Hi Wes,
When using Mach3 with our board, Mach3 is still interpreting the GCode, doing the trajectory planning (accelerating/decelerating), and scaling inch or metric units to motor steps. Mach3 ends up creating a buffer of points which are passed to our plugin, buffered in our KFlop controller, and executed. The points generated have a time resolution of 2ms. Our board basically interpolates between the points and generates the possibly thousands of motor steps for each Mach3 buffer point. Regarding millions of tiny segments, there is a limitation, but with reasonable CAD data the limitation will always be with your machine. The 2ms points basically allow the system to change direction 500 times/sec which is beyond what most any machine is capable of. If you do the math on some examples you will find this to be the case. Only a very poor CAD system would generate
unnecessarily tiny segments to cause a problem.
I can't say that I know of anyone with a fast router using the Mach3 plugin. I do know of routers running faster than that using our KFlop and KMotionCNC software.
I hope this helps
Tom Kerekes
DynoMotion, Inc.
| Group: DynoMotion |
Message: 68 |
From: wtbaker69 |
Date: 10/19/2009 |
| Subject: Re: Mach3 Plug In |
|
OK, I see what you are saying about Mach just sending down xyz coordinates for a point and separating all those points by 2ms of time and buffering on the board on your side.
It does bring up a few questions.
When you do a feed-hold, does the kflop keep going until it's buffer is dumped or is Mach able to tell it to hold up and not process the points in the buffer?
Is it always interpolating in a linear move or does it understand arc moves as well?
|
|
| Group: DynoMotion |
Message: 69 |
From: Tom Kerekes |
Date: 10/19/2009 |
| Subject: Re: Mach3 Plug In |
Well the buffering does cause feedhold delay if handled by Mach3. Since Mach3 runs under MS Windows which may occasionally "freeze" for a few seconds there is basically no way around buffering a few seconds of motion in order to get reliable operation under Windows. We do however support a hardware real-time feedhold that is instant and handled in our board - which is actually faster that Mach3 when driving the parallel port. To be 100% reliable you must connect an external switch and wire it directly to KFlop. A Mach3 screen button will also give instant feedhold 99% of the time. There are some disadvantages to our hardware feed hold. Some of the things like jogging, tool changing, that may be possible while in "normal" Mach3 feedhold are not possible
while in hardware feedhold. You must "Stop" from feedhold in those cases.
Feed Rate changes are currently delayed by the buffering.
Regarding arc moves: KFlop handles arc commands. Unfortunately Mach3 breaks arcs into points before they are given to us in the Plugin. In most cases we are able to reconstruct the arc and send an arc command to KFlop which reduces USB traffic.
TK
| Group: DynoMotion |
Message: 70 |
From: carlcnc |
Date: 10/22/2009 |
| Subject: Re: Mach3 Plug In |
Wes
I am running a Kflop,2 snapamps, and 3 protobyte steppers.
My machine uses 2 servos on X,1 on Y and 3 steppers for my 3 spindles.
My X and Y rapids are over 1200ipm.
X and Y motors are 8000cts per rev,
The Kflop is certainly capable of higher speed.
Your limitations will be size or power ratings of your motors.vs mass you are moving
Carl
--- In DynoMotion@yahoogroups.com, Tom Kerekes <tk@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Wes,
>
> When using Mach3 with our board, Mach3 is still interpreting the GCode, doing the trajectory planning (accelerating/decelerating), and scaling inch or metric units to motor steps. Mach3 ends up creating a buffer of points which are passed to our plugin, buffered in our KFlop controller, and executed. The points generated have a time resolution of 2ms. Our board basically interpolates between the points and generates the possibly thousands of motor steps for each Mach3 buffer point. Regarding millions of tiny segments, there is a limitation, but with reasonable CAD data the limitation will always be with your machine. The 2ms points basically allow the system to change direction 500 times/sec which is beyond what most any machine is capable of. If you do the math on some examples you will find this to be the case. Only a very poor CAD system would generate unnecessarily tiny segments to cause a problem.
>
> I can't say that I know of anyone with a fast router using the Mach3 plugin. I do know of routers running faster than that using our KFlop and KMotionCNC software.
>
> I hope this helps
> Tom Kerekes
> DynoMotion, Inc.
