Anybody know Mach brains with Ajax?

[please no smoke]

Scott at Ajax is on vacation and I am making a push to get this project done. Their work week is now over and I have lost another week on this.

Physically the wiring and such are done. Now I am trying to configure IO and modify brains. I find the documentation better than it was 6 months ago but still not there yet.

I am having problems getting help with general questions, so I will see if anyone can help with some specific examples.

For example, if you look at the basic " Ajax Coolant" Brain. On the left there is an Output 3, and 4. If you click them they seem to be Mach outputs. Digging thru the manuals I con't find where or what these are.

The other Outputs? on the left are Mod bus in the high 780's. Looking at Ajax output table 7.2 it says 768-1023 are jog panel outputs. How is that documentation? That's crap. There should be a list so I know what's going on.

Any help on this might get me on track and keep me from shooting the mill.

Thanks

[TOTALLYRC]

Originally Posted by please no smoke Scott at Ajax is on vacation and I am making a push to get this project done. Their work week is now over and I have lost another week on this. Physically the wiring and such are done. Now I am trying to configure IO and modify brains. I find the documentation better than it was 6 months ago but still not there yet. I am having problems getting help with general questions, so I will see if anyone can help with some specific examples. For example, if you look at the basic " Ajax Coolant" Brain. On the left there is an Output 3, and 4. If you click them they seem to be Mach outputs. Digging thru the manuals I con't find where or what these are. The other Outputs? on the left are Mod bus in the high 780's. Looking at Ajax output table 7.2 it says 768-1023 are jog panel outputs. How is that documentation? That's crap. There should be a list so I know what's going on. Any help on this might get me on track and keep me from shooting the mill. Thanks

Hi Please no smoke,
The outputs can be found under the config tab then go to outputs.
You will need to map the output to the pins you want it to connect to.

The modbus can get more complicated but it is not unsurmountable.

How about a screen capture of the brain and more details on exactly what you are trying to do.

Also exactly what hardware that you are using including links to the owners manual.

Mike

[please no smoke]

I think that Ajax does not use the ports and pins from mach. I think they do it mostly with brains. To simplify my problem..I want to write a brain that does something when the G-code m6 (tool change) comes up. How do I do just that?

[TOTALLYRC]

Originally Posted by please no smoke I think that Ajax does not use the ports and pins from mach. I think they do it mostly with brains. To simplify my problem..I want to write a brain that does something when the G-code m6 (tool change) comes up. How do I do just that?

Depending on exactly what you want to do you could modify the M6 macro and incorporate what you want to do in the M6 macro.

In brains there is an led called tool change wait that may help. #806

If you tell me exactly what you want to do it is a lot easier to help.

Mach has the options of ignoring the M6 all together or wait for you to change the tool. This is on the config tab under general config. Top left corner.
Hope this helps,
Mike

[ger21]

I looked at this last night for a minute. As Mike said, set the Brain to activate when LED806=1.

I believe you'll need to have Mach3 set to "stop and wait" during a tool change for that LED to work.

[please no smoke]

Thanks guys. That was what I was looking for. So when mach waits for you to change the tool. Is there a button you (what button) do you push to tell mach that the tool is changed and to proceed.

I am attaching the prelim of what I want/ need to do. I may just command a z move (not sure how yet) to the TC position to save on reading the tc in position prox and the z home switch. This program will just operate the power draw bar the TC is a future project.

Thanks

[TOTALLYRC]

Cycle start is what you hit when you manually change tools.

If you change tools at the z home sensor I just put in a g28. This will move all axis to their home switches.
I think a g28.1 z can move just the z but I am not sure.

Mike

[please no smoke]

Can I call that in brains or is that something you do in mach?

[TOTALLYRC]

I am not sure if you can call g-code from a brain.
What i do on my machine is put a M05, M09 into the code to stop the spindle and coolant. Then I put a G28 and then a M00 to put the machine at the home switches and then pause. Once I have changed the tool I push start and away I go.
When you get the atc your best bet would be to modify the M6 Start and end macro's.

Mike

[please no smoke]

FYI, This is what I got as a reply from AJAX. I am still hoping they look at my program I posted on their forum to see if my program is correct.

"Please no smoke,

That is correct. You can home the machine using the Mach software by issuing an M92 command.

M92 Pxy Quv Rst
x, u, and s states the direction you will be homing - 0 for positive, 1 for negative.
y, v, and t states which axis you will be homing.

Examples:
M92 P1
Moves the 1st axis in the positive direction until the 1st_axis_+_limit is tripped and then it backs up until it sees the encoder's index pulse.
M92 P13
Moves the 3rd axis in the negative direction until the 3rd_axis_-_limit is tripped and then it backs up until it sees the encoder's index pulse.
M92 P1 Q2 R3
Moves all three axes simultaneously until the 1st_axis_+_limit is tripped, then the 2nd_axis_+_limit is tripped, then the 3rd_axis_+_limit is tripped. Then it backs up the 1st axis until its encoder's index pulse, then the same thing for the 2nd and 3rd axes."