CNC firms?

====

That said, HELP!

I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
click motor control manuals, stepper drives, G540 rev 8.
Inputs are DB25 pins 10-13.


Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.
One clue would be to put that M30 at the end. The M30 causes the
program to rewind and should always be at the end.
ERS

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:41:14 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Sounds like a sign error (either in software or on the motor connection)
if the axis zero is not where you expect it. I use a different system,
but something like y axis scaling set to 126 when what you want is -126.

Mach3 allows you to reverse this in several different screens

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

If the home and limit switches are in series, how can you tell which is
getting activated? Home is home, ho hum, no problem, limit is shut this
thing down yesterday.

Mach3 suggested doing it that way. shrug


Since you have few inputs, perhaps you mean (or you should) you have
limit switches all in series and home switches all in series? In which
case if you are blowing past the home switches to the limits, the
machine is moving too fast (home should to be done at great speed) or
the switches are too close to each other.

I'm running both a Warp9 SmoothStepper motion control board (for the
64bit computer) and the Gecko, so maybe I have more inputs than I
thought. I'll look into that angle.


My general home routine is to go find it at a moderate speed, back up
until it clears, and then creep into it for setting. Then back up and go
at moderate speed to the next axis, repeat.

I need to find some way to automate something like this on a daily
basis, too.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:11:30 -0700, wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:12 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

You got your old CNC mill into shape with new electronics and laptop.
I believe you could do that with this one, too. I wonder if anyone
picked up where CR Electronics left off. Find them and you have it
made. Ask other Eyetalyun CNC firms?

====

That said, HELP!

I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
click motor control manuals, stepper drives, G540 rev 8.
Inputs are DB25 pins 10-13.


Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.
One clue would be to put that M30 at the end. The M30 causes the
program to rewind and should always be at the end.

I'll try that, thanks. But why didn't it go in a straight line to X4
Y0 before going to the next step? It's like it thought it was supposed
to make a circle, cutting the corners.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

Iggi - no relation / contact with them - but look here!

http://www.converseallsteel.com/startup.htm

http://www.converseallsteel.com/Plas...smacutting.htm

Maybe if you get your serial number/model... and give them a call
maybe something can be worked out to get a copy of the software and key.

Sometimes the keys are hardware not software. That could be a problem.

Martin

On 8/29/2012 12:34 PM, Ignoramus9435 wrote:
I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks

On 2012-08-30, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

You got your old CNC mill into shape with new electronics and laptop.
I believe you could do that with this one, too. I wonder if anyone
picked up where CR Electronics left off. Find them and you have it
made. Ask other Eyetalyun CNC firms?

I will try to find out.

I think that it should be exceedingly easy to convert this plasma
cutter to EMC2. I can most likely keep the existing servo drives.

That said, I need my CNC milling machine, but I do not need a CNC
plasma cutting table. I am using my mill a couple of times a week to
make round holes in metal, drill patterns etc. I do not think that I
need to plasma cut with CNC, and I do not want to take up the space.

So, the bottom line is that I will sell it. I was hoping to push it a
bit farther in the process of getting it ready for sale.

i

On 2012-08-30, Martin Eastburn wrote:
Iggi - no relation / contact with them - but look here!

http://www.converseallsteel.com/startup.htm

http://www.converseallsteel.com/Plas...smacutting.htm

Maybe if you get your serial number/model... and give them a call
maybe something can be worked out to get a copy of the software and key.

Sometimes the keys are hardware not software. That could be a problem.

Martin, thanks, I will give them a call tomorrow.

i

Martin

On 8/29/2012 12:34 PM, Ignoramus9435 wrote:
I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:10:34 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

On 2012-08-30, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

You got your old CNC mill into shape with new electronics and laptop.
I believe you could do that with this one, too. I wonder if anyone
picked up where CR Electronics left off. Find them and you have it
made. Ask other Eyetalyun CNC firms?

I will try to find out.

I think that it should be exceedingly easy to convert this plasma
cutter to EMC2. I can most likely keep the existing servo drives.

That said, I need my CNC milling machine, but I do not need a CNC
plasma cutting table. I am using my mill a couple of times a week to
make round holes in metal, drill patterns etc. I do not think that I
need to plasma cut with CNC, and I do not want to take up the space.

So, the bottom line is that I will sell it. I was hoping to push it a
bit farther in the process of getting it ready for sale.

You can speed up the sale by figuring out how to convert to EMC2 in
advance, then offer to set up their laptop, or demo it on your own
with a secondary setup. It could double your sale price, I'd guess.

