**RESOLVED** mach3 mpu11 probing

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eric282000
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:46 am

**RESOLVED** mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by eric282000 »

is their any time frame for the probing features to be added to the mach3 firmware?
thanks
Centroid_Tech
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:24 pm

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by Centroid_Tech »

Adding probing to Mach3 software is something we are looking into, but I don't have a time frame of when it will be added. If you are looking at do probing you can purchase the Centroid software and a DP4 probe and start probing right away.
When requesting support, please ALWAYS post a current report. Find out how to take a report from your Acorn, CNC11 or CNC10 system here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecvg0VJp1oQ.

If your question is PLC, Macro or program related, please also post a copy of the program or macro as well.

Without the above information we may not be able to help and/or reply until the required information is posted..
eric282000
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:46 am

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by eric282000 »

here is a copy of the email i received from Scott.

Hi Eric,

In general, you should always power off and power backup after an update to Mach or the plugin. Some updates contain a new firmware revision (as this one did) and that only gets sent down on the first run of the software after a power up.


We are testing the probing functions
On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 8:52 PM, eric <eric28@netacs.net> wrote

it says that the functions were being tested on march 2. it list on the mach3 kit page "MPG, probe, and jog panel/pendant connections "
that is one of the many reasons i went with ajax. The main reason to go with mach3 is not to pay $1160.00 for a probe and $3000.00
for digitizing software $275 for dxf import $195 for Coordinate System Rotation $505 for Automatic Tool Length Measurement and the list
goes on and on.
so do you have a time frame for the advertized functions to be added.

thanks
Centroid_Tech
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:24 pm

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by Centroid_Tech »

You can wire your probe into DP4 input (IN 14) on the DC3IOB and create a brain in Mach3 software to verify the probe is hooked up right. Use modbus input 14, with bit only checked. This will allow you to see input 14 change when you toggle the probe.

Then to do probing or digitizing you will need to write a custom macro in Mach3. For a grid, you would position the probe with XY movements, then slowly descend to the object in Z. As you descend, constantly poll the state of input 14 to see if the probe is making contact. If it is, stop movement and retract -- outputting the DRO position at contact.
When requesting support, please ALWAYS post a current report. Find out how to take a report from your Acorn, CNC11 or CNC10 system here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecvg0VJp1oQ.

If your question is PLC, Macro or program related, please also post a copy of the program or macro as well.

Without the above information we may not be able to help and/or reply until the required information is posted..
eric282000
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:46 am

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by eric282000 »

i am aware of the first part of your post my brains have been set up for a while and i have been manual probing.
as for the second half how could you poll the input fast enough to probe at a decent speed without serious overshoot
and possible probe damage? Scott said the poling in the mpu11 400 samples per second. don’t quote me but i think
polling in mach is about 10 times a second. then add the delay from mach to the brain then the brain to an led then the led to
the macro. if you could help with a macro that provided decent results that would be fine.
but this still doesn’t answer the question as to when the probing functions that were being tested on the 2nd might be ready.

also your hardeware makes the g31 probing function im mach not work. Vital Systems Inc. and Galil Motion Control provide
probing functions via their firmware. if i had known this upfrount i would have probably went with a product that supported
all of mach3's functions

thanks
cnckeith
Posts: 7164
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Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by cnckeith »

Eric,

Hello. As a valued ajaxcnc customer, we would like your input.
We can add further probing functionality to the Mach3 mpu11 plug in. The others you mention all go about this in varying and limiting ways. Can you describe technically what the best way you think it should function? We'd like to make this as user friendly as possible and value your opinion. I'm pretty sure we could have the new functionality added in short order as long as we can work out the details of how best to make it function before starting to write code. More simply said, what exactly would you like? For example, do you want the ability to write your own probing cycles macros? or just have a simple set of stock cycles ready to go like bore, boss, corner, edge?
what do these other companies you mentioned work with mach on probing, how specifically does it work, is it single axis probing? is the user writing macros?
what kind of accuracy are you looking for?
what are you trying to do with the G31?
why do you say we've prevented the G31 from working?
who's probe are you using?
thanks, Keith
Need support? READ THIS POST first. http://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=1043
All Acorn Documentation is located here: viewtopic.php?f=60&t=3397
Answers to common questions: viewforum.php?f=63
and here viewforum.php?f=61
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eric282000
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:46 am

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by eric282000 »

Keith,
Thank you for your reply. The way G31 works is you issue a command say “G31 X1.0 F10” this moves X to 1.0 at the rate of 10 ipm when the probe touches mach3 stops all movement and sets parameter 2000 to the position of contact. This is done at driver level to prevent large overshoots. Full documentation on the G31 command can be found in the using mach3mill manual Section 10.7.12.2 .
G31 provides no movement on the ajax controller and mach just waits for the command to finish. Once you issue a G31 you have to hit stop to get mach to quit waiting on the move. In the documentation for the galil plug-in
they say that use high speed position latch inputs and the G31 command from mach3. The DSPMC/IP has a
dual probing cycle which is nice. In the xml file you specify single or dual probing the second feed rate and move back. They pick up the G31 command in their plug-in also. For dual probing you issue “G31 X1 F20” and the machine move to X1 at the 20ipm when the probe touches it moves back the set move back amount then moves towards the piece at the federate set in the xml say 1 ipm for accurate probing. For accuracy it should be repeatable to at least 0.0002 with a quality probe. We need the ability to write our own probing cycles but a stock set of macros would be nice. A lot of people use probes from wildhorse innovations or similar.
I will probably end up with one of these too. The galil plug-in is included in the mach3 plug-in sdk.
So you can look through it and see what they are doing. Also I looked through the blank plug-in provided in the sdk and all probing function are available. Below are links to the information I have cited above.


If any user reading this has any thoughts please share your input.


Thanks
Eric

http://www.wildhorse-innovations.com/in ... oductId=80
http://machsupport.com/docs/Mach3Mill_1.84.pdf
http://machsupport.com/plugins/GalilPlugIn.pdf
http://www.vitalsystem.com/web/motion/dspmc.pdf
eric282000
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:46 am

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by eric282000 »

there has been no response since my last post two weeks ago.
has their been any progress made on probing functions?
cnckeith
Posts: 7164
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Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by cnckeith »

Eric,

Hello. thanks for the good info.
we are working on it along with several other things!:-)
-K
Need support? READ THIS POST first. http://centroidcncforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=1043
All Acorn Documentation is located here: viewtopic.php?f=60&t=3397
Answers to common questions: viewforum.php?f=63
and here viewforum.php?f=61
Gear we use but don't sell. https://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_di ... _gear.html
diycncscott

Re: mach3 mpu11 probing

Post by diycncscott »

Hello Eric,

Have you tried the probing using Brains as they currently are? It very well may be that the I/O update rate is already acceptable. The issue you mention of Mach/Modbus only sampling 10 times per second does not hold true with our I/O. While we do use the Modbus "framework" in Mach for storage/addressing, we don't use the Modbus communications protocol at all. We use our own communications protocol that is much faster than the Modbus spec.

I'd be interested in hearing any results you may have.

As cnckeith mentioned, we are looking into other methods but it may be some time before we have the time to put it into a release
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