Author Topic: About to give up  (Read 10353 times)

Offline Will_D

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About to give up
« on: January 24, 2017, 10:55:27 AM »
I am getting very frustrated with my DDCSV NC controller.

I have just tried to run the attatched file. It gets to line 8:

G01 X51.50 Y25.00

and moves a bit then the controller hangs up! The timer is running in the top RH corner but thats it.

Only thing then to do is het the reset button and then re-zero in the MAC coordinate system.

As you can see I generated this from a sketch of a 25 x 50 block using Estlcam to keep things simple. I have edited out all but the moves and still it won't work

Talking of Estlcam when I try to connect a genuine (afaik) Arduino Uno I get an error message:

Unexpected bootloader version: 3.3
I see the Tx Rx lights flashing.
Then get
No response from controller

Please help - this is driving me nuts!
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Offline awemawson

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2017, 12:48:18 PM »
Delete line 8 and see if it obeys the rest of the lines. Look for any odd, non printing characters just before or just after line 8 (may need to do that in a binary editor)

Mind you is it actually line 8 that's hanging it, or maybe the previous line - did Z actually go down to -0.5 ?
Andrew Mawson
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Offline Merlin201314

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2017, 01:47:42 PM »
I am getting very frustrated with my DDCSV NC controller.

I have just tried to run the attatched file. It gets to line 8:

G01 X51.50 Y25.00

and moves a bit then the controller hangs up! The timer is running in the top RH corner but thats it.

Only thing then to do is het the reset button and then re-zero in the MAC coordinate system.

As you can see I generated this from a sketch of a 25 x 50 block using Estlcam to keep things simple. I have edited out all but the moves and still it won't work

Talking of Estlcam when I try to connect a genuine (afaik) Arduino Uno I get an error message:

Unexpected bootloader version: 3.3
I see the Tx Rx lights flashing.
Then get
No response from controller

Please help - this is driving me nuts!
Can you please upload the DXF?
So I can try with my controller and Estlcam
Thanks


Inviato dal mio iPad utilizzando Tapatalk

Offline David Jupp

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2017, 02:22:49 PM »
Oddly enough, I've just bought a 3 pack of Arduino Nano clones - 2 for use with EstlCAM and one as a spare (Nano essentially being a Uno but squeezed onto a much smaller board).  This is to let me use a PC with USB port to drive my engraver and potentially my mill - and also EstlCAM controller doesn't have the limit on number of lines that Mach3 (free) has. 

I'll probably also buy an EstlCAM licence for the CAM functionality.

Interesting things I did learn whilst searching for these, there are those out there who advertise what claims to be a Nano, but has a different version of the Atmel chip on board with less memory - check the listings very carefully.  Luckily I spotted that and decided that for a whole £1 or so per board, I'd make sure to get the correct chip.  Not sure if same issues exist for Uno.

Despite having the CH340 serial/usb chip in place of the FTDI chip, the boards I purchased worked flawlessly when I asked
EstlCAM to program the board.

Must admit I was using the latest EstlCAM beta, not the 'production' version.  Looks like a lot of work has gone on in between.   Might be worth trying a different build of EstlCAM to see if issue is with the program or the board.

When asking a question, I got very prompt response from Christian at EstlCAM - might be worth dropping him a line.

Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2017, 05:08:29 PM »
Can you please upload the DXF?
So I can try with my controller and Estlcam
Thanks

Hi Merlin, thanks for the help

Here it is! Not the biggest dxf file

Had to rename the file to .txt to post it but it is a dxf!!
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Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2017, 05:10:06 PM »
Re. my Arduino: Not sure if its a R3 Version.

Newer R3's don't have the big (!!) reset button. So may have to get a new one.
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Offline David Jupp

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2017, 02:46:47 AM »
Not sure if this helps - I pulled your nc file into NCPlot.  That suggests the code is OK, the plot of the path looks fine.

Offline j1312v

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2017, 04:25:13 AM »
Hi,

just for curiosity, is that the first G01? if so you may need to specify the feed.

Best,

J

Offline AdeV

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2017, 05:41:48 AM »
Hi,

just for curiosity, is that the first G01? if so you may need to specify the feed.

Best,

J

It's the second G01 command; maybe the first one is hanging due to needing a feed rate?
Also, doesn't the spindle speed need to be set somewhere?
Cheers!
Ade.
--
Location: Wallasey, Merseyside. A long way from anywhere.
Occasionally: Zhengzhou, China. An even longer way from anywhere...

Offline j1312v

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2017, 08:46:23 AM »
Just downloaded the program and you probably you need to put the feed rate, otherwise the controller doesn't know what to do.

Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2017, 09:42:40 AM »
I only have X & Y axes fitted with steppers.

For debugging these are disconnected from the drivers.

Alll I am doing is driving the controller's axis displays.

I just wonder is it the usb stick??

