Mach 3 Question

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

I wonder if someone could help me.

I use Mach 3 with a Chinese 6040 gantry cnc. One thing I have tried to find is how to set the current tool position as a particular X/Y/Z position. I have tried entering values for the X/Y/Z, and the wretched thing takes off without re-setting the co-ordinates. I can set the X/Y/Z to 0/0/0, but there are occasions when I want to set it to a particular co-ordinate. Can anyone help me? I have looked on the Mach 3 help forum, but suspect it's too simple to have been covered, and as the forum seems as friendly & helpful as it is, I ain't joining to ask a question.

One other question:

Is there a recognisable & usable help file for Mach 3 anywhere that I could download? My cnc controller PC is not internet enabled, and never will be, so the fact that there is no description in Mach 3 as to what each bit of the program does is ^%&*%&^*"!$! irritating. I would like to look a feature up when I think about it, and not after a 20 minute wait before I can fire up Google on a machine in the house (when I really want to be in the workshop) to start a search. Also, searching a forum for help is a dog's dinner way of getting help compared to a proper help file.

Regards,

Richard

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Mach 3 Product Manuals are available for download from **LINK**

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

David,

Thank you for that. I had missed it completely despite (as I thought) checking through all the artsoft pages.

Regards,

Richard

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

No problem – I've sometimes failed to see things like that before. Even more annoying when you have found it once, then can't find it again…

[Michael HornerParticipant @michaelhorner54327]

Hi Richard

Look up the G52 code and see if that is what you want.

I think you have done some programing so shouldn't hurt your head too much. Gave me a headache

Cheers Michael

From wikipedia

G52

Local coordinate system (LCS)

M

Temporarily shifts program zero to a new location. It is simply "an offset from an offset", that is, an additional offset added onto the WCS offset. This simplifies programming in some cases. The typical example is moving from part to part in a multipart setup. With G54 active, G52 X140.0 Y170.0 shifts program zero 140 mm over in X and 170 mm over in Y. When the part "over there" is done, G52 X0 Y0 returns program zero to normal G54 (by reducing G52 offset to nothing). The same result can also be achieved (1) using multiple WCS origins, G54/G55/G56/G57/G58/G59; (2) on newer controls, G54.1 P1/P2/P3/etc. (all the way up to P48); or (3) using G10 for programmable data input, in which the program can write new offset values to the offset registers. Which method to use depends on shop-specific application.

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Thanks. I'll try that (presumably it's entered as a 'Current Work Offset' on the 'Offsets-Alt-5)' page. I will try & see if I can get it to work.

Regards,

Richard

[Michael CheckleyParticipant @michaelcheckley34085]

Do you want to just change the displayed XYZ? If so you can just click on the displayed number to select it and type in any value you like…

[BowberParticipant @bowber]

Like Michael said, just click in the box and type the value your wanting displayed, I do this sometime when I do a run from here after I've had a problem and had to reset.

Steve

[Phil super7Participant @philsuper7]

First you need to home each axis I assume you have home/limit switches, so that mach3 knows its starting point. Then move each axis to where you would like it start from ,at this point zero the axis, when you have done this on all three axis, you can use "GOTOZ" to move  to that point from any other position

Edited By Phil Morris on 15/06/2015 21:01:21

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Richard, it's not entirely clear what you are trying to do. If the tool is stationary at a particular position "x,y,z", do you want to call that position something else like "1,2,3"? If so, then as Michael and others have said, just click the cursor in the appropriate DRO Box and type in the number you want then "return". If this doesn't work there is something wrong. I use this quite a lot at least for tool height setting.

Axis homing is optional. All it does is move the control point to an arbitrary position which then the machine uses internally. As far as I can see the only purpose for it is so soft limits have something to work with. In practice one zeroes the tool relative to an origin on the work and Mach then works in machine coordinates. I used to be religious about "homing all" when I started a session but I never bother now though I expect I should.

I use a contact probe to set x and y to appropriate edges of the workpiece or a fixture into which it's clamped. This is driven by a set of routines accessed through the edge finder buttons on the referencing tab. When it finds an edge, it uses the probe radius to set x or y to the appropriate value. I set Z by touching the tool on a spring loaded button at a known height above the table. The height routine then moves the tool up by a known amount and sets the Z coordinate to the actual tool height. All of these operations involve manipulating the contents of the DROs.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Oops! After homing and then zeroing to a position on the work should say the machine operates in work coordinates…

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Posted by Michael Checkley on 15/06/2015 19:52:52:
Do you want to just change the displayed XYZ? If so you can just click on the displayed number to select it and type in any value you like…

Thanks, but occasionally, instead of the number changing, the machine heads off to the current co-ordinate position of the number I've just typed in. I suspect that, being without the manual until yesterday, it's just that I have no idea what most of the functions are, and have been using Mach 3 is its ultimate basic manner.

