Mach 3
- Thread starter whammo57
- Start date
Go into Mach 3 setting and you will see inches and metric selection.
Yes, you can.
Page 75.
http://www.machsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf
Page 75.
http://www.machsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf
First of all .... thanks for the info................
So let's say we have a metric lead screw that is 12mm in dia and has a 4mm pitch wth 2 starts.
With 2 starts the effective pitch is 8mm per revolution.
8mm = 8X.03937in or .31496in per revolution,
1 inch / .31496 = 3.175 revolutions per inch
the stepper motor has 200 steps per revolution
3.175 revolutions X 200 steps per revolutions = 635 steps per inch.........
So .... how did I do...............?????
EDIT................. my controller has 10 micro steps so ..... steps should be set to 6350 per inch
thanks for all the help.............
Kim
So let's say we have a metric lead screw that is 12mm in dia and has a 4mm pitch wth 2 starts.
With 2 starts the effective pitch is 8mm per revolution.
8mm = 8X.03937in or .31496in per revolution,
1 inch / .31496 = 3.175 revolutions per inch
the stepper motor has 200 steps per revolution
3.175 revolutions X 200 steps per revolutions = 635 steps per inch.........
So .... how did I do...............?????
EDIT................. my controller has 10 micro steps so ..... steps should be set to 6350 per inch
thanks for all the help.............
Kim
Last edited:
RBC
Deceased
Kim
You really need to know if your screws are 4mm pitch, or 4mm lead.
If it measures 4mm from one thread to the next adjacent thread and it's 2 start, then the lead is 8mm. If it's 2mm from thread to thread and it's 2 start, then the lead is 4mm.
Most likely, it's an 8mm lead. They're at least a little more common.
8mm is .314861", or 3.175 turns per inch. (unit)
Most steppers are 200 steps per rotation, but most drives also offer microstepping. Microstepping can range from 2 to 1 up to maybe 20 to 1. Gecko drives, for example are 10 to 1 or 2000 steps per revolution.
With a Gecko drive, a 200 step motor, and a screw with 8mm of lead, you get 6350 steps per inch.
I hope that helps
Royce
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You do not have Xylotex controller unless you changed from original controller on that machine. You are correct it is 10 microsteps.
Stick a magnetic base indicator and type GO Y.0100 or whatever axes the long ways is.
Use a .0005 indicator even.
Then you can really dial it in.
If you have Xylotex or Flashcut , I'd chuck it and get a Gecko.
RBC
Deceased
Cool!
I wasn't sure, but that's what I had heard.
Glad to hear it's something different. The Xylotex was good in it's day, I've used many of them, but there are better controls out there now for sure.
Royce
harris cue comp
Banned
mach 3
if you want the mill to run to the machine that you currently use with mm screws such as 2 of my 5. I have the machine set to inches and you can go to settings and axis calibration. if you set up an indicator and use the jog pendant, mach 3 will calibrate the steps. I have two machines that supposedly have the exact screws but the steps are a little bit different. if you start with the setup from mach support and use the calibration method that you can dial the machine very accurate.
thanks
Robert Harris
if you want the mill to run to the machine that you currently use with mm screws such as 2 of my 5. I have the machine set to inches and you can go to settings and axis calibration. if you set up an indicator and use the jog pendant, mach 3 will calibrate the steps. I have two machines that supposedly have the exact screws but the steps are a little bit different. if you start with the setup from mach support and use the calibration method that you can dial the machine very accurate.
thanks
Robert Harris
that is cool....... I never knew that Mach 3 could do that.........
just go to SETTINGS and click on calibrate
thank you
Kim
This video is a good watch showing how to do it. Hope this helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkO5tc-jSxw
Dave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkO5tc-jSxw
Dave
I'm kind of surprised no one has offered up the ultimate test of your screw-mapping abilities - the end result.
After you've followed all the advice offered above, cut a one-inch square male part out of any relatively stable hardwood. Now cut a one-inch square pocket in any other stable piece of wood. Be sure to program in rounded corners on your male part, or file them round later.
Now check your fit between part and pocket. If you cannot fit (PERFECTLY) the square piece into the square hole - regardless of orientation - then your numbers are off. You should be able to turn your square 90 degrees and/or flip it over, always getting a perfect fit. Anything short of those results means you're not quite there yet.
So, in spite of your joy at getting the math right, don't be a bit surprised if your "6350" value morphs into something like 6245.98372, or whatever. Plus there is a very good chance your X and Y axes will end up with different values.