Will try a different one when the garage warms up.

I am sure the g-code is good as estlcam runs it ok (in sim mode - no Arduino connected)

Thanks for all the help.
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Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2017, 09:46:53 AM »
Should have posted the above earlier!!

Anyways an update:

Tried different memory stick and same problem.

Ran the code on the SMC4-4 (no hardware connected) and all worked fine.

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Offline philf

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2017, 12:09:44 PM »
As has been suggested try adding a feed rate (F100) e.g.

(Project Mill_Test)
(Created by Estlcam version 9 build 9.046)
(Required tools:)
(End mill 3mm)
F100
G00 Z5.00
G00 X50.00 Y-1.50
G00 Z0.50
G01 Z-0.50
G01 X51.50 Y25.00
G01 X0.00
G01 Y0.00
G01 X50.00
G00 Z5.00
G00 X0.00 Y0.00

Maybe the controller assumes a feed rate of zero if you don't put one in and it would, understandably, never get anywhere.

I wouldn't worry about a spindle speed at this stage but it can be added with e.g. S1000

Your GCode doesn't draw a proper rectangle by the way - it draws a non closed shape with a sloping right hand side!

Phil.

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Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline Merlin201314

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2017, 04:16:36 PM »
https://nraynaud.github.io/webgcode/


This is a simple online g-code simulator, just to check the file eventually...
my 2 cents..

Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #14 on: January 26, 2017, 08:29:36 AM »
Thanks Merlin, Nice simulator.

As expected the code looks fine on the sim - just as expected.
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Offline JHovel

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2018, 10:36:12 AM »
Hi Will,
how did you go over the past year? Did you get anywhere or give up?
I'm starting where you were last year.....
Cheers,
Joe

Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2018, 02:16:18 PM »
Well after uploading a new version (thanks to Benedikt, it gave me a new set of default parameters that I have set to my system) things are a lot better.
I am sure the eratic behavious was down to the param file.


I can use the Pendant and the manual goto's and all is good.

I have managed to cut a circle using manually created g-code. Linear motions under manual control are fine.

Problem I have now is that if I use say Fusion 360 to generate g-code it generates a lot of complex code that the controller maybe doesn't understand.

Manual editing is not an option.

I think this controller was intended for routers and carvers ie simple orthogonal movements and maybe G02 and G03 for curves ( if you get the steps per mm the same for X and Y !!)

Having spent the best part of £2000 quid on this project sure whats another $400 for Mach4 and a decent USB controller??

I am trying to control a milling machine after all

So not given up! Still the mad modder

Cheers

Will
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Offline chipenter

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2018, 04:24:45 PM »
Try F-engrave http://www.scorchworks.com/Fengrave/fengrave.html it has v carve and can generate G code from a DXF or outher image , it was developed for Arduino that does not do all the fancy stuff .
Jeff

Offline efrench

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #18 on: January 27, 2018, 02:49:44 AM »

Having spent the best part of £2000 quid on this project sure whats another $400 for Mach4 and a decent USB controller??


LinuxCNC is free  :poke:

Offline philf

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #19 on: January 27, 2018, 09:41:58 AM »

Having spent the best part of £2000 quid on this project sure whats another $400 for Mach4 and a decent USB controller??


LinuxCNC is free  :poke:
Free but Linux is too 'nerdy' for many - including me. :scratch:
Phil Fern
Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2018, 06:34:10 AM »
Actually, if you use something like Linux Mint, it isn't nerdy at all anymore. Easier than Windoze, and no pesky updates unless you want them. I have been using it now for nearly a year and don't even know it is there.

Tom

Offline Will_D

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Re: About to give up
« Reply #21 on: February 06, 2018, 05:33:59 AM »

Having spent the best part of £2000 quid on this project sure whats another $400 for Mach4 and a decent USB controller??


If you think DDCSV is a bit of a minefield of poor user manuals and incomplete/undocumented code then I suggest you investigate using a MACH 4 controller and its mandatory Motion Controller and recommended break-out-boards.

There is no way that MACH 4, Motion Controller and a BoB will give you a turnkey CNC machine.

Its a nightmare of options.

Consider the system as implementeded:

The end to end functionality (i.e. G-Code to end mill movement) of your machine is controlled by two separate pieces of hardware and a PC. Two software programs are running (Mach 4 on a PC) and some FPGA code on the motion controller.

So who is responsible when a "feature" doesn't work. Reading the Forums it soon becomes clear that to fully understand MACH 4 and its controller you need to understand LUA (its macro/scripting language) and the underlying data structures (MACh4Core) that  define your machine and Mach4.

Then you can implement your own M Codes!

You will need to know about things like these:

mcMotionGetAbsPosFract
mcMotionGetBacklashAbs
mcMotionGetBacklashInc
mcMotionGetIncPos

So to date I am not giving up on DDCSV!!
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