MDI & t & s issues?

[howling60]

So, I have run into a complication recently. Pretty sure it is not in my code as i'm not able to find anywhere this might happen.. but, figured i would post up, as it's over 3 hours before the guys are into the office over @ camsoft.... darn this whole "being on the east coast" thing..

anyway...

my issue:
was running my machine in a self-made jog routine to face off a part, was no need for a full program. opened up the MDI window, issued S300 M3, spindle turned on, no prob.. I then opened the MDI window again and issued an M8 to turn on my coolant, and the spindle shut off??

So, i did it again, only i ran a log file. In my timer file, i set a variable \13=s and then did a logwrite \13. placed this in several places just to make sure I captured what was going on. Now, from what my log file generated, as soon as the MDI window was "run" with my M8 code, the s variable was set to 0. I know that my code does not touch this variable, not directly anyway.

I believe this is also occuring with my t variable, as i've been trying to troubleshoot my new tool change logic, and have been finding my t variable at zero, after having given it a tool number.

I don't believe the other control packages we have running here @ our shop act this way, and I am pretty stumped on what's going on here. Any thoughts, ideas, confirmations?

Thanks gang!

-Nate

[HuFlungDung]

Nate,
The way I understand how it works (frome experience only, not really knowing what is underneath), is that whatever is in the MDI window actually represents the same thing as a full fledged program running.

So I suppose that for safety sake they simply re-initialize several important variables every time time you press "Run" in MDI.

The reason I think this is as follows: in CNC (Pro ver14.7), if you edit a program in MDI and press RUN, then Camsoft runs that program as a new program. If you forget to press "Save", then the edits you made in the MDI program will be lost on shutdown, because Camsoft is not running from the saved edition of the file on your hard disk, but rather from the MDI temporary file. I think you can find this file somewhere, should you actually need to rescue an edit, but it gets overwritten with each new iteration of MDI + Run.

Thus, when editing a program, press Save in the MDI window, then go and reload the newly saved program from its location on the hard disk.

[HillBilly]

Originally Posted by HillBilly I can tell you from personal experience this control will run the same program different depending if you are in auto, singlestep or MDI mode. In MDI mode if I do not enter the current FEED, SPEED and TOOL with each line they are returned to ZERO. I made this macro to overcome this but is must be in every G or M code used. [[MDI]] t=\79 'Always make T variable 79 IFs=0THENs=\82 'If S has been cancelled reissue it IFf=0THENf=\83 'If F has been cancelled reissue it \82=s 'If S has changed set variable 82 to it \83=f 'If F has changed set variable 83 to it DISPLAY1 t DISPLAY4 f DISPLAY5 s Darek

This was from a previous post.

[Karl_T]

FWIW,

I just tried this on my Pro control. It works as expected, not as you describe. Not much help, but it indicates it must be in your logic. I'm curious what it is.

Karl

[HuFlungDung]

Nate,

If Karl is correct, I was going to suggest that you look at your InputIO.fil for logic pertaining to a coolant pushbutton, but I see from reading your post, you must not have a manual coolant button?

Have you exhausted all available buttons in your GUI? It might be a thought to transfer control of coolant to a function key, just to save the aggravation of having to turn it on and off in MDI. Just take it as a suggestion, not a solution for this problem.

[HillBilly]

Originally Posted by Karl_T FWIW, I just tried this on my Pro control. It works as expected, not as you describe. Not much help, but it indicates it must be in your logic. I'm curious what it is. Karl

If you are not using +/-10v for spindle speed control, issuing the M8 will not turn your spindle off. If you MDI "G1 X2.0 F10" then MDI "X3.0" your feed will not stay modul.

Darek

[camsoft]

Hello Group,

Both HuFlungDung and Karl hit this right on the head. Their advice is correct.

Both Feedrates and Spindle speed are initialized to zero upon each time you enter a new session of MDI with out saving.

However, once in MDI it runs the same as any normal program and the feedrate and spindle speed are modal and do not need to be re-entered. The guidelines in MDI for modal are the same for a normal G code program.

M8 will turn off your spindle, if your tell it to, but M5 is usually set up for spindle off instead of M8. M8 is usually coolant off.

The advise given by HuFlungDung for coolant on/off was good. The best approach for coolant on/off or any on/off switch is to select between one of the provided Function Key, Click in bitmap of switch, Touch Screen button or Physical button on a hand held or mounted pendant.

Tech Support
CamSoft Corp.
(951) 674-8100
support@camsoftcorp.com
www.cnccontrols.com

[howling60]

my m8, is actually calling up external coolant, not being used as a spindle stop. I have also made an on-screen button for coolant purposes, just used an m8 @ that point, kinda glad i had, as it brought this question up. HuFlung, Karl, Hillbilly, thanks a whole bunch for your thoughts & advice, Camsoft, thanks for the confirmation. It is all much appreciated. Till the next issue arises! Have a good day!

-Nate

[howling60]

HillBilly:

i'm gonna go and plop that macro into my control.. if you dont' mind. As i've been becoming increasingly frustrated by the resetting to zero of those variables. I know it was put in as a safety, and i can understand that.. but it's interferring with how i want this retro to run :P

and, thank you all for input.. as always it helps in some way.. even if its not how it was intended

-nate