UCCNC owners and support thread

[shorton]

Trying out UCCNC

CNCdrive - motion controls

Have several questions, wanted to see if others can assist:

1. I'm trying to understand if I can implement a probe based homing routine for my Z-axis like I have in Mach3. And how to do it. Ideally make a button for it like I have in Mach3.

2. The manual mentions a screen modification guide? Anyone know when that will be released? I only use 3 axis, be nice to remove the other 3 axis stuff.

3. When trying UCCNC on my laptop, the default zoom level for my part, the part is pushed off the bottom of the screen. Bug? Configurable?

4. What are the keys/controls to rotate the toolpath view? if any.

5. I imported my setup from Mach3 per the author instructions. I have not attached this PC to my machine yet, but in toolpath view, demo mode, the tool seems to be moving slower than it should be. Will the xml import properly pick up all the speed & acceleration parameters from Mach3, or will I have to redetermine and set the axies from scratch?

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[dubble]

Hi,

Thank you for your interest in our software.
Answering your question:

1.) You can make buttons. There are custom button codes from codes 20000-20999, these buttons can call the same macro numbers directly,
so for example button with a code 20000 calls the M20000 macro which is a .txt script file in the profiles/yourprofile_macros folder.
If you create the M20000.txt file and put some script code into it then pressing the button will call and execute this macro.
Currently there is no homing function available in the scripting language, please see the Macro_capability_detailed.htm file in the documentation folder of the UCCNC installation,
it lists and describes the functions. Also you can check the macros in the macros folder to get some idea about the programming syntax.

2.) The screenset is loaded by the UCCNC in the following way:
- When you start the UCCNC, it first loads the profile file.
In the profile file there is a key:
[Screensetsettings]
mainscreenfilename=Defaultscreenset
This defines the name of the screenset file, in this case the name of the file is Defaultscreenset, the extension is always .ssf and this is also a textfile with script inside.
The screenset files directory is the /screens folder.
The screen file has functions for the TAB screens, backgrounds, buttons, labels etc. definitions.
Basicly what is on the screen is all defined in the screenset file.
The functions in the screenset file are yet undocumented though.
3.) Please post that code to let me check.
4.) The toolpath can be rotated with using the mouse, not with keys and also with the buttons on the screen.
Move your mouse pointer to the toolpath viewer. Pressing and holding the left mouse button down and moving the mouse will move the toolpath drawing.
Pressing and holding the right mouse button down and moving the mouse will rotate the toolpath drawing.
Pressing and holding the middle mouse button down and moving the mouse up/down will scale the toolpath drawing.
5.) This question is a bit complex, so let me just give you some ideas.
- The tool center pointer always shows the actual position, so how it moves is always how the machine moves.
- I advice to check the actual feedrate DRO to see the actual feedrate, I mean watching the toolpath I'm sure you cannot really determinate the exact feedrate actually ongoing, better to check the number in the DRO.
- The UCCNC imports the Mach3 accelerations and velocity parameters for the axis correctly and exactly, but you may revise that looking at the config page of the UCCNC.
- If your code is built from lots of segments and if the motion profiler is in exact stop mode then it just can't accelerate up and you can set it to constant velocity mode.
The constant velocity mode in the UCCNC is much more configurable in the UCCNC as in Mach3, so you may also want to tune some parameters on the configuration->general configuration page to make the constant velocity work the best for your machining jobs.

[dubble]

One more info about your homing question, you can home all axis once pressing the home all button on the screen. The homing sequece is then defined in the config, on the configuration->general settings->homing sequence. Also you may home the individual axis pressing the individual homing buttons on the screen, those are the red target icons on the screen, right next to the axis DROs.
And you may make as many homing buttons for your Z-axis to any position and with any size and to any tab page where you want with editing the screenset script file and adding a row which defines a homing button.

[shorton]

Thask for the quick reply. I'm walking ou tthe door for a short trip. I'll dig into these and reply as soon as I'm back.

re #3, (When trying UCCNC on my laptop, the default zoom level for my part, the part is pushed off the bottom of the screen) you said: "Please post that code to let me check."

