Decel/Accel

[jdnoe]

Can someone help with the accel/decel in camsoft? I have v15.2, I think, professional edition. I can set up the Galil parameters with DMCSETUP and the axis works great. I set CNCSETUP with identical parameters for the accel and decel, but when the CamSoft runs, the axis accels up to half way of move and then begins decel until it gets to the end of the move. When the parameters are viewed on the Galil card, nothing has been changed and axis works fine with Galil commands thru the DMCSETUP. Can someone give me a little advice? I have set RAPIDSPEED in startup.fil along with ACCEL and DECEL paramters to match what is on the Galil. Does the CamSoft suppose to change the parameters on the Galil card? I cannot send commands directly to the galil thru the Diagnostic page. Thou before a G0 or G1 is given in MDI, I have to send COMMAND LM to keep from getting an error from the galil card. I chose G14.

COMMAND LM
G14

Can someone offer advice? Thanks.
John David

[Karl_T]

You have an old version of Camsoft Pro. This may be a tough one, it might be worth buying the maintenance from Camsoft just to solve this one.

obviously, Camsoft and the galil card aren't communicating correctly. Can you see what firmware you have on the Galil card? If its not current, try to upgrade the firmware.

Can you also add this command in several places:

RESPONSE
This command returns the last response back from the motion card to the variable specified.
EXAMPLE: RESPONSE \55

Then either use MESSAGE command or read logfile to tell us what answer you're gettting.

maybe others will have some good suggestions also.

Karl

[jdnoe]

I will go try this. I will let you know what it says.

[jdnoe]

You have an old version of Camsoft Pro. This may be a tough one, it might be worth buying the maintenance from Camsoft just to solve this one.

obviously, Camsoft and the galil card aren't communicating correctly. Can you see what firmware you have on the Galil card? If its not current, try to upgrade the firmware.

Can you also add this command in several places:

RESPONSE
This command returns the last response back from the motion card to the variable specified.
EXAMPLE: RESPONSE \55

Then either use MESSAGE command or read logfile to tell us what answer you're gettting.

maybe others will have some good suggestions also.

Karl

Karl, I added the RESPONSE \58 (unused parameter) after the RAPID in the G0 Code and after GO in the G1 Code. I created an M-Code that I could call after a move was finished. I also added RESPONSE after COMMAND ER ,,,-1 in my STARTUP.fil. I cannot get anything from the Galil. I do know that COMMAND LM does work. I have to send this as a G14 (unused G-code) before any move can be made with G0 or G1. After that one call, I do not have to call it anymore. I set RAPIDSPEED in my STARTUP.fil file at different values with no change. Although my JOG is working correctly now after I manually set the parameters on the Galil card. The JOG had been as sluggish as the G-Codes before. As for the Galil firmware, I couldn't find it although I really don't know how to get it out of the Galil.
The CamSoft package was originally on a 3-axis vertical mill with a variable spindle. Just before I got here, the mill was scraped and now we are retrofiting the package on a 4-axis horizontal mill without a variable spindle.

[keithorr]

have you tried to master reset the galil card?

[Karl_T]

let's do one thing at a time. Check your firmware first. here's a link
http://www.galilmc.com/support/download.html

Go to the bottom of the page.

I think you're in over your head on this one. I'd suggest contacting Camsoft about support.

Karl

[keithorr]

let's do one thing at a time.
Karl

The first thing to do is hit the master reset button on the card to expunge all the parameters. CamSoft will reset everything from its setup file.
A mix'n'match of galil and camsoft prameters might be the problem. A reset shouldn't hurt anything. I've done it many times.

[jdnoe]

The codes below work great in CamSoft. I do not think there is a parameter mismatch. Maybe, but I don't think so. I have painfully checked and double checked the card parameters against the CamSoft parameters. I have reset the galil many times. Does anyone know exactly what happens when the RAPID command is given in CamSoft?
And I don't think I'm over my head with the Galil. I have worked will Galil cards for 8 1/2 years now. It's this CamSoft. Who knows what the RAPID and GO commands are doing!

QUESTION HOW FAR TO MOVE X?;\58;\58
COMMAND SHX
COMMAND PRX={\58}
COMMAND ACX=199680
COMMAND DCX=199680
COMMAND SPX=50000
COMMAND BGX

-----M15

QUESTION HOW FAR TO MOVE Z?;\59;\59
COMMAND SHZ
COMMAND PRZ={\59}
COMMAND ACZ=90112
COMMAND DCZ=90112
COMMAND SPZ=90000
COMMAND BGZ

-----M16

X axis has 40960 cts/inch and Z has 18964 cts/inch.

[HillBilly]

Who knows what the RAPID and GO commands are doing!

RAPID is a move at traverse with accel and decel

GO is a move at feedrate without decel and accel
(unless proceeded by a DECELSTOP)

Check out G10 and 11

I take it this is a Gilbert Horizontal.

Darek

[HuFlungDung]

That is a strange way to run your Camsoft interface. If you are using native Galil commands, there is a good chance that you are going to have to command some kind of vector speed with each movement, or else the card will continue movement at the last known speed that it was using (I think).

I would also think that you might have a lot of difficulty getting smooth contouring to go on with a bunch of native Galil commands going into the card, because Camsoft will essentially be drip feeding what you wrote, instead of feeding the buffer with the moves.

If you were programming a contour in native Galil commands, in Galil memory, you would create a list of movements one after the other, and the card would execute them seamlessly, but in your Camsoft logic samples, this is not how it is going to appear to the card.

So ditch the native Galil language and use what commands Camsoft provides.

[jdnoe]

I wrote the M-Codes just to see if I could move the axes correctly manually in CamSoft, and it worked, the axes accel and decel were good, but with the RAPID and GO command they did not work well at all.
I do appreciate everyone's help. I did find the problem this morning. The vector accel and decel were set to low for these high count encoders. Anyone know exactly which parameters the CamSoft sets on the Galil at start-up? It seems that I have to set the parameters on the Galil thru the DMCSETUP program and then run the CamSoft to see any changes. Like accel and decel settings in CamSoft doesn't change the settings on the Galil. I did set the CamSoft parameters to match what is on the Galil. That kindly confuses me.
Again, thanks to everyone. I'm sure I will have more questions.
And yes, it is a late 70's model Gilbert. It still had the AB7320 on it. It is all on a pallet now.

[Karl_T]

Looks like you've firmly established that you have a communication problem. There's a ton of possiblilites where the problem could lie, almost a three ring circus. I'll list the ones I can think of and leave it to you on the best way to work though them.

1. OS problem - I seem to remember camsoft being very luke warm on XP back with your old 15.2.

2. driver problem. There have been many known occurances of The camsoft Galil driver being messed up by Galil's galil driver. Again, the problem was worse back at 15.2

3. Software install bug. reinstall both Camsoft and new firmware on Galil.


4. setting some obscure parameter wrong in the galil card. I chased this one for weeks because my TEST SPINDLE and SPINDLE RPM command didn't work.

5. on the galil 1700 card there are dip switches to set for communication - long shot.


6. I'm sure there are others. This is more like a computer networking issue where there are many possiblilties.



My personall approach would be to go nuclear if I didn't find it quickly. New or reformat HD, new OS install, latest version of XP. Latest version and new install of both camsoft and galil. New default .cbk (at least at first for testing). New galil firmware. You wouldn't know what the problem was but this would get it for sure.

Karl