Calypso CNC User Forums

I continue to have two problems with this panel. First, the four DRO boxes with the green borders lock such that they will not take a numerical entry. I click a DRO box such as "z position for axis touch" and the box turns green. However, nothing happens when I type a number. This happens after I go to the run screen and make a test cut using the keyboard jogs. I go back and forth between work coordinate offset page and the run page several times. the first few times the dro's accept numbers. Then, they stop taking typed numbers. They start working ok again if I change pages with the bottom buttons several times. I.e, "use exts"-"settings"-"run"-etc. and back to the work coordinate offset page.

The second problem is when I try to set the Y 0. I enter zero for y nub diameter and fixed y offset. nub diameter is zero because I locate y at zero by using the "pinched ruler at right angle Method" I am not having much success with the turning a nub method in the manual because of the geometry of the insert tool holder. Anyway, when I click touch Y arrow; a repeatable number (5.something) is entered into the tool offset box. this number is much too large and is more like a fixed y offset. I expect that the y tool offset should be 0 and wc current pos. should be 0 and m coords =wc offset. I fix it by going to the tool page and editing T0202 to zero the mturn y/turret. then go back to the wco page and click button Zero Y.

I am using radius mode and T0101 as master. I set this tool up in the wco offset page first.
I had MSM V2.0.12 PRO, Mach 3 V3 R3.043.066 and Vista Business SP2 last updated about a year ago. I just upgraded MSM pro to the latest release and the problem remains. I also just updated Vista.

Any suggestions? explanations?

Daveg1

Hi,
as there are two different issues reported in the post, I'll start with the first one...

Daveg1 wrote:I continue to have two problems with this panel. First, the four DRO boxes with the green borders lock such that they will not take a numerical entry. I click a DRO box such as "z position for axis touch" and the box turns green. However, nothing happens when I type a number. This happens after I go to the run screen and make a test cut using the keyboard jogs. I go back and forth between work coordinate offset page and the run page several times. the first few times the dro's accept numbers. Then, they stop taking typed numbers. They start working ok again if I change pages with the bottom buttons several times. I.e, "use exts"-"settings"-"run"-etc. and back to the work coordinate offset page.

<Issue 2 SNIPPED>

I am using radius mode and T0101 as master. I set this tool up in the wco offset page first.
I had MSM V2.0.12 PRO, Mach 3 V3 R3.043.066 and Vista Business SP2 last updated about a year ago. I just upgraded MSM pro to the latest release and the problem remains. I also just updated Vista.

Any suggestions? explanations?

Daveg1

I have been trying to reproduce the issue you've described, but not had any luck doing so.
I have been entering values into the WC Offset DROs and have not been able to make them hang. I've tried fast (as quick as I can select a DRO and type a number) and slow. I've tried the page change sequences described and that has not made any difference either. I also tried both the 10x7 and the 12x9 screen sets.

So I am at a loss to know what to tell you since I can't reproduce the problem.

The best I think I can do at the moment is to offer some background info as to how the DRO work in mach/MSM in case that helps us find another clue...

The Green tinted borders for DROs in MSM are used to indicate that the DRO is one that the user can enter a value into. The green border is solely a visual clue to the user - the coloring is only part of the bitmap background and doe snot have anything to do with the DROs or how they work. In fact, the DRO selection (click to select and highlight) and value entry (hit enter after typing a value) is all handled by mach internally. In this sense the input DROs in MSM are no different than in any mach screen set.

Therefore, if the DROs are not allowing themselves to be selected, my thoughts turn to mach and/or the PC graphics subsystem... but I"m at a loss for a reasonable suggestion as to what to try to narrow this down further.

So, let's try some "unlikely: ideas:

1) Mach just tells Windows and Windows tells the graphics card to draw the bitmaps. So what could be wrong in that chain?
The only thing that comes to mind is the PC graphics drivers. Are the graphics drivers up to date? Have the been changed updated recently ? Perhaps there is a bug in the drier associated with graphics acceleration settings... you could experiment with changing the level of graphics acceleration used by the system to see if that makes a difference.
I think this is a long shoot and unlikely to be helpful - but maybe it's worth the experiment time.

2) Do you have this issue only in mill-turn? do the offset DROs work OK in mill mode? They are the same DROs #s so I would not expect a difference between modes, but thought I'd ask.

3) What type of PC is this? Is it a laptop? (Laptop power saving mode etc can play havoc with things and are one reason that Mach3 is not recommended for use on laptops). Does turning off the power saving modes make a difference?

4) Not to pick on Vista, but it is an unknown to me re experience. I have run Mach 3 on 32 bit versions of W2k, XP, Win 7, win 8 * *.1 and 64 bit versions of Win 8.1 and 10 - but never Vista. Again I don't think that matters, I'm just trying to give you my thoughts re variables here.

Dave

I have not had this problem the last few sessions. I am getting so I make fewer mistakes! Mach 3 works well when I don't screw up entries. However, It seems like it has problems if I make mistakes. I think that it behaves badly a while after I forget to select MDI and type in a command. And, once-in-a-while; MDI entries are ignored (properly selected and text is displayed) and do not even show up in the white pop-up box. Occasionally, Mach 3 will lock-up or do very weird stuff. If I exit and re-enter it will work just fine. I have had similar issues on the Mill side also.

