Time delay command for tool changer?

[greeder88]

Is there a time delay command in EMC2?
I would like to use time delay on a tool changer instead of limit switches.
Need to move pneumatic cylinders and if I can allow 3 seconds to complete the move before the next one starts I free up a lot of switches.

If there is how do I implement it?

[chester88]

How are you controlling the tool changer now? Classicladder , a HAL component , or a user M-code script? Classicladder has timers, HAL has a timedelay component . M-code scripts I'm sure can do a time delay or could even use G4 (dwell) as a time delay (not a very good final solution but an easy way to test.)
See the Manual (or man pages) for specific info.

[greeder88]

I will use M code if I can get a handle on it. Chapter 12 in the manual is about as usefull as Custer saying "Go West Young Man". I sure could use an example of a simple custom M command. What to put and where? Say for example I have a solenoid wired to pin "X" and want to turn it on for 2 seconds and off. Anyone know how to do this? Where did you find the information? Do I put something in my hal file? Do I need something in my ini file before I put something in my hal file? Without examples I'm lost.

[chester88]

Here is the html manual (this is for EMC 2.3) entry about user M codes:
http://www.linuxcnc.org/docs/2.3/htm...:M100-to-M199:
I think It is actually in the user manual that comes with EMC.
Anyways I think that if you add 'wait 2' after the hal comand, then the BASH script will pause for 2 seconds (I will have to try this later gotta go to work!)
Did you thind this entry in the manual? Specific questions about the example?

[Switcher]

I don't run EMC2, will ( G04 P3000 ) or ( G04 F3000 ) work?

[greeder88]

I have my tool changer designed but I need EMC2 to talk to it. Here is what I did:
Made the tool carousel the 4th axis. Basically a rotary table. I rotate to any tool I want.
The G code "G0A1.0" selects tool #1 on the carousel or "G0A8.0" selects tool #8.

I control the loader arm with 3 pneumatic cylinders in a series of 9 canned commands to load and 10 to remove a tool. I do this with 3 pins (On-Off). I need a delay to allow a move to finish before the next one starts. I am thinking two M codes. M101 to remove a tool and M102 to load a tool.

The M101 would power pin 1,2,&3///remove juice from pin1/// remove juice from pin 2///Power pin 1/// etc. The /// is a 2 second delay.

[Switcher]

Like I said before, sounds like you want to add some "Dwell Time", I don't run emc2 so all I can go by is whats on the .net.

Anyway, this link says emc2 Dwell Time works the same as most cnc controls I've used.

G4 P Dwell (no motion for P seconds)

So I'm thinking what you need is something like this:

( G04 P2000 ), for every one of your /// (The /// is a 2 second delay.)


.

[kudos]

if u want a delay in an m code u can do

sleep 2.0

this will sleep for 2 seconds but this is not in real time memory so it can be + or - a few hundred milliseconds depending on the computer etc
i would stay away from Mcode tool changer if this is a machine of any size/power etc use Mcode to test a changer or have a manual way to get out of it in MDI only if it gets stuck etc


so for exsample u could do this to turn a classicladder function input on and off with a 2second delay

say we want M101

make a file called M101 in NC_Files folder
make it executable (see EMC Gcode manual)
add these lines

#!/bin/bash

#tool changer Mcode functions
#turn a hal pin on and off

halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-26 True
sleep 2.0
halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-26 False

exit 0

u can change the classicladder.0.in-26 to any other pin u like or any otehr halcmd i belive too.

hope this helps

can you do a
G0 A1
M06

feed the M06 from HAL to classic ladder and back when tool is changed?

hope this helps

[greeder88]

Just what I was looking for! Great examples! The G04P2000 is good but the sleep 2.0 is better. So I can make a file like this:

#!/bin/bash
#tool changer Mcode functions
#turn a hal pin on and off

halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-24 True
halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-25 True
halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-26 True
sleep 2.0
halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-24 False
sleep 2.0
halcmd setp classicladder.0.in-25 False

#on and on until complete

exit 0

Put it in the NC_Files folder , call it M101, make it executable, and it will
run any time I add a M101 to my cutter program?

Sounds too easy.

[chester88]

Originally Posted by greeder88 I have my tool changer designed but I need EMC2 to talk to it. Here is what I did: Made the tool carousel the 4th axis. Basically a rotary table. I rotate to any tool I want. The G code "G0A1.0" selects tool #1 on the carousel or "G0A8.0" selects tool #8. I control the loader arm with 3 pneumatic cylinders in a series of 9 canned commands to load and 10 to remove a tool. I do this with 3 pins (On-Off). I need a delay to allow a move to finish before the next one starts. I am thinking two M codes. M101 to remove a tool and M102 to load a tool. The M101 would power pin 1,2,&3///remove juice from pin1/// remove juice from pin 2///Power pin 1/// etc. The /// is a 2 second delay.

This is exactly what Classicladder was made for.
Personally i would have classicladder completely control the turret and cylinders. There is a sample idea on this page:
http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emc...er_tool_turret
Though that is for a stand alone program (doesn't use EMC) but could be the basis of what you want. It connects CL to a step generator and CL commands the positions directly. Then I would connect it to EMC so normal tool change (T and M06) calls talk to CL.
But if the M code works for you then thats all that matters!

[kudos]

justa ward of warning
as the file is pins 24, 25,26 will all turn on pritty much at the same time give or take a few nS so be carefull see ur feeding classicladder so maybe u have timers there

Once i have my Toolchanger working in classicladder i plan to add it to the emc wiki for others to reference as a starting point

[greeder88]

Simplicity is my goal in life so M code is a winner. Now comes the problem of disaster planning. After the cycle is complete the machine needs to know that it all went well before it starts milling my $500.00 block of steel. How do I add a limit switch checker command? I need one switch to know that the cutter actually came out of the spindle and isn't still stuck before it starts cutting and I am in the house watching tv. It needs to go in the M command at the end before M3 spindle start.