Homing/Softlimit issue. Help please.

[tenfrozentoes]

Issue with homing: (Please help)

1st- Mach3 seems to be ignoring the setting for homing/soft limits. I have it set to 0max -4min and it's allowing 0.0063“ until it stops due to reaching soft limits.

2nd- it's really slow- much slower than 20% of 350 IPM. Steps are calibrated and move accurately and at the correct speed.

Here's what I know or think I know...
100% new Mach3 install configured from scratch, if I execute a GCode program- it runs fine, when Mach3 calculates the toolpaths it properly alerts me if it's outside of the soft limits envelope (I intentionally set G54 at a POS of Z 20.000 to see), when I stop the GCode and attempt a manual jog- it immediately rapids back to being inside the phantom -0.0063 softlimit envelope but will resume properly and happily execute code outside of the 0.0063 range, Mach4 demo works 100%, UCCNC works 100% (just can't get smooth CV movements- ughh)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1559020 ... tid=NnVzG8

[tenfrozentoes]

Ok. Well I'm guessing the AXBB-e firmware is what is causing the issue. Everything works with a uc100.

Is there a way to select what firmware to load?

[cncdrive]

No, there is no way to select firmware.
The firmware is packed in the plugin and it supports the particular motion controller device and the PC side plugin version.
So a UC100 plugin won't work with the AXBB-E.

We will check the errors you described, but will need some time.

[tenfrozentoes]

Thanks for the reply. Let me know if there is anything else that I can provide.

Just to clarify my statement about the uc100- that was a whole separate control box, separate hardware, and just a simple BOB. (Sainsmart LV2). I only did that and mention that, because I was trying to rule things out.

One other thing to mention is that I also configured a 2nd computer with Mach3 (fresh windows install, fresh Mach3, and ucxx installer) and had exactly the same results.

I do not know/understand how the firmware addresses the axis - would it be possible that configuring the Z axis to new pins would affect any changes? If so- I could change some wires around.(?)

Let me first backup just a second and address the reason that I'm even trying to reinstall Mach 3: surface finish of cut surfaces while using UCCNC was not(is not) smooth. I have tried to achieve proper settings, and think I'm close, but I still can't get smooth motion from the trajectory planner of UCCNC. I 3d carve gunstocks and had just recently paid a considerable amount of money to have a few of my 3d models refined to absolute smooth models and took my sanding/finishing from 3 hours to about 30 minutes and the smoothed models actually ran faster in Mach3. So I was saving about an hour of machine time (off 5 hours) and 2 hours of manual labor. Initially UCCNC took 8.5hrs of machine time and a solid 3 hours (more I think) of sanding/finishing. I have gotten the machine time down to an acceptable time (less than 5 hours) but I just can't seem to get the motion as 'fluid' as I need in order to replicate the smooth surfaces of my 3d models.

So, maybe my question should be- can you help me with the settings for constant velocity and then I can continue converting all our machines to UCCNC and CNCDrive hardware.

Here are my current (best) CV settings:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XnoS39y7GTrhCgYw6

Thank you kindly,
Jim

[ger21]

First thing I would try is loosening up the error tolerances a lot. Try changing from .003 to .03.
I don't have any exact settings for you, but a friend of mine makes acoustic guitar necks and bridges, and when he went from Mach to UCCNC, he reduced his cut times by 30%, and quality was much higher.
Mach3 can be faster because it doesn't follow the toolpath as accurately. But it can also leave gouges in areas.

[tenfrozentoes]

I'm happy to try anything. I already feel like a kid in5th grade chemistry class pouring random stuff together.

I lowered my acceleration settings back to 24 and bumped my Vectric/VCarve 3d tolerances up to 0.0001“ (from 0.0004) and cut quality is pretty decent. Motion is actually pretty smooth but still lower quality than what I was achieving with Mach3 but I've got the machine times about equal.

I think I'm heading back to the Mach3 camp and will regrettably need to also purchase a new motion controller because of the issue I'm having with this AXBB-e (and Pokeys57cnc prior to that). Likely a ESS but who knows- maybe that'll just present a new set of challenges. I'm actually considering Mach4 even. Ughh there's just not much wind filling my sails right now and I need to be making parts and not experimenting....

[cncdrive]

The CV settings are described in the UCCNC users manual.
You can set them tight if you want low tolerances, but then the machining time will be slow or you can set them loose and then the tolerances will be higher so the machining quality will be lower.
I can't tell you the proper settings, because it depends on what tolerances are acceptable for your application and what machining time is acceptable for you.
You have to find that out yourself. Unfortunately there is no magic, we cannot figure this out for you because only you know your applications and what is the best for you.
And the settings are in "Units", so if your application allows e.g. 0.001 inches tolerance then you shouldn't set it higher than that ofcourse.
Then knowing the tolerance you have what setting is acceptable for you.

Or as you sad you can go back to mach3 and live with the unexpected accelerations overload and unknown tolerances issues.

[cncdrive]

And one more thing is that UCCNC usually let your machine accelerate safely with higher acceleration than MAch3.
This is because Mach3 has a bug in the trajectory planner and so it overruns the accelerations and deccelerations, so what acceleration setting works fine with Mach3 is basically a lower value then what works fine with the UCCNC. Because e.g. if you set 1g acceleration then mach3 will sometimes accelerate with up to e.g. 2g, so however this means that the particular machine is capable to accelerate with 2g you can still set it only to 1g with Mach3 as it will sometimes use 2g and so you cannot set the value higher then 1g.
UCCNC does not have a bug like that, it always keeping the set acceleration in mind and so if you used 1g acceleration with that example machine then you can set it 2g with UCCNC.
This will result in a faster path execution which your machine is capable of doing as it already proven that it can handle MAch3's buggy higher accelerations.

The problem is that how that bug exactly works in mach3 is unknown, I mean the ratio of how much mach3 overaccelerates and deccelerates with the different settings is unknown, but it is sure that the larger the difference between the acceleration value of 2 axis the worst it gets.
We measured up to about 8x overaccelerations with extreme settings when one axis had very low and the other very high acceleration.
So, unfortunately you will have to trial and error the max. acceleration, but it is sure that the UCCNC can do higher accelerations than mach3 with any settings.

[tenfrozentoes]

Okay. Yes I'd like to revert back to using Mach3 on this machine. Can you tell me if there has been any progress on getting my issue ( as described in original post ) fixed.

I think it is safe to assume that there are others that are successfully running Mach3 on the AXBB-e without this issue. (???) So that either points to an anomaly with my hardware or it's firmware. I have tried this AXBB-e with 3 separate computers and get exactly the same results. Certainly there must be something at my end that I can provide to help diagnose the issue? I'm happy to provide what ever information you require or complete whatever test you desire. Please ask I'll promptly get that to you- but right now running Mach3 on the AXBB-E is just shy of painful.

[tenfrozentoes]

Pfft!


I can solidly handle bumpy roads and flat tires- but repeatedly receiving radio silence is for the birds!

After a month- you haven't so much as asked for a screenshot or a log file or a ? or a ?.......