New Machine Build- The innevitable upgrade

[BobF]

Originally Posted by emtffkev I had been reading the other thread near the top of the forum about speed controlling a router and was wondering what effect using an after market speed controller on a router with a speed control built in? i.e. if I set the router to its minimum of 18k rpm and then use an aftermarket speed controller to lower it down even more...should that work? That way I can have more of a range with the same router?

Don't think it will work. The aftermarket speed controls I have seen say they won't work if the router has softstart. The one I have gives less than satisfactory results. I wouldn't recommend it.

[emtffkev]

Alright everyone...ITS DONE!!!

I have finished the router and it is awesome, I do however have 2 problems I'd like to look to you for ideas on.

1. Everything works great electrically, however occasionally my Z Axis will go the wrong way than what the input is telling it to... i.e. I may be jogging down with the Z manually, stop, and start to jog back up and it will go down again. When it does this if I stop, and try again it will go the right way. This also does it during automated operations while running code. This is bad as I've had it try to raise the Z to "safe at 1" above the peice and go straight down instead... Any ideas?

2. I have lots of ideas for items to cut, however I am VERY new to this aspect of it and I am completely lost when it comes to actually going from idea to G-Code...I have access to AutoCAD and Solid Works for design through my school and I have a few demos of Cam programs and haven't locked into one I can figure out just yet. I have a good background with AutoCAD and as new as it gets with solidworks. My basic question is...what do I have to do to draw the item in cad, then what do i need to do to import into CAM and export the G-Code? Any tutorials out there? I do have access to mastercam and I have lazycam that came with mach3 on my laptop.

Thanks a million!
-Kevin

[ger21]

1) noise somewhere.

2) I wrote an AutoCAD macro that will export g0code direct from AutoCAD, 2002 or newer.
http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodwork.../AC2GCv039.zip

[emtffkev]

Gerry,

Thanks for the quick response...Now my rebuttle questions lol...

1. You'll have to excuse my ignorance, but the electronics are probably my weakest point when it comes to this CNC thing...I understand noise, but how do I break it down to where and what is going on?

2. No questions here, just a big thank you...Any specific way I have to make my design? Just a 2d drawing, 3d viewed from the top? (I guess I did have a couple questions lol)

[ger21]

Just lost a big post.

Anyway, it may not be noise, that was a guess. check the voltage on the direction pin when it's acting up. Should be 0V in one direction, 5V in the other. Also, try increasing the direction pulse width.


There's a simple .pdf manual included in the download that explains the features. If you have any questions, there's a thread on it here, http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8226 , or PM me.

Basically 2d polylines and circles, but it will also follow a 3D polyline as well. View shouldn't matter, but if objects are dran at a Z location other than 0, then the Z location will be the depth of cut. Explained in the .pdf. Check it out and see if it answers your questions.

[BobF]

Another CAM program you may want to try is VCarve Pro from Vectric. You can download a free trial version at Vectric.com. It works with dxf files as well as others.

[emtffkev]

Good news and bad news...

Good news is I think I had an "Ah Ha" moment when it comes to generating the gcode from my cad designs...

Bad news.....My Z axis is still going through its terrible two's and doing as it pleases. I tried checking the Z Dir output, but the problem is that it is spuradic when it does this and I have now way to test it unless I monitor the z dir during an entire program. I can't go on with this just ramming itself down into my table as it pleases so this is my top priority now...

[Gir]

Good news and bad news... Good news is I think I had an "Ah Ha" moment when it comes to generating the gcode from my cad designs... Bad news.....My Z axis is still going through its terrible two's and doing as it pleases. I tried checking the Z Dir output, but the problem is that it is spuradic when it does this and I have now way to test it unless I monitor the z dir during an entire program. I can't go on with this just ramming itself down into my table as it pleases so this is my top priority now...

Have you checked the voltages yet? It could be that your parallel port isn't outputting a high enough voltage and may be on the hairy edge of the signal being a 1 or a 0. Or, on the contrary, the board may have an unusually high threshold voltage for it to be considered as a 1, the opposite for 0.

[emtffkev]

Checked that and all seems to be within normal limits...Also if it was a voltage problem with my parallel port, wouldn't I have problems on all 3 axis rather than just my Z?

[emtffkev]

Ok, I fixed the problem on accident I think, I haven't been able to get the machine to recreate the issue so...we'll see how it goes.

Next problem and it's probably a simple one. I am using EMC to control the router, and Mastercam to create the toolpaths. For some reason when I post the .nc code file it throws errors up in EMC stating that there is an unrecognized g-code...the whole .nc file is using n codes not g codes...did I do something wrong?

[ger21]

If the first letter of each line is an "n", those are probably line numbers.

[randallcasters]

Originally Posted by emtffkev Ok, I fixed the problem on accident I think, I haven't been able to get the machine to recreate the issue so...we'll see how it goes. Next problem and it's probably a simple one. I am using EMC to control the router, and Mastercam to create the toolpaths. For some reason when I post the .nc code file it throws errors up in EMC stating that there is an unrecognized g-code...the whole .nc file is using n codes not g codes...did I do something wrong?

Plus you have to find out if there is a post processor written for MC to EMC,
and if so, what version of mastercam it was written for. If older than the version
you're using, then MC has a utility that will automatically upgrade it.

You'll get all sorts of problems if that's the case.