SIMPLE MACRO QUESTION

[JMECKES]

We are setting up a program in a sub-spindle lathe for parts where some get tapped in one end and some in both. We are using a simple macro where 1= a tap in both ends and 0= not tapping the part in both ends:

IF[#509 EQ 1]GOTO 10
IF[#509 EQ 0]GOTO 20
N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

A fairly simple direct approach, right?
What we found by "accident proofing" the program is if the variable is anything other than a 1 (ex. 22) but not 0, the control will read right thru the variables like they weren't there and continue to N10. We were expecting an alarm to fire at that point. I know that we could put in a conditional branch to set off our own alarm, but were very surprised that when the control didn't see either it didn't throw it's own. It does work as expected with the 0.
We've tried this on both a Fanuc 21i and 18i and it reacts the same.
Anyone else run into this issue?

[beege]

Looks like, if you follow the logic, if #509 is any number other than 0 or 1, it will just step thru each block, with no re-direction at all.

IF[#509 EQ 1]GOTO 10
IF[#509 EQ 0]GOTO 20
#3000=1(CHECK VARIABLE # 509 FOR EITHER A 0 OR 1)
N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

and get your alarm.

[stevo1]

As Beege has already pointed out the conditions were not met so the program will not jump. This is not abnormal. That is how the code works. If the conditions are not met you cannot expect an alarm. Look at it this way. If you were expecting an alarm to generate because the condition was not met then imagine if #509 was set =0 the program would alarm out on IF[#509EQ1]GOTO10.

You could add more conditions as you stated so it will alarm or jump to a message something like
IF[#509GT1]GOTO()
IF[#509LT0]GOTO()
IF[#509EQ#0]GOTO()

However Beege has the perfect example of how it should be set.

The question you should probably ask yourself is why is #509 set to something other than 1 or 0 if you are using it. Correct that problem first.

Stevo

[JMECKES]

Thanks Beege
I guess we assumed that the control had some sort of embedded code where if it didn't have the proper information it would alarm. Didn't think of the lack of re-direction. We did in fact write in our own alarm.

[Andre' B]

If you just want to turn the tap cycle ON or OFF I would likly do it like this.
If you want it to tap make sure #509 is a 1, anything else and it skips the tap cycle.

IF[#509 EQ 1]GOTO 10
GOTO 20
N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

[ProProcess]

If you just want to turn the tap cycle ON or OFF I would likly do it like this.
If you want it to tap make sure #509 is a 1, anything else and it skips the tap cycle.

IF[#509 EQ 1]GOTO 10
GOTO 20
N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

You could take it one step further and say that if #509 IS NOT = 1 then skip...

IF[#509 NE1]GOTO20
(TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

[stevo1]

Now we are splitting hairs. That’s why I love macro’s.

Everything suggested will Net the same result. I would just like to throw in my 2cents as to why I would use Beege’s suggestion based on my experience.

If you are going to designate a variable for a specific function then the proper checks must be made to ensure that it is set to a value in the range you are expecting. Depending on how much user interface the macros have you want to be able to halt an operation if something is amiss. That is what Beege’s suggestion does. If #509 is used as 1 or 0 and nothing else then stop the program if it is anything other than 1 or 0.

If #509 ends up being something other than 1 or 0 then something or someone has changed the process and it should be stopped to verify what is happening.

This may sound unbelievable but I have gone into shops to setup or streamline and I have seen the same variable used for a check in 1 macro and a Z clearance in another. Disaster!!! Don’t get me wrong I have made my share of mistakes. On a large project of having about 30 programs run together with all of the variables constantly changing I lost track of a lot of the current and changing values of them and had to insert a small sub to actually clear them out before running a process.

Stevo

[guru]

How about something like this..


N1
#100=ABS[#509]
IF[#100 GT 1] GOTO 11
IF[#100 EQ 0]GOTO 20
GOTO 10

N11
( ....INVALID ENTRIES, TRY AGAIN ...)
M00
GOTO 1


N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

[Mongkol]

Dear All,
If I need to learn VB to control mach3 for lathe&mill,how to begin? pls advise.

Mongkol

[stevo1]

Yup...that will work to. Same result as Beege below except its less code. The other thing you have to remember is that if #509 was set to null then #100 would be null and not all controls would view null=0 when comparing in a IF statement so you would have to have another IF statement to account for null.

How about something like this..
N1
#100=ABS[#509]
IF[#100 GT 1] GOTO 11
IF[#100 EQ 0]GOTO 20
GOTO 10

N11
( ....INVALID ENTRIES, TRY AGAIN ...)
M00
GOTO 1


N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

IF[#509 EQ 1]GOTO 10
IF[#509 EQ 0]GOTO 20
#3000=1(CHECK VARIABLE # 509 FOR EITHER A 0 OR 1)
N10 (TAP ON SUB-SPINDLE)
N20 M30

[stevo1]

Mongkol...you are best off starting a new thread asking that question. I believe there is a mach3 forum here that you could post it on. Most people are not going to be looking for your question in a thread not pretaining to your question.

Dear All,
If I need to learn VB to control mach3 for lathe&mill,how to begin? pls advise.

Mongkol