The last CNC torch I worked on was helping a friend figure out how to
get the customer's 4-torch O/A setup to work right. It turned out to
be a really badly worn out set of ways on an old paper tape drive
system. I sure like plasma better. It's so much cleaner and better!

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:41:14 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Sounds like a sign error (either in software or on the motor connection)
if the axis zero is not where you expect it. I use a different system,
but something like y axis scaling set to 126 when what you want is -126.

Mach3 allows you to reverse this in several different screens

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

If the home and limit switches are in series, how can you tell which is
getting activated? Home is home, ho hum, no problem, limit is shut this
thing down yesterday.

Mach3 suggested doing it that way. shrug


Since you have few inputs, perhaps you mean (or you should) you have
limit switches all in series and home switches all in series? In which
case if you are blowing past the home switches to the limits, the
machine is moving too fast (home should to be done at great speed) or
the switches are too close to each other.

I'm running both a Warp9 SmoothStepper motion control board (for the
64bit computer) and the Gecko, so maybe I have more inputs than I
thought. I'll look into that angle.


My general home routine is to go find it at a moderate speed, back up
until it clears, and then creep into it for setting. Then back up and go
at moderate speed to the next axis, repeat.

I need to find some way to automate something like this on a daily
basis, too.


How automated? The machine turns itself on and does it or you tell the
machine and it does it?

The first is probably doable but would depend on the OS of the computer
- a cron job running a file on unix, ferinstance. I don't love that
because I don't like machines (physical) starting up without a human
looking on, unless there is a lot more than a few limit switches to be
sure nobody gets bit.

Again, I can't provide code you can use since I use a different system
so my code won't do much for you you, but my basic homing routine runs
as a file, so my involvement is fire up the machine and run the home
file, which otherwise does what you are doing, I guess, by hand. Goes
something like:

are home switches set? (let us assume all homes are on one input)

If so - move away (perhaps an inch) from home switch direction in all
three axes. or in one axis, if still set in another axis, if still set
in a third axis. The main danger (or hiccup) here is that you will limit
if less than an inch from the far end of one axis when you move an inch
away in all three.

now, are home switches set? If so, error, if not:

Home switches not set (arrived at either because they were not to begin
with, or because you moved away from them.)

Move at moderate speed in x towards home. stop on home switch change.

Back up a small amount (home switch changes state again, go past that a
little.)

Creep towards home switch and stop on change of state. Set X axis to 0
(or -1, or whatever.)

Move an inch or two away from X and repeat for Y, then Z. All homed.
Human said something like "run home.cam" and got coffee. If you park at
1,1,1 (or 0,0,0 if your homes are negative) the night before (run
goodnight.cam which consists of jog to 1, 1, 1 if you want to make it
simple) it takes very little time. If the machine is out at 96,48,6 it
takes longer. running it more frequently than once a day may be good
practice, depending how much your setup is prone to slop.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:29 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:41:14 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Sounds like a sign error (either in software or on the motor connection)
if the axis zero is not where you expect it. I use a different system,
but something like y axis scaling set to 126 when what you want is -126.

Mach3 allows you to reverse this in several different screens

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

If the home and limit switches are in series, how can you tell which is
getting activated? Home is home, ho hum, no problem, limit is shut this
thing down yesterday.

Mach3 suggested doing it that way. shrug


Since you have few inputs, perhaps you mean (or you should) you have
limit switches all in series and home switches all in series? In which
case if you are blowing past the home switches to the limits, the
machine is moving too fast (home should to be done at great speed) or
the switches are too close to each other.

I'm running both a Warp9 SmoothStepper motion control board (for the
64bit computer) and the Gecko, so maybe I have more inputs than I
thought. I'll look into that angle.


My general home routine is to go find it at a moderate speed, back up
until it clears, and then creep into it for setting. Then back up and go
at moderate speed to the next axis, repeat.

I need to find some way to automate something like this on a daily
basis, too.


How automated? The machine turns itself on and does it or you tell the
machine and it does it?

The latter? But, I'll also have to do that with bit changes, I'm
guessing.


The first is probably doable but would depend on the OS of the computer
- a cron job running a file on unix, ferinstance. I don't love that
because I don't like machines (physical) starting up without a human
looking on, unless there is a lot more than a few limit switches to be
sure nobody gets bit.