Regards,

Richard.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

That picture/jpg actually disappears below the advert for me so I have done a drag/copy/paste

Temporarily shifts program zero to a new location. It is simply "an offset from an offset", that is, an additional offset added onto the WCS offset. This simplifies programming in some cases. The typical example is moving from part to part in a multipart setup. With G54 active, G52 X140.0 Y170.0 shifts program zero 140 mm over in X and 170 mm over in Y. When the part "over there" is done, G52 X0 Y0 returns program zero to normal G54 (by reducing G52 offset to nothing). The same result can also be achieved (1) using multiple WCS origins, G54/G55/G56/G57/G58/G59; (2) on newer controls, G54.1 P1/P2/P3/etc. (all the way up to P48); or (3) using G10 for programmable data input, in which the program can write new offset values to the offset registers. Which method to use depends on shop-specific applic

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Posted by Phil super7 on 15/06/2015 20:33:26:

First you need to home each axis I assume you have home/limit switches, so that mach3 knows its starting point. Then move each axis to where you would like it start from ,at this point zero the axis, when you have done this on all three axis, you can use "GOTOZ" to move to that point from any other position

Edited By Phil Morris on 15/06/2015 21:01:21

The machine does not have limit switches, and neither can the controller cope with them. It is a cheap & cheerful Chinese gantry engraver/very light mill. Which is no problem as I principally want to machine plastics during pen making, though I also need to machine the pen boxes (to match the surface engraving) from walnut.

I probably do need to set up software limits in machine co-ords.

Regards,

Richard

[BowberParticipant @bowber]

Posted by John Haine on 15/06/2015 22:08:51:

Richard, it's not entirely clear what you are trying to do. If the tool is stationary at a particular position "x,y,z", do you want to call that position something else like "1,2,3"? If so, then as Michael and others have said, just click the cursor in the appropriate DRO Box and type in the number you want then "return". If this doesn't work there is something wrong. I use this quite a lot at least for tool height setting.

Axis homing is optional. All it does is move the control point to an arbitrary position which then the machine uses internally. As far as I can see the only purpose for it is so soft limits have something to work with. In practice one zeroes the tool relative to an origin on the work and Mach then works in machine coordinates. I used to be religious about "homing all" when I started a session but I never bother now though I expect I should.

I think there was a discussion once on the Mach forum about this and I "think" the conclusion was you should home occasionally because the difference from home zero to work zero can reach a very high number eventually and this can cause Mach problems.

Richard if your machine is heading off to the coordinates you type in the DRO box then Mach not working as expected

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Ahh

It's as if, sometimes, the new co-ords are taken as a G0 command. I have been concentrating on reducing electrical noise up until now (as it can cause spurious stepping) and now need to learn the controller in more detail. It is possible the program has glitched due to electrical noise – every now & again the mouse/keyboard have to be unplugged as the spindle variable speed drive causes the computer to fail to respond to USB input. It may be another symptom of something I hope I have now cured.

Regards,

Richard

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

you should check your USB port is not shutting down due to power management this can cause issues.

What Version are you running?, I have a mate who was in a similar position to you, he had no end of problems, I installed an earlier version of Mach 3 and pretty much all is issues went!!, I think when Brian took over the code writing from Art some things changed for the better but stability suffered and a few bugs where introduced and never addressed, in part I think because they concentrated on the new version rather than fix what they had, there is still an issue with programmed feed rates and actual feed rate on later versions, it appears the system tries to run all axis interpolation at the fastest axis speed and shows this value, rather than slowing the fasted down to match the slowest and showing the true achieved feed rate, I've raised this on the Mach forum with little or no response, I've been using version 2.60 for over five years and only ever had one crash due to software issues this I solved by turning off the cutter path display before running any code, some of my Gcode programs run for more that 24 hours with well over 10mb per file.

HTH

Shaun

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

The USB shutting down is not a power management issue – I have a specially bought Dell desktop and all power management features are shut off on a clean install of XP Pro.

The Mach 3 version I'm using is R3.043.066.

I do know the Chinese VFD I'm using is unbelievably electrically noisy. It is impossible to use the radio when the thing is on, and both shielding & distance help with the effect, and (to a limited extent) orientation. Interference with the PC and/or stepper motors only happens on the wind down as the VFD frequency approaches zero and the iron ring noise choke becomes less effective.

Regards,

Richard

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

yep that version seems to me to be full of inconsistencies, if I install that on my Mill it becomes very unstable, with the older version I can run 3 mpm cutting figure of eights, and a full cup of coffee doesn't spill, the movement is so smooth, however install the later version and it becomes a different animal, I've spent ages retuning the Servos to no avail, I gave up in the end a reinstalled the earlier version.

My PC was found in a skip, is 1Gig CPU with 3Gig ram, a very basic video card a 10 gig HD, running a standard install of XP pro and two printer ports, however my VFD is LG, its in the same box as the controllers and PC, I have Planet Rock playing on the radio which is sat on top of said box, whilst the miller is taking a 4mm depth of cut with 8mm stepover at 900mmpm in 7075 ali, as of today according to the run time clock, I have run well over 9,000 hrs with this setup, I have no line filters and no problems!!

Shaun

Edited to add, I also have a cheapo Huanyang inverter on my lathe, which is next to the miller this doesn't effect the CNC mill either, although I rarely run them both at the same time.

Edited By Involute Curve on 16/06/2015 13:25:46

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

OK, I'll try 2.63 (which seems the closest to the one you have).

Regards,

Richard.

[BowberParticipant @bowber]

I can't remember which version I'm running but it's been quite stable on my mill but my router can lock up seemingly at random, might try the older version.

Steve

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

One of the most stable version is R3.041 or 042.

After that everything seemed to fall apart and ironically enough this is when Art Fenerty left the program.

If you don't have limit switches fitted them make sure they are switched off in Ports and Pins and homing.

[ianjParticipant @ians]

John.

Where can I download version R3.041 / 042 ( I can't see them on the FTP site ) At the moment I'm running on R3.043.038 as any later one's seem to have the problem with the requested speed and actual spindle speed been incorrect.

Thank you

Ian

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

I'm away on site today but I will post later tonight and provide a link and a bit of background which will help a lot of beginners.

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