Mach 4 with ESS

[boydage]

Couple of questions for some help please:

1: I have added in an ATC Spindle. This I have setup with a main pneumatic solenoid followed by a 5 way (two of them actually for safety) solenoid for tool change. I am unsure how to toggle the main pneumatic solenoid in the program what do other people do to enable the pneumatics? I could, just have a switch. It needs to be on at all times I want to use the spindle. Just not sure what to do with this one. The wiring I have completed I am just running it off a pin output on one of my BOBs. I am just not sure when/how its best to actuate this to on.

2: My drivers alarm circuits are all N/O. I have one circuit for E-Stop, all of it N/C one big circuit that anything can break to raise an E-Stop. How do I go about adding an additional E-Stop into my program, I was unable to find an additional E-Stop input. Sure, I have a bunch of input pins available but I dont know how to program it in. The only other option is a use a relay to change the parallel N/O outputs of the drivers to N/C and add that into the primary E-Stop. I was unable to assign multiple input pins to E-Stop. Thats my problem.

A little help on this one please. First time user for Mach 4 lots of experience with Mach 3.

Similar Threads:

• MB3 ESS and MACH 4 two servos on one output not possible ESS reset velocity C
• Part's for Mach 3 PMDX ESS
• Mach 3 to Mach4 and ESS
• Need Help!- Mach 4 and ESS Limit/Homing Configuration
• Mach 3, ESS, Tormach 1100

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
not sure what a 5 way solenoid is or how it would be used. How about posting some data on the solenoid?

The ESS has 51 IO's, so there should be plenty of inputs available. You do not need a second Estop, but rather assign an input signal, say ISIG_INPUT20 and when or if that signal is triggerd
then have it cause an Estop. It does require about five lines of Lua code.....but that's what it's for. What breakout board or boards are you using?. You may need another if you don't have any spare
inputs left. The code looks a bit like this, it goes in the SigLib table at the top of the screen load script. Note also that because you program it you can select active high OR active low, you don't need
any device to change the sense of the signal.

[mc.ISIG_INPUT20]=function(state)
   if(state==1)then
      mc.mcCntlEstop(inst)
   end
end,

I have allowed for six axes in my machine, with each axis having a separate alarm input to the ESS. That way not only does any one or more of them cause an Estop but I can tell what axis caused the fault.
That does of course require six separate inputs to the ESS, but that's cool, I have the ESS arranged with ports two and three as input dominated, and thus I have a total of 31 inputs and 20 outputs
and I have a breakout board that allows all of them to be used.

One of the absolute strengths of Mach4 is its ability to be customised to suit your machine, but that will in turn require that you learn a bit of Lua, learn to use the API and about the structure
of Mach4. It is a learning curve to be sure, but it's very satisfying. Often quite complex functional behaviours can be achieved with less than a dozen lines of code. There are plenty on the Mach4
General Discussion board to help with your first coding attempts.

Craig

[boydage]

Its a standard 2 position 5 way pneumatic solenoid. Its interesting actually I have been unable to get a standard 2 way 2 position solenoid to open/close at any pressure above 0.5mpa when its rated for 0.8mpa. So I am using a 5 way that uses pressure to move the piston - well so does the 2 way but it just clicks with no open/close.. Anyways I have attached the pneumatic diagram that came with my ATC. I have added in an additional 5 way solenoid and blocked off the first circuit.

Basically, my setup, I need 2 x valid signals to my pneumatic bank open my tool changer. I have also added in a pressure switch in the tool change line that if on the event both solenoids fail during ops, and I get pressure in the tool change line, my VFD E-Stops (if running). Along with a bunch of safety interlocks. Machine needs a valid tool locked signal before it can start the VFD etc etc.


I have been asked to program a Raspberry Pie at work last week. Need to learn that as well as Lua - darn. So little time but you are correct its the way to gain the most out of this controller. Hey presently? I have zero idea even where to put that code. Do I put it in the signals folder? I will have to research that. 50yrs old and still deep into learning.

Along with the M files. Am I correct I need to fill my macros folder with the M files I am going to need? M7 for example, there is nothing there for my mist. So I need to write one and put it in the macros folder under my username once the pins are mapped. Correct?

Hey thanks Craig. Its a never ending journey.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
I need to study the tool change solenoid a bit more.

I have zero idea even where to put that code. Do I put it in the signals folder?

Read the SignalScript PDF in this thread will get you started.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/in...?topic=40051.0

Craig

[boydage]

Coolcool. Here is the 5 way 2 position solenoid. As I said I have plumbed in 2 of them for redundancy. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3269...46aff19cVJzHbU

Out of the several safety interlocks. I have one that is an output of the spindle being 24vdc when the tool is locked. If the tool is locked, 24vdc applied to one of my relays. On the other side of the relay, I have the 5vdc power to the PWM converter. So each time the tool is out, power to the PWM converter is cut off. Watching it all in action, the PWM converter is constantly being powered on and off again - it works. I cant see a problem with it. What do you think?