Again, I can't provide code you can use since I use a different system
so my code won't do much for you you, but my basic homing routine runs
as a file,

Oh, duh! I hadn't thought of that. Mach3/Gecko/SmoothStepper
compatible, so yours would probably work, but I'll likely learn more
g-code by doing it myself.


so my involvement is fire up the machine and run the home
file, which otherwise does what you are doing, I guess, by hand. Goes
something like:

are home switches set? (let us assume all homes are on one input)

Why?


If so - move away (perhaps an inch) from home switch direction in all
three axes. or in one axis, if still set in another axis, if still set
in a third axis. The main danger (or hiccup) here is that you will limit
if less than an inch from the far end of one axis when you move an inch
away in all three.

now, are home switches set? If so, error, if not:

Home switches not set (arrived at either because they were not to begin
with, or because you moved away from them.)

Move at moderate speed in x towards home. stop on home switch change.

Back up a small amount (home switch changes state again, go past that a
little.)

Creep towards home switch and stop on change of state. Set X axis to 0
(or -1, or whatever.)

Move an inch or two away from X and repeat for Y, then Z. All homed.
Human said something like "run home.cam" and got coffee. If you park at
1,1,1 (or 0,0,0 if your homes are negative) the night before (run
goodnight.cam which consists of jog to 1, 1, 1 if you want to make it
simple) it takes very little time. If the machine is out at 96,48,6 it
takes longer. running it more frequently than once a day may be good
practice, depending how much your setup is prone to slop.

I'll see if I can do that with the extra SmoothStepper inputs. (Hmm,
how do I differentiate them from the standard 25pin inputs? I'll ask
Gary at Warp9, I guess. Maybe I'll need that extra parallel port
adapter after all.)

Thanks for the thoughts, my reversed friend.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

Ignoramus9435 wrote:
I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks



http://www.overmc.it/en/index/prodot...011-02-25.html


These guys have one that looks a lot like yours, been refitted though.
But for 98K you might turn a profit...

http://www.nacuttingsystems.com/fabrication.htm
--
Steve W.

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:29 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:
are home switches set? (let us assume all homes are on one input)

Why?

The two things I think you could be asking, and the answers to both:

Why assume they are all on one input - because you have limited inputs,
and it doesn't really need an input per axis if managed correctly. So
even if you have a way to expand your inputs, I'm not sure I'd want to
waste two on an input per home switch when they could be doing something
else. Or not spend money on an extra interface to get more inputs...

I would use one input for homes, and one input for limits and emergency
stop unless you have emergency stop wired a bit further upstream so it
can't get dorked by a software glitch. In that case you might want to
wire the limits that way too (hitting them would be a big deal depending
how much power you shut down, but then, hitting them does mean something
went wrong, so...), and you've freed up an input. However, a "not so
emergency stop" that does not dork your program might be worth an input
and a set of small yellow (say) buttons scattered around with the big
red ones for E-Stop. If you avoid cutting to the homes, it could even
share with them if your home setting file can alter what happens on the
input - ie, home file starts with "disable soft stop", so it can hit the
home switches without needing you to tend it, and ends with moving back
from the home switches and "set soft stop" where soft stop is something
that makes the machine pause whenever that input is set until told
otherwise.

Why check to see if they are set? If they are, a move towards home until
home is set doesn't go anywhere, and I haven't established which of the
axes sharing an input for home are set if I start with one of them set.
So I want them clear to begin with.

If none are set, and I move X towards home, when home changes, I know
it's X. After I set X, I move away from home in X far enough to be sure
X-Home won't go and move towards home in Y, and when home changes I know
it's Y-Home, Set, move away, move Z and I know that it's Z-Home.

My machine is an elderly (verging on antique) shopbot, and it does not
use g-code, so it really won't translate well. The idea should translate
fairly well.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

On Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:07:09 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:29 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:
are home switches set? (let us assume all homes are on one input)

Why?

The two things I think you could be asking, and the answers to both:

Why assume they are all on one input - because you have limited inputs,
and it doesn't really need an input per axis if managed correctly. So
even if you have a way to expand your inputs, I'm not sure I'd want to
waste two on an input per home switch when they could be doing something
else. Or not spend money on an extra interface to get more inputs...

Unfortunately, the SmoothStepper board was a necessary expenditure to
get Mach3 to work with a 64bit machine.