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: wtbaker69 <wtbaker69@...>
> To: DynoMotion@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 2:35:53 PM
> Subject: [DynoMotion] Mach3 Plug In
>
>
> How does the Kflop work in conjunction with Mach3? I know there is a plugin and I saw the online step-by-step documentation about how to configure it.
>
> Here's what I'm wondering though.
>
> If I make a linear move with Mach3, it starts out at a slow pulse rate sending step pulses out the parallel port, it ramps up it's rate of pulses to match the acceleration profile I have configured. It holds a stead stream of pulses at programmed speed, and then begins to slow the pulse stream and finally stop it to match the deceleration.
>
> Oh yeah and it counts the pulses according to the scaling I have set up and moves the number if inches I tell it.
>
> If Mach3 is working with a Kflop, does it actually send G code down to the Kflop and let the Kflop do the whole profile thing? If so, how does it know things like accell/decell.
>
> What piece handles the "look ahead" function so that if you have a million little line segments strung together simulating a long, curved profile, the controller doesn't try to stop on a dime at the end of each segment.
>
> Anybody out there have good luck or bad luck with a CNC Router?
>
> I'm wanting to move 800 inches per minute + with this guy.
>
> Wes
> |
|
| Group: DynoMotion |
Message: 71 |
From: wtbaker69 |
Date: 10/22/2009 |
| Subject: Re: Mach3 Plug In |
THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSE.
I like the looks of the Kflop (and the price.). I didn't get any responses on the other forum. I'm just trying now to see if there are actually people out there using it that are happy with it.
Wes
--- In DynoMotion@yahoogroups.com, "carlcnc" <cebcnc@...> wrote:
>
> Wes
> I am running a Kflop,2 snapamps, and 3 protobyte steppers.
> My machine uses 2 servos on X,1 on Y and 3 steppers for my 3 spindles.
> My X and Y rapids are over 1200ipm.
> X and Y motors are 8000cts per rev,
> The Kflop is certainly capable of higher speed.
> Your limitations will be size or power ratings of your motors.vs mass you are moving
> Carl
>
> --- In DynoMotion@yahoogroups.com, Tom Kerekes <tk@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Wes,
> >
> > When using Mach3 with our board, Mach3 is still interpreting the GCode, doing the trajectory planning (accelerating/decelerating), and scaling inch or metric units to motor steps. Mach3 ends up creating a buffer of points which are passed to our plugin, buffered in our KFlop controller, and executed. The points generated have a time resolution of 2ms. Our board basically interpolates between the points and generates the possibly thousands of motor steps for each Mach3 buffer point. Regarding millions of tiny segments, there is a limitation, but with reasonable CAD data the limitation will always be with your machine. The 2ms points basically allow the system to change direction 500 times/sec which is beyond what most any machine is capable of. If you do the math on some examples you will find this to be the case. Only a very poor CAD system would generate unnecessarily tiny segments to cause a problem.
> >
> > I can't say that I know of anyone with a fast router using the Mach3 plugin. I do know of routers running faster than that using our KFlop and KMotionCNC software.
> >
> > I hope this helps
> > Tom Kerekes
> > DynoMotion, Inc.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: wtbaker69 <wtbaker69@>
> > To: DynoMotion@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 2:35:53 PM
> > Subject: [DynoMotion] Mach3 Plug In
> >
> >
> > How does the Kflop work in conjunction with Mach3? I know there is a plugin and I saw the online step-by-step documentation about how to configure it.
> >
> > Here's what I'm wondering though.
> >
> > If I make a linear move with Mach3, it starts out at a slow pulse rate sending step pulses out the parallel port, it ramps up it's rate of pulses to match the acceleration profile I have configured. It holds a stead stream of pulses at programmed speed, and then begins to slow the pulse stream and finally stop it to match the deceleration.
> >
> > Oh yeah and it counts the pulses according to the scaling I have set up and moves the number if inches I tell it.
> >
> > If Mach3 is working with a Kflop, does it actually send G code down to the Kflop and let the Kflop do the whole profile thing? If so, how does it know things like accell/decell.
> >
> > What piece handles the "look ahead" function so that if you have a million little line segments strung together simulating a long, curved profile, the controller doesn't try to stop on a dime at the end of each segment.
> >
> > Anybody out there have good luck or bad luck with a CNC Router?
> >
> > I'm wanting to move 800 inches per minute + with this guy.
> >
> > Wes
> >
> |
|
| | | |
