Software build versions - Mach4, ESS

[difalkner]

I am a geek by trade and profession, or was for 25+ years. Now I'm just a regular geek, no longer my profession. I'm a woodworker with a full shop of tools - much better!

But I have rarely been one to jump on and must have the latest, greatest software/hardware/toys, etc. It's fairly normal for me to keep software up to date, at least as it relates to operating systems, but not necessarily apps and production software. I'm still using MS Office 2007! Hey, it works... if it ain't broke don't fix it, right?

So after I cut a couple of Longworth chucks this morning it seemed like a good time to see what versions I was running of Mach4 and ESS. Turned out it's been a while since I moved to newer builds of these two critical pieces for running the CNC.

The Mach4 build was 3804 and I installed it a year ago. It's not even listed on the FTP site now! There have been dozens of builds released since then. Same with the ESS; I installed version 193 in May 2017. That was before I even finished building the CNC - old stuff! LOL!

So I checked the Warp9 website and the newest ESS build version is 253 and they recommend using it with Mach4 build version 4322. There are newer releases but this is the latest Mach4 version that ESS has been paired with for compatibility.

The updates went smoothly except for one minor detail - Go To Zero no longer worked in Mach4. I could force it to work by manipulating some mapping and motor assignments but I really didn't want to do that. So I dug into the Lua programming and modified the code attached to that button and now everything works as it should.

Anyway, it was an interesting exercise and now I have the latest and greatest build versions, or close enough for now.









David

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[dovetail65]

You seem to know Mach4 a lot better than me.

Answer me this if you can(or anyone if they know). In Mach 3 I could "feed hold" and then use the jog key to adjust the spindle , even change the work coordinates on the fly during the "feed hold".

For example, I would do this during feed hold to fine tune say my Z Zero height half way though a tool path run.

In Mach 4 I simply can't do anything once I click "feed hold" at all. I can't jog etc(Yes keyboard jog is enabled) let alone adjust the work coordinates during the feed hold. Possibly mach3 was never supposed to work that way and my older version just did? With Mach4 I have to hit stop, which seem to work, but I do think I may lose a step or two verse using feed hold doing that.

Is this a Mach4 thing or some setting I don't have set up in Mach4?

[ger21]

Use Feedhold then Stop, and you won't lose any steps.

Can't answer your other questions, except to say that I'm surprised that Mach3 let you do that during a Feedhold.

[difalkner]

I've never tried the Feed Hold, usually just wait until the cut is finished and then adjust Z height for a second pass. But then, most of my jobs are short run time so it's not long to wait.

David

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
I use Mach4 regularly. When a Gcode program is running the trajectory planner is under control of the Gcode interpreter. The ONLY way
the Gcode interpreter can release control is to stop operating.

You could hit the <Stop> button but you will almost certainly lose steps, the correct procedure is <FeedHold> followed by <Stop>. Then you can jog to your
hearts content. <CycleStart> will restart the Gcode from where you left off....but heaven help you if you change any of the Gcode modals when you jogged,
if you used MDI to jog then its highly probable that you changed one or more of the modals. In that circumstance you should use Run-From-Here.

Craig

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
amongst the things that have changed since the earlier version of Mach4 that you had been using is that the Lua compiler is now 5.3 version rather than 5.2.
All scripts must be recompiled against the later compiler, and that usually happens automatically but not always. If you get errors when Lua scripts are loading
it is highly probable that this is he source of the fault.

Craig

[dovetail65]

Thanks for that.

My issue now is it stops the spindle and I prefer it didn't. I guess it safer, but I need to get used to the lag time and make sure I restart the spindle by hand first. Clicking cycle start does fire up the spindle but it doesn't start it fast enough to get up to full speed before the cycle start makes the plunge to start cutting. Using mostly 1/16" bits that means breaking the bits. When I first start a file this is never an issue only after I click feed hold stop and then cycle start again does it seem to start to cut slightly before the spindle is up to speed.

If I could put in a lag time from when I click cycle start to where the spindle was up and running a good 10 or 20 seconds before the spindle made a move to cut at all would be good. Or for me even better once I click feed hold that Mach 4 knew the next click to stop didn't turn off the spindle, unless I maybe clicked stop twice.

I need to learning how start customiz Mach4 for myself I guess.

[difalkner]

This may be a dumb question, but why do you hit Feedhold, and where is it on the Mach4 screen. I cut a Longworth chuck this morning and just a quick glance but I didn't see a Feed hold button (I assume it's a button).

David

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
when you hit <FeedHold>it gives the buffer a chance to drain its buffered motion, max 180ms with the ESS by default.
If you hit <Stop> or <Enable> without first <Feedhold> the motion commands in the buffer are discarded and therefore Mach has lost reference,
undesireable.

Craig

[joeavaerage]

Hi,

If I could put in a lag time from when I click cycle start to where the spindle was up and running a good 10 or 20 seconds before the spindle made a move to cut at all would be good

That can be done. Make another <CycleStart> button that you would use after stopping (feedholding) the machine for any reason. The new and improved
cycle start button would start the spindle and execute a fixed delay, or if you wish a more sophisticated solution use the signal ISIG_SPINDLE_AT_SPEED
with the API mcSignalWait(). That would wait for the spindle to spin up and ONLY then would the motion begin.

Craig

[ger21]

Feedhold is like a "Pause" button. Use it when something doesn't seem right, but you don't want to hit the Estop.

[difalkner]

Yes, I get what Feedhold does but I just didn't see it on the Mach4 screen. I only glanced for a second while I was cutting Longworth chucks yesterday but I'll be cutting more this morning and will look again.

David

Edit - never mind! Fired up Mach4 to cut a Longworth chuck and the first thing I saw was the big yellow Feedhold button.