I would use one input for homes, and one input for limits and emergency
stop unless you have emergency stop wired a bit further upstream so it
can't get dorked by a software glitch. In that case you might want to
wire the limits that way too (hitting them would be a big deal depending
how much power you shut down, but then, hitting them does mean something
went wrong, so...), and you've freed up an input. However, a "not so
emergency stop" that does not dork your program might be worth an input
and a set of small yellow (say) buttons scattered around with the big
red ones for E-Stop. If you avoid cutting to the homes, it could even
share with them if your home setting file can alter what happens on the
input - ie, home file starts with "disable soft stop", so it can hit the
home switches without needing you to tend it, and ends with moving back
from the home switches and "set soft stop" where soft stop is something
that makes the machine pause whenever that input is set until told
otherwise.

Why check to see if they are set? If they are, a move towards home until
home is set doesn't go anywhere, and I haven't established which of the
axes sharing an input for home are set if I start with one of them set.
So I want them clear to begin with.

If none are set, and I move X towards home, when home changes, I know
it's X. After I set X, I move away from home in X far enough to be sure
X-Home won't go and move towards home in Y, and when home changes I know
it's Y-Home, Set, move away, move Z and I know that it's Z-Home.

My machine is an elderly (verging on antique) shopbot, and it does not
use g-code, so it really won't translate well. The idea should translate
fairly well.

I think the "disable soft stop" might have been the concept I was
looking for. Thanks. I'll play with that this weekend.

--
I have the consolation of having added nothing to my private fortune during
my public service, and of retiring with hands clean as they are empty.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Count Diodati, 1807

Too bad -none- of the current CONgresscritters are willing to do that. -LJ

Larry Jaques wrote:

On Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:07:09 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:29 -0400, Ecnerwal
wrote:
are home switches set? (let us assume all homes are on one input)

Why?

The two things I think you could be asking, and the answers to both:

Why assume they are all on one input - because you have limited inputs,
and it doesn't really need an input per axis if managed correctly. So
even if you have a way to expand your inputs, I'm not sure I'd want to
waste two on an input per home switch when they could be doing something
else. Or not spend money on an extra interface to get more inputs...

Individual home switch inputs, and also decel switch inputs are
important in a production environment where speed is everything.
Individual home switches means simultaneous axis homing instead of
sequential homing, and decel switches mean full rapid speed most of the
way to home further saving time. In a home shop or even small shop
environment saving 10 seconds on a homing cycle doesn't mean much.

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:11:30 -0700, wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:12 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:34:48 -0500, Ignoramus9435
wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

You got your old CNC mill into shape with new electronics and laptop.
I believe you could do that with this one, too. I wonder if anyone
picked up where CR Electronics left off. Find them and you have it
made. Ask other Eyetalyun CNC firms?

====

That said, HELP!

I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.

http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
click motor control manuals, stepper drives, G540 rev 8.
Inputs are DB25 pins 10-13.


Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.
One clue would be to put that M30 at the end. The M30 causes the
program to rewind and should always be at the end.
ERS

Correct.

Gunner

--
The essential differences between liberals and conservtives
is that liberals could not exist without conservtives to defend
their freedom and support them economicaly.

Conservatives on the other hand, can exist and
live quite well without liberals."

On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 04:25:24 -0700, Gunner wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:11:30 -0700, wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:12 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:
[snip]
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.
http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
....
Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.

One clue would be to put that M30 at the end. The M30 causes the
program to rewind and should always be at the end.

Correct.

According to http://www.tormach.com/m98.html (for example)
the M30 is positioned ok. The M98 P1234 L5 line says to call
subroutine O1234 five times. The four G1's in the subroutine
should draw a square. The M99 returns from subroutine. After
five passes around the square at 1000 IPM (*) the M30 ends the
program. (*) http://www.tormach.com/f_feed_rate.html says
that F1000 would set feed rate to 1000 units per minute. I
don't know if it matters whether the F code appears before the
G20 which sets length units to inches.

If the router cannot actually move 1000 IPM and is running open
loop (vs with encoders) it might look like it's drawing a circle
as new destination coordinates are commanded before it gets to
current destination. The total distance commanded is 80 inches
(ie, 5 passes * 4 sides * 4 inches/side) which should take 0.08
seconds at 1000 IPM. Programming a slower speed, like 10 IPM,
might make it easier to tell what's going on.

--
jiw

On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 19:18:05 +0000 (UTC), James Waldby
wrote:

On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 04:25:24 -0700, Gunner wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:11:30 -0700, wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:12 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:
[snip]
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.
http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
...
Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.

One clue would be to put that M30 at the end. The M30 causes the
program to rewind and should always be at the end.

Correct.