I think that your "unlikely" are just that. Except, Vista sucks and is likely to become unsupported soon. Vista 32 bit will not run Draftsight CAD and other software providers no longer support it. Would you share your thoughts as to how Mach 3 works with windows 7 versus 10? Window 7 seems to be still available in a few stores. Widows 10 is said to have privacy issues and drivers can disappear without warning. Widows 8 has gotten very bad reviews. XP was the best windows ever and I still use it on one computer that never connects to the internet.

Issue 2 remains and is highly repeatable. I hope you can find time to comment on it!

Daveg1

Hi,
Re Win 7 vs Win 10....
The real difference is the 32 vs 64 bit versions. The mach parallel port driver only loads on a 32 bit version of Win.
Since the PP behavior is the "gold standard" against which I can compare the actions of other motion controllers, I have to run a 32 bit win version to get the PP driver.
So for me that is win 7 32 or XP.
Other motion controls do not have this restriction, but I tend to run the PP as my main motion controller (Sort of a necessity for MSM support reasons).
Now then, the that is all for testing and development PCs.
For the real CNC control PCs that I use, I run them on XP. Just because that is what they have and they work fine - sort of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy.


Re the 2nd problem: I think to track what you are saying I have to go set up a mill turn setup and walk thru it on the machine.
Alas, that may be a while as the main mill is currently setup for an other project and I can't easily tear that down right now.

Dave

Hi again Dave
I continue to have just plan weird things going on in Mach 3. I need an exorcist! I have concluded that it is just flat-ass unstable. In the previous to sessions, The M30 program command stopped doing a rewind and did not show on the run screen program listing. I checked that it was there in edit screen and looked at a bunch of other things. Today, I enabled the soft limits for the first time. They worked except Y axis would trip the reset at the soft limit and the slow down did not work. I checked the settings at least three times and they were correct. Anyway, I turned three parts using two different programs. On the last run, I got a screen asking if I wanted to continue running the program because the Z soft limit was tripped. It was not. I said yes and the program executed fine. And, the M30 command worked! But then, the Page -Up key would not raise the quill and other things locked up. Upon exit, errors were reported. I have experienced unexplained problems since day one about 5 years ago.

I am now thinking it is something to do with Vista. But it could be computer problem such a bad drive or whatever. It is a used Dell desktop and has a 32 bit dual-core CPU about 2 Ghz clock and 2Gb memory. So, it should be a reasonable computer.

You have reinforced my decision to go to win 7. I have bought a key on ebay this is said to allow and upgrade or installation on any computer. Looks like I could have problems getting Win 7. Microsoft has gotten nasty about making the download available!

I also have and unused xp cd for an oem install that I got back when I bought the used computer just-in-case Vista was a problem.

Anyway, I am thinking that my problem two is one of my many gremlins lurking in the computer! Please don't waist you time looking into it. I will give you a "progress report" If I do make progress.


Daveg1

OK. I'll leave this of my todo list for now.

If you are having flaky PC problems like that, my thoughts go to memory error or hard disk errors.

For testing memory, google memtest86 - it's a free memory test utility that I've had god luck with.

FOR HDD, issues go to the web site for your drive manufacturer - the majors all have low level diagnostics that will scan each sector on the disk for bad sectors.

Dave

I am posting this reply FYI and it might help someone else that has Mach3 problems. I moved from Vista to Windows 7 Pro. and installed a graphics card. I somehow previously overlooked that an external graphics card was required.
Microsoft is a huge pain-in-the-rear . Win 7 install is not available online. An install disk or equivalent is needed along with a Certificate Of Authenticity install code. I purchased the last on Ebay and had a computer shop do the install. They did a complete hardware check and set win 7 pro up for my use.
Then the fun of getting Mach3 to run again! The parallel ports did not work. I spent a bunch of time before I found the fix. The external card port address had changed. But, it was also necessary to run the "DriverTest.exe" program twice and reboot twice. This is documented in a Mach 3 forum.
I have now used Mach3/MSM screens ten times or so and have NOT had problems with program crashes or strange behavior.
A couple of issues still exist. The Issue 2 Y axis offset problem is still there and I will address it with screen shots in my next post.
I have always had an issue with the PMDX-145 Pendant Adapter Board and it is still a problem. It works fine until a screen change and then it drops out with an error message. My solution was to by an USB pendant.
Anyway, I am still highly impressed with the quality of the MSM screens and how they make M3 much more user friendly!

Daveg1

My issue no. 2 is still present.
There appears to be a mysterious constant that is always added to the Y axis tool offset when the "touch Y" arrow is used. I will email you screen shots to document what I am experiencing. ( your Img is more work than what I want to go through)
I can not find this offset number anywhere. I uninstalled MSM and did a reinstall and mystery number is still there. My work-around is just to use mechanical tool post height settings for the different tool holders.
Any ideas as to how to get rid of the mystery offset?

daveg1