Kit's Machine

[Kitwn]

That's exactly my intended meaning. Whether my meaning is right or wrong... but I think it's right. I normally get a "ignore-me pester box" whenever I import g-code from Fusion that typically complains about the first G20/G21 as an unsupported command.

Aha, if you'll support a remote link... http://cncdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=769

Very helpful, thankyou. I'm sure it makes a great deal of sense really.

I've just had a look at the available postprocessors in CamBam and all of them include G20/21, though I've had a look on the CB forum and nobody has complained about it not working. Fortunately that forum is as good as this one (it has at least one star member in common) so if I decide to write a bespoke PP there will be plenty of help available.

Kit

[JAZZCNC]

I haven't fully got my head around how you can be 'unitless'. Is the idea that once I've input the number of steps required to move one of my chosen unit (mm, micron, yard, cubit) the software simply treats that many steps as one 'unit'?

Kit

It's not unitless, when you installed the software it asked you the CV Profile to use "metric" or "imperial". By default, it's set to metric so maybe you didn't see it.

[Kitwn]

It's not unitless, when you installed the software it asked you the CV Profile to use "metric" or "imperial". By default, it's set to metric so maybe you didn't see it.

Thanks Dean. I did wonder if it might have been an installation option I'd forgotten about. It's quite a while since I loaded the demo version and the old brain isn't quite what it was.

Do you know if anyone has written any modified skins for UCCNC? The default layout is a bit of an odd resolution and the manual says it is completely reconfigurable. That might be something to look at AFTER I have it all up and running. You could have a JAZZCNC special edition screen layout!

Kit

[JAZZCNC]

Do you know if anyone has written any modified skins for UCCNC? The default layout is a bit of an odd resolution and the manual says it is completely reconfigurable. That might be something to look at AFTER I have it all up and running. You could have a JAZZCNC special edition screen layout!

Kit

Working on it Kit, the screen is very easy to edit actually, much easier than mach3 and Linux.

If you check the forum there are several screens available and the development version uses a completely different layout and colour scheme, though I'm not a fan of it.
Don't be afraid to use the development version it's rock-solid stable provided your PC is a decent spec.

[Kitwn]

Working on it Kit, the screen is very easy to edit actually, much easier than mach3 and Linux.

If you check the forum there are several screens available and the development version uses a completely different layout and colour scheme, though I'm not a fan of it.
Don't be afraid to use the development version it's rock-solid stable provided your PC is a decent spec.

Duhhhh! If I had a brain I'd have been all over the forum weeks ago.

I've got most of the machine configuration set up now and have started ripping out the old hardware to replace with the new. Fingers crossed it's just a drop-in replacement that works even better than before.

Kit

[Kitwn]

Last year I spent a day putting neat connectors onto all the cables from the steppers and limit switches to plug into the cheapo Chinese parallel BoB. Today I cut them all off to connect into the screw terminals on the AXBB-E. The result is rather more of a rats nest than I would have wanted, largely because of the need to common up several connections into one terminal. Four common grounds for the steppers and four common enable lines, looping +12V for each proximity sensor, blah, blah.

If I'd thought in advance I'd have built an interface board with a multi-way socket (or even screw terminals!) for each stepper and limit switch and nice, single wires out to the AXBB-E itself. Then my machine would resemble one of Dean's rather than one of Heath Robinson's.

Anyway, it's all wired up today and we'll see if it actually works tomorrow.

Kit

[Kitwn]

I really wasn't impressed with the directly wired result, it might work but... see below.

A quick rummage through the goody box showed that I already have everything I need for a proper break-out board in stock. So I decided a day playing with CamBam was called for. The result is a design for a Veroboard interface to connect the AXBB-E to the outside world. By using multiple layers I now have a pretty picture of a design which suits my requirements and might even be of use to others.

If it works out OK I'll start a new thread with further details of how to use Veroboard for those who had a misspent youth chasing girls/boys (your preference), riding motorbikes, drinking beer and playing football instead of a misspent youth chasing girls (my preference), riding motorbikes, drinking beer and messing about with electronics.

The result will have a header for each stepper with four pins for Step, Dir, Enable (all commoned to pin O17) and 0V. Providing +5V instead involves changing one jumper wire. Similar headers connect the proximity sensors with 0V, +12V (or 24V if I ever upgrade the PSU) and sensor output. Headers are also used for power in (one 3-pin connector for 0V, +5v, +12V) and the 8 isolated outputs, including a header for an interlock switch on O1 to prevent accidental starting of the spindle during tool changes. 5 pin headers (3 of) connect to the analog port allowing a single cable to connect to a board with two potentiometers on it or any combination of IN/OUT you require.

The design has the AXBB-E sitting above the Verobard connected to it by a short jumper wire to each of the 40 terminals. Both boards will be fixed to a plastic base board to effectively make a single, large circuit board which will drop into place and have everything plugged in.

[JAZZCNC]

I really wasn't impressed with the directly wired result, it might work but... see below.

I'm convinced you just like making things harder than they need to be...

What's the difference.? surely your time would be better spent tidying up the wiring and routing.!

[Kitwn]

I'm convinced you just like making things harder than they need to be...

What's the difference.? surely your time would be better spent tidying up the wiring and routing.!

You may be right, but I've had reliability issues in the past with having several wires and jumpers in a single terminal and like to avoid it whenevr possible. And I do like the simplicity of having a cable from each external device coming to a single plug which can be disconnected for testing during installation or later fault finding without having to interfere with the wiring for anything else. Adding some work today to make things easier tomorrow and the day after. Plus it will look very professional!

I haven't yet proved that the AXBB-E will cope better with all that nasty radio frequency noise from the VFD which isn't going away any time soon so I'm not ruling out some further work being required to deal with that. At least it has some built in software filtering if required.

Kit

[Kitwn]

When I first built this machine the controller was on a separate trolley so I had trailing cables with plugs on connected to sockets on the machine itself for the motors and limit switches. Now the controller lives in the new welded steel base so the trailing cable are no longer required. After designing the above mentioned interface board and thinking about how neat the result would be it was obvious that the rest of the machine wiring was now more complex than it needed to be. So I decided to get rid of the trailing cables. The result is a set of sockets in the top of the controller and plugs on the cables that used to go to the row of sockets on the machine. The trailing cables are gone and the wiring inside the box is neater.

Sooooo....

With a set of sockets just above the new AXBB-E allowing acces for testing and fault-finding it seemed a bit superfluous having another set of plugs and sockets on just a few inches of wire. So I decided to follow Dean's advice ( Yes Dean, I DO pay attention to what you say!!!!) and not bother with the interface board.

The soldering is all finished, The AXBB-E is installed, though I'm less impressed than I wanted to be with the bootlace crimps I bought for it, and the motors all go round the right way when jogged from UCCNC. E-stop works but I haven't quite worked out how to get the spindle start relay to work. I'm using Port 1, output 1 to drive an external relay but it doesn't respond to either the 'start forward' button or an M3 command. Can't be too difficult, but all advice greatfully recieved.

Pictures to follow when I've made sure it all works and the cable ties are in place. Main thing to sort out now is the homing and a micro-adjustable limit stop.

Kit