What code do you wna tme to post exactly? I don't understand the ask. I can send a screen shot to show?

To reiterate what I'm saying and be sure I was clear: If I have a simple round part for example. Say a 4" circle and the amterial is 4x4 rectangle. The default zoom position showing that circle on-screen has the bottom of the circle cut off. So I can' tsee the whole part in the viewer window. I can zoom out and then pan to get it to fit. If I press the [ ] button to get it to zoom extent (I assume that is what the indent of that button was), it goes back to the original way, chopped off at the bottom.

[dubble]

Ok, have a nice holidays and when you'll be back, please e-mail me or post here.

About the zoom level: I though you could post the g-code file, so I could load the file here to check if the same "drawing partly offscreen" issue happens here, if it does then we could use that code for debugging and to see why it happens.

[shorton]

Re zoom level. Here is the simple file, and a screenshot. Laptop resolution is 1280x800



LazySusan.zip

[dubble]

Thanks for the code and for the information.
I took a look and really the camera distance is a bit too close in the OpenGL viewer with this example code, so the drawing is a bit off the screen with the default viewing distance.
We did not notice this yet, because we all working in millimeters and not in inches and this toolpath would be very small if in millimeters, only 6.8x6.8mm,
so we did not test the viewer with this small objects.
But now that we know about this issue will try to fix it in next release of the software.
Till that you can click on the viewer with the middle mouse button, keep it pressed and move the mouse up/down to zoom it out as nessessary, so you could see the whole toolpath.

[shorton]

I looked at the macro documentation. I can do very, very basic C++ but it appears to be pretty difficult for me to convert my homing macro. My macro is a slight modification of someone elses work. With limited skill in gcode and C, I'd likely screw it up.

If you get bored and can do it

'VB Code Start
'-------------------
CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818)
DoSpinStop()

ZMove = 5.00 'Total lenght of Probe to move before Stop or no Contact Made.
ZOffset = 0.059 ' Plate Hight
ZSal = ZOffset + 2.00 '+ Free Hight, Will possition the Proble 2 MM over the Material.

StopZmove = 0
If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then
 ' DoOEMButton (1010)
  Code "G4 P1" 'wait 1 sec
  Code "G31 Z-"& ZMove & "F25"
  While IsMoving()
    Sleep(200)
  Wend
  Probepos = GetVar(2002)

  If Probepos = - ZMove Then
    responce = MsgBox ("**ERROR** " , 4 , "Probe **ERROR**" )
    Code "G0 Z10"
    StopZmove = 1
    Code "F" &CurrentFeed
  End If
  
  code "G0 z" & probepos +.1
  Code "G31 Z-"& ZMove & "F5"
  While IsMoving()
    Sleep(200)
  Wend
  Probepos = GetVar(2002)

          
          
  If StopZmove = 0 Then
 
          
    Code "G0 Z" & Probepos
    While IsMoving ()
      Sleep (200)
    Wend
 '   Call SetDro (2, ZOffset)
    Code "G4 P1"
    'Code "G0 Z" & ZSal
'    code "G53 z-.1"
'    Code "(Z zeroed)"
    Code "F" &CurrentFeed
  End If
Else
  Code "(Check Ground Probe)"
End If
Exit Sub
'-------------------
'VB Code Stop


'code "g31 z-10 f10" '
'While IsMoving() 
'Wend 
'code "G92 Z0" 
'code "G0Z3" 
'While IsMoving() 
'Wend 
'code "g92z0"

[dubble]

This is not a homing, but a probing macro.
Take a look at the M31 macro in the profile folder, basicly it does the same as your mach3 macro you posted.
It moves to a defined XY position (position of the probe on the table) then the Z axis down, touches the probe and then retracts the set height and finally go back to the original XY position.
Also there is a button for this on the default screenset, it is kind of a pictogram icon next to the P1,P2,P3 (go to park position) buttons.
Here is the code of the UCCNC M31 code:

//M31 probing macro

double probeX = 200;
double probeY = 300;
double Zmin = -100;
double Feedrate = 100;
double SafeZ = 100;
double retractheight = 10;

if(!exec.GetLED(56)||!exec.GetLED(57)||!exec.GetLED(58)) // If machine was not homed then it is unsafe to move in machine coordinates, stop here...
{
  MessageBox.Show("The machine was not yet homed, home the machine before run to parking position!");
  exec.Stop();
  return;
}

while(exec.IsMoving()){}
exec.Wait(200);

double Xoriginalpos = exec.GetXmachpos(); // Get the current machine coordinates
double Yoriginalpos = exec.GetYmachpos(); // Get the current machine coordinates

exec.Code("G00 G53 Z" + SafeZ); // Move Z up first
while(exec.IsMoving()){}

exec.Code("G00 G53 X" + probeX +" Y" + probeY); // Move to the probe sensor position in XY
while(exec.IsMoving()){}

exec.Code("G31 Z" + Zmin + "F" + Feedrate); // Move to the probe sensor position in XY
while(exec.IsMoving()){}
exec.Wait(200);

if(!exec.Ismacrostopped()) // If tool change was not interrupted with a stop only then validate new tool number
{
 exec.Code("G44 H1"); // Load tool offset one, note the tool lenght is defined in the tools menu
 while(exec.IsMoving()){}
 exec.Wait(1000);

 double Zup = exec.GetZmachpos() + retractheight;
 if(Zup > SafeZ)
 {
   Zup = SafeZ;
 }
 exec.Code("G00 G53 Z" + Zup); // Move 10mm above probe plate
 while(exec.IsMoving()){}
 exec.Wait(1000);

 exec.Code("G00 G53 X" + Xoriginalpos +" Y" + Yoriginalpos); // Move back to the original XY position
 while(exec.IsMoving()){}
}

[shorton]

Thanks, I'll try that out.

[1Jumper10]

Hi - I've just finished up building my first CNC router and I'm controlling it with UCCNC. The motion control programming is all very new to me but I'm learning it slowly. I am having trouble getting UCCNC configured properly to control my spindle. I have a Chinese 2.2kw spindle and variable frequency drive. I am using a GECKO G540 stepper driver. The GECKO G540 replicates an analog signal to control the spindle speed. UCCNC outputs a PWM signal for speed control. Is this compatible? How do I configure UCCNC to control my spindle? Thanks for the help.

[dubble]

Hi,

If you will control the VFD with analog signal then you will have to set the spindle in the UCCNC to PWM mode on the Configuration->axis setup->spindle page and set the PWM pin to an output pin, that pin will supply you a PWM signal proportional to the spindle speed you will program with the "S" code. Also you can set the direction to a pin which will be a digital pin and you can use that to change the rotational direction of your motor. If you always run the spindle to one direction then you may omit this connection.
And you will also need a start signal for the VFD, you can configure that to the M3 relay pin, this pin will activate when your spindle gets turned on with the M3 code, so this will enable and start your spindle if the S code was also programmed to a level which the VFD will read as a valid analog input voltage range to run the motor.

Also you might need to change a few parameters in the VFD, you have to configure the analog input speed reference signal source to the screw terminals on the VFD where you will connect the analog/PWM signal.
And you will have to configure the start/stop signal also to the screw terminal.

Please remember that all of these signals needs to be isolated, so do not connect them directly, but use a breakout board which isolates these signals with optocouplers!

If you will set the PWM frequency high enough then you do not even have to pass the PWM signal through any low pass filter, you may connect the PWM directly to the analog input of the VFD,
because the VFDs has some filters, so if the frequency is high enough then the PWM signal will be nicely avaraged by the VFD, so it will look as an alaog signal proportional to the duty cycle of the PWM.
Please keep in mind that the optocupler has a cut frequency, so how high frequency you can use without signals distorsion will depend on your BOB and the optocoupler the manufacturer used.
If they used a slow, cheap optocoupler then you can set the PWM freq. to a relatively low value and then low-pass filter the signal on the output side with a single RC filter.