On the other hand, if you can't flip your inlay over and have it fit perfectly then your X/Y axes are misaligned and no amount of motor-setting tweaking can fix that problem.
It's been said that "the proof is in the pudding". Before you start cutting up expensive material you care about, take a few scrap pieces and make some practice "pudding"
TW
(PS: You're welcome.)
.
Just an update on the CNC 2030. On Ebay for $478 with free shipping.
First of all I want to thank everyone for the information on Mach 3.
I received my package that was shipped out of California by Fedex in 4 days.
It wasn't packed like a professional packaging engineer would pack other pricy
items. The packing was mostly scrap styrofoam pieces that held everything in
place. It was safe enough but just not professionally done.
The basic machine is assembled and wired with all electrical plugs and connectors
set for plug and play. I had to bolt on the 3 stepper motors and tignten the
couplings to the lead screws.... one coupling was not like the other 2 but still
fuctionally fine.
I connected the supplied controller and turned it on.... all axis were
magnetically held in position and the spindle was speed controllable.
So off to the computer the runs my Cuemonster. Copy and rename the profile file
in the Mach 3 folder. Removed the parallel plug from the Cuemonster controller
and connected it to the CNC 2030. I know that I could just get a parallel port
A/B switch for about $10 on Ebay but until then....
Turned everything on and fired up Mach 3 with the new profile.
The Chineese/English one page instructions said to set the stepper motor steps
per 1 mm to 400 steps. So..... 25.4 mm per inch........ multiply 400 by 25.4
gives me 10160 steps per inch........ I set the 3 axis to this number in Mach
3.
The lead screws are 1204 trapizoidal 2 leads.... what ever... one revolution
gives you 4 mm............ and the CNC 2030 control box has 8 microsteps per
step.... by my calculations........... 400/8 = 50 real steps for 1/4 turn or 1
mm.... so one revolution of the stepper motor is 200 steps.......... It's a good thing
I didn't learn by common core math or this would have taken 5 pages.....
Grabbed my Xbox controller and found the joysticks ran everything just fine but
the Y axis was backwards.... reversed the Y axis in Mach 3 configs. I checked
the motion with an indicator and Y axis seemed very close but X axis was off a
little so I used the Mach 3 calibration to reset the steps for correction.
I ran a few G code programs that I run in the Cuemonster and it all seems to
operate just fine.
Total time to setup from opening the box.... about 1 1/2 hours.
And then I discovered that I have no room for it......... gotta buy or build a
roll around work bench to run it on.
Kim
First of all I want to thank everyone for the information on Mach 3.
I received my package that was shipped out of California by Fedex in 4 days.
It wasn't packed like a professional packaging engineer would pack other pricy
items. The packing was mostly scrap styrofoam pieces that held everything in
place. It was safe enough but just not professionally done.
The basic machine is assembled and wired with all electrical plugs and connectors
set for plug and play. I had to bolt on the 3 stepper motors and tignten the
couplings to the lead screws.... one coupling was not like the other 2 but still
fuctionally fine.
I connected the supplied controller and turned it on.... all axis were
magnetically held in position and the spindle was speed controllable.
So off to the computer the runs my Cuemonster. Copy and rename the profile file
in the Mach 3 folder. Removed the parallel plug from the Cuemonster controller
and connected it to the CNC 2030. I know that I could just get a parallel port
A/B switch for about $10 on Ebay but until then....
Turned everything on and fired up Mach 3 with the new profile.
The Chineese/English one page instructions said to set the stepper motor steps
per 1 mm to 400 steps. So..... 25.4 mm per inch........ multiply 400 by 25.4
gives me 10160 steps per inch........ I set the 3 axis to this number in Mach
3.
The lead screws are 1204 trapizoidal 2 leads.... what ever... one revolution
gives you 4 mm............ and the CNC 2030 control box has 8 microsteps per
step.... by my calculations........... 400/8 = 50 real steps for 1/4 turn or 1
mm.... so one revolution of the stepper motor is 200 steps.......... It's a good thing
I didn't learn by common core math or this would have taken 5 pages.....
Grabbed my Xbox controller and found the joysticks ran everything just fine but
the Y axis was backwards.... reversed the Y axis in Mach 3 configs. I checked
the motion with an indicator and Y axis seemed very close but X axis was off a
little so I used the Mach 3 calibration to reset the steps for correction.
I ran a few G code programs that I run in the Cuemonster and it all seems to
operate just fine.
Total time to setup from opening the box.... about 1 1/2 hours.
And then I discovered that I have no room for it......... gotta buy or build a
roll around work bench to run it on.
Kim