Arc Ready

[alanmccabe]

HI all, I want to be able to occasionally run my table without the torch height control Proma 150. My plasma cutter an Oxford 350 has a CNC interface with a built in arc ready signal which I am using. It works ok when in THC mode on UCCNC however when I switch off THC mode the machine starts on it merry way before the arc ready signal and so the plasma cut is missing a few mm at the beginning. I appreciate I can add a dwell time but just wondered is there a way I can make UCCNC no move until that Arc Ready light comes on. Thanks in advance. Alan

[laki]

You can create a macro.

Code: Select all

int ArcOKInputLED = 97; // Port 3 pin 12 (change to suit your needs )

while (!exec.GetLED(ArcOKInputLED) && !exec.Ismacrostopped())
{
  // Lets wait hear until we get ARC OK
  exec.Wait(10);
}

// End and proceed to pierce delay

[alanmccabe]

Thanks Laki, I appreciate this is a real dumb question, I am not sure what to do after I create the macro perhaps you can point me in the right direct. Thanks ALan

[laki]

I made a macro M1032 that contains this code.
I use SheetCam to create the G code and I modified the postprocessor so that it inserts a line of M1032 code each time the plasma starts.

You can modify your post processor by adding a line to the OnPenDown function immediately after M03:
post.Text ("M1032 (wait for ARC OK) \ n")

function OnPenDown
post.Text ("\ n M03 \ n")
post.Text ("M1032 (wait for ARC OK) \ n")

G code, example:

[alanmccabe]

Thanks so much Laki