Lathe: 907 X Axis Travel Exceded

[friolator]

I’m not sure how many different ways to say this, but that’s exactly how I did the setup.

Should my X0 be the centerline of the part?

[cncsnw]

Yes, in local work coordinates, with any appropriate tool offsets applied, X0 should be centerline.

If the X diameter on your DRO display changes by only 12.75mm when you move from the surface of a 25.5mm bar to spindle centerline, then your turns ratio (mm/rev) is entered incorrectly. You would need to double the value you are using in order to get correct readings.

Does your machine really have just 25mm of available travel?

The software travel limit should be the total distance (actual travel, radius) from home to just short of the minus limit.

[friolator]

If the X diameter on your DRO display changes by only 12.75mm when you move from the surface of a 25.5mm bar to spindle centerline, then your turns ratio (mm/rev) is entered incorrectly. You would need to double the value you are using in order to get correct readings.

Aha! That was it. Thank you! My X0 is now the centerline and the program isn't faulting anymore.

The mm/rev number was half of what it should be. Looks like it was a vestige of my previous testing. I couldn't figure out why it was different from the Z axis, until I realized I had been looking at an old PDF printout of the Wizard configs, which was from when the machine was only partially set up. It wasn't the most recent one I had made, which worked correctly. This also explains the -25mm limit, which was measured using the halved mm/rev number. It should be 50.

<rant>
Which brings up something that really bugs me about the way upgrades have to be done on CNC12. As a (part time) software developer, it makes no sense to me to put the onus on the end user to manually re-enter all the wizard entries every time there's an update. There are a couple reasons why this should never happen:

1) It makes it far too easy to do something dumb like I just did, which cost me an entire day of puzzling through what was wrong.
2) It causes more work for Centroid support and for this community, to have to diagnose problems like this

IMO, the way it *should* work is that all of your settings should be saved in a neutral (to Windows) location such as the registry or a config file in an application support folder outside the installation folder, that's not affected when you install a new version. When the new version is installed, it looks for a previous config and automatically imports the data. This should apply to any preferences for CNC12 as well - I personally find the default blue background hard on the eyes. I'd prefer grey. but after every install (and doing some alpha testing on USB-BOB means I'm on my 3rd or 4th install in a couple weeks), it resets. Automatic import should apply to the tool library as well.

I know the response will be something along the lines of "the PLC code and registers are constantly changing so you have to start from scratch because of things that were deprecated or added." And I get that. But again, as a programmer, I would make it my responsibility to know that something was deprecated and to just handle that on import of the old files - doing any necessary translation to the current format from an old one behind the scenes. I get that it's more work on the dev side of things, but it really does reduce the support load if you can remove this kind of unnecessary data entry from the end user. It's just too likely to get messed up with a transposed number or a typo, or a missed checkbox. Or in my case, grabbing the wrong printout from the wizard, thinking it was current.

BTW - I understand that with pre-release software it may be necessary to do things the way it's done now due to constant flux of software in active development. But for people who stick to the final releases when upgrading, all this manual entry shouldn't be something they have to do.

Other than my Masso controller on my CNC router, I know of no other software that requires you to screenshot and manually re-enter configuration data after upgrading. Maybe it's an old-school CNC thing? Either way it seems like something that should be addressed.
</rant>

[suntravel]

Setting up Turn Ratio on a lathe:



Uwe

[suntravel]

I need only a few minutes to update CNC12 on a system with custom PLC and lots of custom files, its only a matter to be well organized.

On the other hand making updates click and prey, eh go, is a very big task for Centroid eating lots of expensive man days that are IMHO better spend to do something like making new functions the user will have a benefit from every day.

By the way, updating an customized ERP system is also not done with an installer
My current offer is two weeks two man...

Major update on the Mitutoyo 3D Measuring system was 2 days for the tech service, and no old programs could be used after the update.

Have you ever asked for updating an industrial CNC other than Centroid?

Uwe

[Nigelo]

Fully agree with Uwe. Updating CNC12 is very fast once you get used to it. My own record is just inside 30 minutes for my lathe, Router and Mill combined which all run on the same CNC PC.

As with most things in life, remember the 7 Ps - Proper planning and practice prevents p*** poor performance

[friolator]

I understand that it's how it's done and that you get used to it. People can get used to a lot of things that make no sense. Putting the responsibility on the user to manually transfer dozens of settings with every update is a recipe for increased support calls, which is more time (therefore money) for Centroid spent on helping to diagnose problems that could have been easily avoided in the first place.

We are all using CNC in order for the computer to do the work for us. Why is it any different to expect the software to work like basically every other application out there? Why is it that it's ok for CNC software to require the user to spend 15 minutes manually entering and reconfiguring with each new version when you don't need to do that with any other application?

What if every time you ran a Windows update, all of your system preferences were reset and you had to manually go back in and re-set them? Network settings, mouse and keyboard settings, screen savers, etc. It'd drive you nuts, and it would lead to a lot of people missing things and having problems. All of that is so easily avoided.

[suntravel]

any other application is just not right, there are lots of industrial applications that cannot be updated with one click and Acorn is a DIY CNC.

You also have the option, if you do not want to update yourself (DIY), to pay for support hours and let them do the update, like on any other industrial CNC.

Uwe

[friolator]

any other application is just not right, there are lots of industrial applications that cannot be updated with one click and Acorn is a DIY CNC.

Yeah, sorry but this a pet peeve of mine. It simply does not need to be this way. Software can be written to do whatever you want, it's a choice to make it work the way it does now.

There's no reason it can't be done in the way I've described. Far more complex software does it. It's just more effort on the development side.

[cnckeith]

any other application is just not right, there are lots of industrial applications that cannot be updated with one click and Acorn is a DIY CNC.

Yeah, sorry but this a pet peeve of mine. It simply does not need to be this way. Software can be written to do whatever you want, it's a choice to make it work the way it does now.

There's no reason it can't be done in the way I've described. Far more complex software does it. It's just more effort on the development side.

i have a list of 50 or so software features on the to do list, i've been constantly adjusting and weighing the priorities as the list grows and as features/projects get completed etc, the "easy update" button is on that list. we'll get to it! but right now we are working on these items

- USB BOB
- CNC12 Router , Spoil Board app, Tool height measurement methods Wizard page, Improve Auto squaring
- CNC12 Router for Hickory
- Ethercat to VFD
- Ethercat to Clearpath motor
- Fiber Laser