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16-09-2016 #1
These look great, what Lathe/Mill Post Processor is required to generate code for them?
Most similar things I've seen claim "Standard G-Code" but then don't mention which easily available Post Processors produce "Standard G-Code" as all the PPs I've found have a manufacturer/machine/controller designation.
Mach3 developers had the good grace to work close to a standard for a popular industrial controller rather than a paper standard to which no manufacturer quite adheres.
Never underestimate the incapability of the masses, there's still all those scary wires to connect ;-)
- NickYou think that's too expensive? You're not a Model Engineer are you? :D
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16-09-2016 #2
That's the big question before jumping to conclusions
What i found till now:
- Post processor for mach3 definitely does not work, as you could see in second video it runs away from the job coordinates. Who cares, me not. I could save my programs again in the proper format
-It doe not recognise manual tool change code also. So jobs have to be split. Not big deal
-Does not recognise G20 and G21, so program must be in mm to begin with. No problem so far.
-Will run properly G code as of the Gcode and fanuc output from Aspire. Though program was simple. / See video2/ .
As i have not connected it yet to a machine i can not say more. But there is a good chance that all goes fine.
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16-09-2016 #3
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16-09-2016 #4
This is a basic controller. The much more expensive Chinese controllers not only do all but close the loop also, at least the most expensive ones, which makes them really industrial
funny, i see now that it supports G20 and G21 but when i was testing it ?, so maybe i made a mistake somehow with the file. Will check again
That's what it supports.
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16-09-2016 #5
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17-09-2016 #6
I'm just trying to get a feel for whether it's a direction in which I should move, it does look like a great first foray into CNC solution, but given that I'm already au-fait and comfortable with Mach's Mumbo Jumbo I was looking for a step up rather than a step sideways and possibly down.
Although I've yet to have a PC fail I have upgraded my controller machine a few times to the point where it will hapily run my CAD/CAM. One very nice feature with Mach3 is that for approximately £60 I am able to have a fully configured, 100% functional backup PC with a new HDD on the shelf and any keyboard or monitor from my other systems can replace the ones on the CNC in the event of failure.
With any luck these all-in-one boxes will take off in the starter CNC market and grow with their customer base to offer enhanced capabilities,
- NickYou think that's too expensive? You're not a Model Engineer are you? :D
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17-09-2016 #7
NIck, its true if all is working as its meant. Reality have shown otherwise.
For example:
Right now in machine i have LPT board from my old machine that was working perfectly there. But not here. Now probe will not work , spindle output will not work with correct PWM, from that results that my mach3 screen /MachStdMill / is not working 100%. All that why? because board is near the servo drives in the box, and not so near mind that.
But hey, before that i had the Pokeys that is Ethernet and 24v powered but 5v on inputs and outputs, so what? Same problems. Wait, i had the galil 8 axis board/ 600euro second hand/ even before that, but no support,DIY plugin and communication with pc good for the 80ies...and so on.
Do you know how much time i spend playing with boards and make them work? And when i did sometimes, it happens that after Ethernet board i had to change back to x86 windows, cause-hey mach3 will not work on a x64 machine with LPT. When all was fine then PC crashed ... I have 3 PCs for that purpose and thought like you think.
I would have bought one of the CSMIO rigth from the start , 24vdc, shielded, etc. But they made them so that they don't work with MachStdMill +the cheap one would not square at homing and is not so cheap at 300 euro. And the other one is quite steep at 800euro. And at that moment i cared about that, because i love that screen.
Now i care only to start machine and to work. What i am saying is that for a production, even if its home production, most important is when you start the machine -to work 100%. And yes, i could say the same- controller burns and i put another one inside it, program it for 1/2 and thats it. is not that the same?
In other words if i was happy with a combo for which i have payed 200 euro for software and 100-800euro for hardware, Why on earth would i be researching other possibilities and reading Chinglish manuals?
FIY i am looking now at the "next step" as you say it. So the answer is: yes there is, but not for 150 euro from china like the one we are discussing here. For the moment i have narrowed things to 980-990MDc overview and manual , there are even better ones - 1000 and 1500, but are priced near the model numbers and i think are out of scope for normal retrofit or DIY machine.
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20-09-2016 #8
Small update with video to follow:
Controller is mounted in my enclosure and after i spend yesterday all day playing with it, i could say- I like it and i am very happy with it.
Machines moves smoothly as ever at 10000/min and 3000 acceleration. Spindle speed is stable. Program time execution- same as using Mach3 or 4.
Manual has some confusing Chinglish elements as to be expected.
Probing works very well but needs some clarification:
First of all there are 2 types of probing:
Where tool position is at the moment or in Machine Coordinates the probes place on the machine could be predefined and probe or another probe mounted there.
Now the trick. It should be done once only.
Put a tool in collet, tighten it at hand but leave it a bit untightened so that if machine pushes it towards bed it will move inside the collet but at same time is not loose.
One must go to probing settings and make sure probe thickness is set to 0.000 and if not set it so and make sure probing is enabled and " at current tool position".
Then go back to control screen and start moving Z towards table. When you hit Z in table, bit will move a bit into collet. So now you are 0 to table in Working coordinates. Use commands and set Z to 0 in Working Coordinates on screen
M0ve Z up more distance than the probe is thick / by the way Z up is + and down is -, toward you Y is - and away from you is +, X left is -, X right is +, the so called right cartesian coordinate system/
Lay probe on table surface / current Z0/ . + of probe is connected to conductive probe material, minus to spindle body or bit, +should be isolated by other material like plastic from below/
hit "MODE2" then "-A" x 2 times and probing starts . When bit touches plate Z goes up depends how much you have predefined in probe settings. If you look now at probe setting you will see a number that may not be your probe thickness. DO NOT CHANGE THAT NUMBER. Its not wrong.
Now you can probe normally, control knows your real probe thickness, even if there is a loss of power.
PRECAUTIONS:
1. When changing G54 with other WCS you lose your probe thickness so you must do that again. Be Careful! Until you figure all out, raise the probe on a sponge.
2. If you program one of the external buttons that could be connected as 0 instead of "start" / when you hit it it zeroes all in WCS / , then when you zero from it, after that you again gave to repeat the probe thickness setting like from the start. I will investigate further but its start to seem that when you probe and 3 axis are zeroed right before that, that means it comprehends it like you want to set probe thickness, not like setting your Z WCS zero.
I will continue later with my findings. Now back to work.Last edited by Boyan Silyavski; 21-09-2016 at 10:55 AM.
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20-09-2016 #9
It's poor workman that blames his tools.!! . . . . There are many 1000's of people using these products with no trouble and even more using Mach3 very succesfully.
So maybe you might want to look at what your doing wrong if things are not working as expected.?
Now don't get me wrong on this I'm not beating up on you Boyan or saying don't buy these standalone controllers. What I'm saying is don't be so quick rubbish products that work perfectly fine for others.!
My take on these controllers is they make perfect sense in that they remove the PC side and all that goes with it. However they need much more testing before they can be fully trusted and hailed better than rest.! (Which I'm in the process of doing on the higher end controllers)
Mach3 is and always will be like Marmite.!!!!
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