I think thats all. and I hope it helps.

[dubble]

One more thing, is that I think the G540 probably doing the low pass filtering and the opto coupling of the PWM signal, but you should check this with Geckodrive to be sure.

[1Jumper10]

Dubble. Thanks for your reply. I believe i have the PWM settings configured correctly. Also the Gecko G540 connections are opto isolated. So far i still have not gotten UCCNC to control my spindle. I have UCCNC PWM output set to pin 14 which is where the GECKO G540 wants to see it. The PWM frequency is set at the default 900. To test it I sent an M3 command and a speed setting of 24000 rpm. I then measured voltage on the G540 on pins 7 and 8 and got 9.97 vdc. This should correspond to maximum output speed of ~10 volts and it did. I then stopped output with the M5 command and checked voltage again and it was ~ 0vdc as expected. I then set speed to 12000 and sent an M3 command and checked voltage again at pins 7 and 8 and got about 5vdc. Again as expected. So im confident that the PWM signal is working correctly.

But im not sure if i have spindle relay output configured correctly or if i even need it?
Will need to research the VFD settings more i think. I will post my findings here. Any other advice would be appreciated.

[1Jumper10]

Ok I've successfully started and stopped the spindle with the software. I did have to add a relay to provide the forward run signal to the vfd. The relay closes with the M3 command and opens with M5 and this starts and stops the spindle.

[1Jumper10]

I still cannot control the spindle speed. I have verified that i have a proportional 0~10vdc signal on the correct pins of the vfd. I strongly suspect it is a parameter setting on the VFD. But i have a question about the PWM frequency setting in UC CNC. The default was 900. Ive tried 50, 400 and 900 and none worked. I dont think this is why I cant control spindle speed but what should i have it set to?

[dubble]

Hi,

Good to hear about your progress.

Well, previously you have already measured that the Voltage is changing proportinally on the output from the UCCNC when you command different S keywords,
so it can be seen that the UCCNC is outputting the signal.
Now it should be only a question of VFD setup to make things work.
If the VFD does not respond to that analog voltage command then it gathers the speed information from a different source,
in most cases this could be an analog potentiometer on the VFD key console or digital setting programmed with the VFD keypad etc.
Setup (program) your VFD so that it listens to the analog command on the analog input screw terminals, it should be a setting in the VFD and
most VFDs has a different default setting, mostly the default setup is that it listens to the programmed speed code on the VFD keypad, but the default can differ by brand and model of the VFD,
I advice you to dig into the VFD manual and find the parameter which sets the speed reference source.

[1Jumper10]

Yes, ive been reading the manual intently. But, it's difficult because the translation from chinese to english is not very good. Will post when i get it configured properly.

[dubble]

The optimal PWM frequency depends on 2 factors:

1.) The optocoupler's cut frequency.
This means that if your optocoupler which isolates the PWM signal is slow then you have to set the frequency lower to let the signal pass without much distorsion.
2.) The VFD input filter's time constant.
This means that however the VFD requires an analog voltage as input for the speed ref. a PWM will do, because the analog input always have some filter.
If you set the PWM freqency too low lower or just close enough to the input filter time constant built into the VFD then the VFD will respond to the PWM fluctation
and your spindle speed will be changing even if the PWM duty cycle is constant, because the VFD will follow the PWM signal as it is too slow and the filter will not filter the change out...

I advice to try different freq. settings and settle with a value where you get the correct and proportional RPM change on the whole RPM range and also where the fluctation of the speed (Hz)
is about zero when the PWM duty cycle is constant. You will sure find a large range of Hz which will fit these criterias.

[dubble]

You mentioned you have a chinese VFD and if you have the Huanyang VFD then I have looked it up for you quickly that the analog command source is PD002 parameter and value 1 means the screw terminal will be the analog source.
And with PD070 you can program if the signal has a 0-5Volts or 0-10Volts amplitude, 0-10Volts is value 0 for this param.
So, I think if you set these 2 parameters then it should work.