According to http://www.tormach.com/m98.html (for example)
the M30 is positioned ok. The M98 P1234 L5 line says to call
subroutine O1234 five times. The four G1's in the subroutine
should draw a square. The M99 returns from subroutine. After
five passes around the square at 1000 IPM (*) the M30 ends the
program. (*) http://www.tormach.com/f_feed_rate.html says
that F1000 would set feed rate to 1000 units per minute. I
don't know if it matters whether the F code appears before the
G20 which sets length units to inches.

If the router cannot actually move 1000 IPM and is running open
loop (vs with encoders) it might look like it's drawing a circle
as new destination coordinates are commanded before it gets to
current destination. The total distance commanded is 80 inches
(ie, 5 passes * 4 sides * 4 inches/side) which should take 0.08
seconds at 1000 IPM. Programming a slower speed, like 10 IPM,
might make it easier to tell what's going on.

Damn..you are right. I missed the F1000 as well.

There is G code..and G code.

Gunner

--
The essential differences between liberals and conservtives
is that liberals could not exist without conservtives to defend
their freedom and support them economicaly.

Conservatives on the other hand, can exist and
live quite well without liberals."

On Sun, 02 Sep 2012 19:27:35 -0700, Gunner
wrote:

On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 19:18:05 +0000 (UTC), James Waldby
wrote:

On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 04:25:24 -0700, Gunner wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:11:30 -0700, wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:20:12 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:
[snip]
I'm at a standstill on mine. I'm having conceptual problems. In
trying to find references/zero axes, it hits the home/limit switch and
stops. I have to reset it for each one. Y wants to go far to home, Z
up. I thought home would be down, left, and toward me. What am I
missing, guys?

Each axis has home and limit switches in series, with ground and NC
switches. The Gecko G540 pulls them high normally, and the activation
of a switch grounds the input. A is cloned to X with reversed motion
for the dual axis drive. It goes crazy with lots of acceleration but
works fine and smooth at 126 IPM.
http://www.geckodrive.com/app-notes.html
...
Another thing, when I programmed a quick square, it went in almost a
circular motion. This was for a quick 50 rep x movement from the Mach
3 manual, which I modified to do a square and just 5 reps. It did 1.

F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L5
M30
O1234
G1 X4
G1 Y4
G1 X0
G1 Y0
M99

Clues would be helpful. I'm in serious beginner mode, fer sher.

One clue would be to put that M30 at the end. The M30 causes the
program to rewind and should always be at the end.

Correct.

According to http://www.tormach.com/m98.html (for example)
the M30 is positioned ok. The M98 P1234 L5 line says to call
subroutine O1234 five times. The four G1's in the subroutine
should draw a square. The M99 returns from subroutine. After
five passes around the square at 1000 IPM (*) the M30 ends the
program. (*) http://www.tormach.com/f_feed_rate.html says
that F1000 would set feed rate to 1000 units per minute. I
don't know if it matters whether the F code appears before the
G20 which sets length units to inches.

If the router cannot actually move 1000 IPM and is running open
loop (vs with encoders) it might look like it's drawing a circle
as new destination coordinates are commanded before it gets to
current destination. The total distance commanded is 80 inches
(ie, 5 passes * 4 sides * 4 inches/side) which should take 0.08
seconds at 1000 IPM. Programming a slower speed, like 10 IPM,
might make it easier to tell what's going on.

Thanks, James. I'll try it at 100, 25, and 10ipm to see if that fixes
it.


Damn..you are right. I missed the F1000 as well.

Mach3 said the machine probably wouldn't be able to do it, but it
would self-adjust. If this fixes it, I'll be sure to give them
feedback on it.

--
The most powerful factors in the world are clear
ideas in the minds of energetic men of good will.
-- J. Arthur Thomson

responding to
http://www.polytechforum.com/metalwo...ny-553316-.htm
, Fabrizio wrote:
ignoramus9435 wrote:

I have this CNC plasma cutting table he


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A...829_123101.jpg

Supposedly, what is wrong with it is that someone stole a laptop with
a USB key that made this table work.

CR Electronic is an Italian company and they are out of business.

I am wondering, realistically, what is the quickest way to bring this
to life.

Thanks


Hello,
CR electronics machines were drive by different software; old machines had a
software
Plasma 2 running under msdos; recent machines had Wincam or Winplasma nesting
software.
I developed several solution to interface CR electronics cnc with other
sofware or to replace
Wincam Winplasma program.
Further info to request at: