ATC Plugin? <resolved>

[LSGreen]

Yes, Thank you. the file is acting normally now.

[cnckeith]

ok.. then looks like all that was wrong was the original license file sent to you did not contain the ATC feature. sorry for that mix up, i think a few license files got out the door this way during the first days after the AcornSix release.

[LSGreen]

Well I was a early purchaser of Acorn Six and its software so that explains it. No Problem, all's well that ends well.
Thanks Lou

[jedmill67]

Hi Keith, I seem to be in the same boat as LSGreen, I was also one of the early Acornsix adopters. I'm just now getting to installing my ATC, (trying to work out the logistics of an axis driven ATC, challenging getting a macro working) and I am getting the same error message "ATC plug in required for M107 Functionality". I purchased the Pro license with the board. I'd be grateful for any help you can render me. I've included a report, let me know if I should include a copy of my license.

[cnckeith]

Hi Keith, I seem to be in the same boat as LSGreen, I was also one of the early Acornsix adopters. I'm just now getting to installing my ATC, (trying to work out the logistics of an axis driven ATC, challenging getting a macro working) and I am getting the same error message "ATC plug in required for M107 Functionality". I purchased the Pro license with the board. I'd be grateful for any help you can render me. I've included a report, let me know if I should include a copy of my license.

no problem, sorry for the hassle, try this one.

[jedmill67]

Keith, thank you so much for the quick reply, it took me till now to implement the new file. That file took care of the "ATC plug in required for M107 Functionality", thank you!

[jedmill67]

Hi Keith. I was really hoping the License file would fix this other issue I'm having with the ATC as well. It is an axis based carousel ATC driven by a closed loop stepper motor and a worm drive gear box, labeled U axis. I realize that some macro edits will be needed and maybe PLC edits, (really hoping to avoid PLC edits to make future upgrades less complicated) I really wish the wizard could configure the PLC and macros to work, maybe some day. I have seen some videos of these axis based ATCs working so I'm hoping its possible for me too. In the mean time I am having trouble with getting the carousel to move under macro or MDI control.

I can force the output with the ALT i control menu, and it responds just fine, and I can see it even triggers the carousel in and out limit switches. But an M94 /80 or M95 /80 has no effect nor does a direct M80 or M81 call in MDI. Is there some preparatory commands that need to be in place? I've written a very basic program to just physically move it through the motions, but it gets hung up on waiting for "Carousel In". It is configured as "CarouselIn" with the wizard in the output 3 spot, the PLC defines it as:

Line 2272 M80_SV IS SV_M94_M95_80; (CarouselIn)
Line 2273 M81_SV IS SV_M94_M95_81; (CarouselOut)

When I run the 'as is' M6 macro, the head goes up, spindle orients, comes down to tool change height, and it sits waiting for the carousel to come in.

I have hooked up a dummy cylinder so I can manually move the carousel and trip the in and out limits and when I do that the macro continues on to release the tool and return to the Z 0.0 position and then stops and is waiting for the carousel to advance to the appropriate tool position. That is kind of where I expected to start in modifying the macro since at that point the macro is written to simply waiting for the OK from the tool changer to proceed. But instead I am stuck at trying to figure out why the carousel won't move on its own.

I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure what's wrong with the carousel movement, I could really use some help. please let me know if this should be a new thread. Thanks again.

[Allin1Chris]

I can force the output with the ALT i control menu, and it responds just fine, and I can see it even triggers the carousel in and out limit switches. But an M94 /80 or M95 /80 has no effect nor does a direct M80 or M81 call in MDI. Is there some preparatory commands that need to be in place? I've written a very basic program to just physically move it through the motions, but it gets hung up on waiting for "Carousel In". It is configured as "CarouselIn" with the wizard in the output 3 spot, the PLC defines it as:

Line 2272 M80_SV IS SV_M94_M95_80; (CarouselIn)
Line 2273 M81_SV IS SV_M94_M95_81; (CarouselOut)

When I run the 'as is' M6 macro, the head goes up, spindle orients, comes down to tool change height, and it sits waiting for the carousel to come in.

Hello, During an M6, is both the VFDZeroSpeed Input and SpindleIsOriented Input a solid Green (On) in Alt-i menu? These two inputs are required to be on for the Carousel to move in to the spindle.

In addition, M80/M81 will not move the carousel outside of a Tool Change which is determined by M94 /7.

[jedmill67]

Hi Chris. Yes, the VFD zero speed is enabled and working. I have that incorporated into my M19. I also have feedback from a limit switch that the spindle is oriented.

So they both have to be green for the carousel to respond huh? Would it mess that up if one needed to be inverted to work properly? In other words, is there a way they be wired in such a way that you can’t adjust it in the wizard? I’ve tried to wire switches as NC to help protect from issues if a wire were to break it would be less likely to cause a serious problem.

The carousel actually did move on its own a couple times. It did the proper sequence up till it came into the spindle but as soon as it came it it went right back out. I was so excited that I neglected to identify what was different about that attempt and then I couldn’t repeat it.

Interesting about the M94 /7 being required. So there’s really no way to actuate the carousel through the MDI line then? I was just trying to use that to trouble shoot it.

[jedmill67]

It's working! The carousel came in on its own! Very strange, I was going through the Alt-i menu and noticed that memory bit 75 (CarouselOutState_M) wasn't responding like it had been. I found somehow input 5 had gotten set to ATC_ToolCounter instead of ATCCarouselIsOut. Fixed that and also realized I needed to manually set the BIN numbers for all the tools I want in the carousel. Now it's going as far as expected.

Now I just need to write a new macro to move the U axis (the axis I choose to be my carousel) instead of a separate PLC doing the work and telling the M6 macro that the carousel is at the requested tool. I'm very open to any suggestions on how to go about that, maybe someone has done that already? Maybe I should post a new thread on that.