Messages

16

General Discussion / Re: setting up limity switches and homing.

« on: February 27, 2017, 02:46:28 PM »

Well, clearly, I didn't have it configured like I thought I did originally.  I followed your directions and everything is as it should be.

I am still unclear on how to home the machine coordinates.  I see how to home the work coordinates, but not the machine.  This might be a Mach4 question.  (or a "don't worry about it" thing since I almost always set my work home in the exact middle of my work)

17

General Discussion / Re: setting up limity switches and homing.

« on: February 27, 2017, 02:19:06 PM »

Thanks for your response.

I guess I am not understanding the relationship between the db25 and the 12 connector ports  on the g540.  What you lay out is pretty much what I thought I started with when I discovered things were not lining up, so I guess I changed the wrong thing.   On the 12 port connector, I have the e-stop between port connector 10 and ground.  You're saying that that port number doesn't have anything to do with which pin number I select?  If that's the case, I see how I can get things confused. 

I will go back and lay it out exactly how you suggest. 

I guess the part that still throws me is that the limit switches, now currently plugged into port connector 1,2 and 3 on the g540 12 port connector, how does the g540 know which is X, Y and Z.  Does it assume that there are wired in exactly that order?  (they are, actually)

I guess this brings up the next question, so I will ask it now.  I would like to use my touch sensor (cheap amazon touch plate).  Can I use that with the g540,  the 411 and Mach4, or is the tough plate for Mach 4 a bigger deal than the little cheapee can handle.

18

General Discussion / setting up limity switches and homing.

« on: February 25, 2017, 06:00:15 PM »

I have pulling my hair out trying to understand how to setup limit switches and homing.  Seems that everything i find wants to address this as if I have a ESS instead of the gecko g540 and the PMDX 411.  Did I screw up and buy the wrong combination of components?  Is there any docs out there that explain this process in terms of g540 and 411?   I try to extrapolate what I should do from the  ESS stuff I am finding but it's just not working.  I try to setup the limit switches for  X, Y and Z and the e-stop, but when I run diagnostics in Mach4, what I am seeing is not remotely what I am trying to do.  I've learned a good bit from Daz"s videos but again, he has the ESS and that is of no help on this problem.

For instance..
I have set E-Stop enabled, SmartBOBUSB, and Pin10.   On the g549, I have the Estop connected between connector 10  and ground
I have motor0--(x) enabled, smartbob, pin11  and on connector 1 on the g540
I have motor1-- (y) enabled, smartbob,pin12  and on connector 2 on the g540
I have motor2++(z) enabled,smartbob,pin13  and on connector 3 on the g540

but in m4 diagnostics...
when I trigger X min switch Emergancy lights up
when I trigger Y min switch X- limit (output) and m0- limit (input) ilghts up
when I trigger Z max switch, Y-limit (output) and M1-limit (input) lights up
(the e-stop is working in that it must be untriggered for anything to work but just reflects wrongly in diagnostics)

What the heck am I doing wrong and where can I find docs to show me how to do it right?  At this point,  Mach4 docs and vids seem to all think I have Mach3 and/or ESS

Charlie Chisholm
when I trigger y min switch,

19

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 23, 2017, 07:24:58 PM »

Reinstalled mach4 and the PMDX plug in and everything seems to be as it should.  Now, getting everything configured is the task

Thanks for all your help.

20

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 20, 2017, 07:18:43 PM »

Now I'm wondering if I should start all over with reinstalling Mach4.  I don't want to step on my license files.  Is that safe to do?  (or even appropriate at this stage)

21

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 20, 2017, 07:16:26 PM »

 Sorry, timing has made these messages a bit confusing.

No, I do not remember Mach4 asking me which screens to load.

22

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 20, 2017, 07:14:36 PM »

When I ran the install, it updated my firmware successfully, so I have to assume the 411 is communicating with my computer.  I went to 5.1 in your quick start guide, paragraph (6) and ran Mach4 Loader again.  There is no new PDMXmill profile.  There is only a PDMX Simple and a PDMX-424 Simple.  I chose the latter since I don't have a 424 and I still get the Problem loading Screen: Screens/wx4.set  error.  I tried the 424 with the same result.

Do I need to just start all over again?

23

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 20, 2017, 06:48:49 PM »

Sheese ..... Stupid is what I do best.  It was waiting for me to click OK.   Duhhh

24

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / Re: screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 20, 2017, 06:45:55 PM »

I do actually have 4.2.0.3233 (as stated in my original question).

Both M4 icons were installed on my screen.  (The loader was installed on another part of the screen so I missed it until your response).

The loader came asking for a profile.  I created a new one and selected the wxrouter set.  I then got the motion control device selection screen.  I checked the PMDX-SmartBOB-USB and now, for the last 10 minutes or so, I've been staring at the Windows spinning donut.  Is that pretty normal?

25

SmartBOB controllers and dedicated accessories / screen set missing after installing PMDX SmartBOB for the 411 controller

« on: February 20, 2017, 05:55:12 PM »

I followed the directions, downloaded the smartbob plugin.  Two icons were installed on my desktop...PMDX Simple and PMDX 424 Simple.  I went for the former and and got an error message saying there was a problem loading the "Screens/wx4.set"  and then nothing but a blank white screen.  This every time I use the icon installed by PMDX.  There is fact no wx4.set in the Screens folder.

Admittedly, I am new to both Mach4 and to PMDX, so no problem believing I screwed something up.

I also plugged in the 411 usb cable before realizing I wasn't suppose to, but I never did get a message indicating it was new hardware.  Not sure if that has anything to do with the problem above.

Windows 7
Mach4 version 4.2.0.3233