Synchronous output with M205/M206 THC Macros

[beefy]

Hi Balazs,

I mentioned before about having a 2nd synchronous laser output for fully external THC controllers like the Neuron (THC disable input), and you said that would be easy to do.

However, a more custom approach for THC would be an output that automatically goes high/low synchronously with the M205/206 macros. This would mean you don't have to add the extra laser output commands together with M205/206.

Then UCcnc is ready for such fully external THC controllers and in addition gets to keep the existing laser output for synchronous torch control. The Neuron slowly seems to be gaining in popularity.

Cheers,

Keith.

[cncdrive]

Hi Keith,

I understand the request, what I do not understand is what is the benefit of doing the THC disable externally when the UCCNC can already do the same internally?
Can you please explain this to let me see?

[beefy]

Hi Balazs,

the Neuron is what I call a "fully external THC". It controls the Z directly. These types of THCs are generally PID controlled and have faster control than "internal" THC control (UCcnc) that receive THC UP and THC DOWN signals.

The Neuron also has some other features built in like molten puddle jump, hole centre marking, auto torch refire after misfire, etc. Because it's a fully external THC control you have to send it a disable/enable signal when you want to turn the THC off/on.

As you know I was designing my own THC that was to be fully integrated with UCcnc and I would have integrated ALL the goodies I could think of, but it was simply taking up too much of my time and I had to focus on making a dollar to survive. Still in that situation, it's been a very bad winter for my industry. I'll get back to my THC design when things are better.

So the next best thing was the Neuron THC which has SOME of the features I wanted to design into mine. I would envision that if UCcnc could use EITHER it's built in THC (which requires a basic external THC UP/DOWN type THC controller), but can also function with fully external THCs like the Neuron, you're effectively expanding your reach with your systems. The Neuron system is worthless without a cnc controller like UCcnc.

Would it be worth your while to email Andrew from Neuron and ask him to give you more details on the benefits of his system vs a typical THC UP/DOWN type. You can also download the user manual from their website, it's quite comprehensive and gives a good insight into it's features. But I realise you may not have the time for that LOL.

Keith.

[Robertspark]

Andrew is on the forum, he goes by the handle shad, and if you look in the plugins section he has posted a few questions.

[Robertspark]

I've been very tempted by it a number of times, but it's not cheap.... it he went back to the introductory price on the mach3 forum (or offered the occasional promotion.... he'd have a sale...)

The only negative for me was that the z- was directly controlled by the thc, hence jogging the z did not seem to be an option if I needed it out of the way.... plus I sometimes use a touch probe on my z .... and occasionally I've used sheetcam scanything camera scanner.... hence moving (jogging) the z to focus the camera was important to me.

Point of note.... uccnc does not allow motion via external devices.... so jogging the z may not be possible with an external thc like the neuron .... however the neuron lite (which is the one I'd buy), does have two momentary switch inputs for up and down motion..... so you could rig them up to digital outputs to jog the z up and down, but you won't have fine controlled motion.

I guess another way to do it would be to monitor the z axis dro via plugin at 25hz, and to forward the z axis dro out via Ethernet to the neuron (increasing dro, z going up), decreasing dro, z going down, actual dro position is immaterial

[beefy]

Thanks Robert,

that's interesting about Andrew, so he's already taking an interest in UCcnc. Well I keep saying UCcnc will be the Mach3 replacement LOL.

Should be interesting to see what happens in the future.

I'll have to look into the Scanything situation because I have it hooked up with my old Candcnc (Mach3) system and would also like to have it functional with UCcnc.

Keith.

[shad]

Robert, currently Neuron controllers allows you to jog Z axis from external momentary push buttons and from Torch Up/Down buttons on the control panel. Also for precision jogging you can left click on the torch position DRO and jogging by mouse wheel. Every wheel event torch will move on the 0.25 mm. Torch position DRO show real position from the torch slide zero (upper position). Just the system was developed for plasma cutting and not as universal solution. We focused on the plasma cutting process.
Unfortunately Mach3 does not allow to have access to the gcode and you can not transmit any motion commands to the Neuron (for Neuron not problem to execute any precision motion via internal motion controller). Also any customers use two position switch or relay (connected to the BOB output and controlled from button in the CNC software or from gcode via macros) for commutation Pulse/Dir input of the motor driver to the CNC or Neuron.
But now I have ready for testing plugin for UCCNC and I am wait UC400ETH controller.
I see that the guys from UCCNC are very smart and may be we be able to do more and more advanced system.

--Andrew

[cncdrive]

Hi Balazs,

the Neuron is what I call a "fully external THC". It controls the Z directly. These types of THCs are generally PID controlled and have faster control than "internal" THC control (UCcnc) that receive THC UP and THC DOWN signals.

The Neuron also has some other features built in like molten puddle jump, hole centre marking, auto torch refire after misfire, etc. Because it's a fully external THC control you have to send it a disable/enable signal when you want to turn the THC off/on.

As you know I was designing my own THC that was to be fully integrated with UCcnc and I would have integrated ALL the goodies I could think of, but it was simply taking up too much of my time and I had to focus on making a dollar to survive. Still in that situation, it's been a very bad winter for my industry. I'll get back to my THC design when things are better.

So the next best thing was the Neuron THC which has SOME of the features I wanted to design into mine. I would envision that if UCcnc could use EITHER it's built in THC (which requires a basic external THC UP/DOWN type THC controller), but can also function with fully external THCs like the Neuron, you're effectively expanding your reach with your systems. The Neuron system is worthless without a cnc controller like UCcnc.

Would it be worth your while to email Andrew from Neuron and ask him to give you more details on the benefits of his system vs a typical THC UP/DOWN type. You can also download the user manual from their website, it's quite comprehensive and gives a good insight into it's features. But I realise you may not have the time for that LOL.

Keith.

Hi Keith,

Thank you for the detailed description, I think I understood the reason for such output now.
I will talk to my collegue to see what we can do about it, but I think it should be not a too hard task to add such output,
because that information is already in the motion controller, so I think it will be a question of assigning that boolen variable to an output pin,
but let me talk to my collegue first and then I'll final confirm this...

And I'm already in contact with Andrew, but he did not ask me about the THC enable output yet, so it was a new thing, a new request for me when you mentioned this.

And I hope your new work and things going well with you and I also hope that you will still find the time to discuss here and/or in e-mail in the future.

[shad]

And I'm already in contact with Andrew, but he did not ask me about the THC enable output yet, so it was a new thing, a new request for me when you mentioned this.

Hi Balazs!
I asked you about this output for THC enable/disable, but for Mach3 - M10Px/M11Px.
In the UCCNC there are macros M205/M206 for enable THC control from gcode, but I guess this is for UCCNC internal THC logic.
Keith right, external THC require similar MAKROS which will be linked to the output pin (for example M62P5/M63P5 will turn on/off output 5) and runs in synchronous with the g-code without delays and without axes deceleration or stop.
Thank you.

--Andrew

[shad]

Also do you planned to add ability to select Absolute for IJ Mode.
Just now my cutting program looks like this. I am use Absolute mode (G90.1) for easy way to make Arc Lost Cut Recovery on holes.