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  #1  
Old Fri 10 July 2009, 04:45
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
starting again after a power loss

Folks it happened again today - I broke a 3mm ball nose bit - bcos while doing a 3d profile there was a power loss -

after the power loss i re-homed and then the zero's were perfect - then I wanted to move on to the 2lakh 90th thousand line in my code and then started to continue- well the window in Mach had the box ticked for the spindle - but that did not happen- and I lost my favorite bit

now I want someone please explain it in correct steps if possible with snapshots of how it should actually be done ----


please - - -
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  #2  
Old Fri 10 July 2009, 07:28
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
When you use "run from here" if Mach has already passed the line where the spindle was started, it assumes it running. You just need to always manually restart it from the mach screen. If Mach tries to start it and it's already running it doesn't hurt or do anything. I hope this is what you were talking about??
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  #3  
Old Fri 10 July 2009, 07:41
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
JR , the spindle stops during a power loss - then when the power is back , I rehome and then get to the line where it should start - when I press cycle start a window appears where a check box tells to start the spindle and the Z height to be have when in rapid move to position.

Now when I say ok - the spindle is supposed to start - and then move to the location - in reality it does not --

and this time when I assumed that the spindle will start when I press cycle start it did not and resulted in the broken bit.

some how I don't like it. it is supposed to start if the check box is ticked right???
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  #4  
Old Sat 11 July 2009, 11:14
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
Ok had been to a friends place with the cnc machine

here is what happens after a power outage

1. once the machine is put on - a power off option springs up!
2. select the option - and click on yes

thats all

now

1. the spindle gets on by itself
2. the machine moves to the last positon it was when power was lost and resumes machining

very comfortable isin't it!

RGDS
Irfan
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  #5  
Old Sat 11 July 2009, 12:54
J.R. Hatcher
Just call me: J.R. #4
 
Wilmington, North Carolina
United States of America
Send a message via Skype™ to J.R. Hatcher
Is your friend running Mach3? I've never seen it do that before?
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  #6  
Old Sat 11 July 2009, 13:11
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
no - its the chinese DSP stuff - hand held
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  #7  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 03:17
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
Just a FYI!

Here was my Q in the Mach forum :

Power outage macro –

Folks I need your help for this macro – to make a simple mod of the screen and to write the macro – as I have never done any programming before 

The use of this macro is to restart a machine in the right position and then proceed there on

Assumption

1. The user has atleast 10 min backup ups to note down the line number where the machine was last positioned when there was the power loss.

Needs:
1. The Macros should be able to read the loaded program,
2. A button should get active only if a program is loaded.
3. It should auto home and pick up the G54 offset as 0,0,0
4. It should then ask for the line from which the program should resume.
5. It should automatically deduct a fixed number from that line number and start from a position which is before that line. Example the user puts in 2567890 then the run is supposed to start from a position of 2567890 –x where x is a fixed value set in the macro.
6. the macro should pick up the speed of the spindle from teh program.
7. Can it also chk the feedrates for the x,y and z axis?????

What it should do.
1. When power is back – user press the power outage button.
2. The machine homes and then then picks up the offset.
3. The macro asks the user if program is loaded
4. if yes then it should ask for the line number to continue with.
5. Once the number is input – it should say press start cycle button (on its own window)
6. Pressing this button should do the following
a. Start the spindle
b. Move z axis at a safe height(preset in macro or user input)
c. Move to the prescribed xy positon first,
d. Then get the exact z position
e. And resume machining

The above I have envisioned keeping in mind a cnc router – would there be changes required for other machines – I don't exactly know.

R/
Irfan



here was the answer

We call it the ARF ( Auto Restart FUnction)

It is a piece of code that runs in the Macropump

Every () minutes open the Restart file and write the Program name AND current line. Close file

If you need to restart press the ARF button which

REFHOME the machine, Retreives the LAST notes from the restart file, Loads the program by name, Then update the RUN FROM HERE line # DRO and restarts the program run by use of the "RUN FROM HERE" function.

The only thing the operator has to do is when the RFH screen pops up is verify there is a clear path for the machine to return to the restart position and press Cycle Start.

(;-) TP


then again terry came back when I asked were was the button he was mentioning???

THe ARF is something we created here . It is NOT in the standard MACH.

(;-) TP
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  #8  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 03:24
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Irfan,

Did you download the code? Sounds like a useful thing to have.
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  #9  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 04:00
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
no code was provided - yet
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  #10  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 06:11
servant74
Just call me: Jack
 
Nashville (Tennessee)
United States of America
I know it is not what Mach folks are suggesting, but it would allow 'easy' restart if the last line number was logged when the Z axis was at the 'safe' height'. Having the X,Y,etc axies noted for the right position would help too, but at a minimum, the last line number. I guess that would be an 'AARF' Almost Automatic Restart Function


Just a thought. ... Hmm, that might not be to hard to put into EMC2. ... again, my mind winders.
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  #11  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 06:20
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Irfan,

Would you provide a link to the Mach forum where you posted your question, I can not find it.

Thanks
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  #12  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 07:07
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
Nils its not on the forum, its been discussed presently on the mach yahoo group postings.

Jack - while doing a 3d relief - there is nothing called as safe z height for atleast 95% of the code - so we need the tool to move into the safe z position(set in Mach) and then move the x and y, and then when it has reached the x and y - it should move to the Z position which is mentioned in any one of the earlier lines or the same line, if we are to start with a line where there is no Z depth mentioned, then the tool in Z will start from just where it is.

I hate when i come across bcos I have either to loose the bits or the work is spoiled for ever.
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  #13  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 07:48
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
We make a new file, after having deleted all the completed moves.

Then manually position the router vertically above the first x,y,z position mentioned in the (shortened) file. x,y important, z not important.

The idea is to be very sure that the very first move is a pure vertical plunge.

Not critical to find exactly the last move before the power failure - it can be a few moves before this. As long as the new program starts with a true vertical plunge.
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  #14  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 09:09
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
G' nice idea, will have to see how that works while doing a 3d file.
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  #15  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 10:56
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
here is what Terry had to finally say - man he is a goldmine

IF you KNOW the line# then it is a piece of cake to do a RFH.

Restart the program, refhome the machine, reload the Gcode file, type in the line #, Press the RFH button, follow the screen instructions AND make sure you have a clear path to the restart position and press cycle start to continue.

IF you have done your part it will go back to the last previos position BEFORE the frh line and wait for you. Then press cycle start to restart the program as if nothing had happened.

NOW restarting from a TOOL CHANGE can be a dangerous thing (;-)

(;-) TP
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  #16  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 11:37
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Quote:
Originally Posted by javeria View Post
. . . . make sure you have a clear path to the restart position . . . . .
From directly above, the path should be clear


Imagine your router bit sitting down in a valley, but you have picked the wrong valley. . . . . . . the machine will take a straight line to the starting point, which may cut a path through the intervening mountain.
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  #17  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 12:45
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
G' there is something called rapid height in the run from here window

it is supposed to go to that height right??
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  #18  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 13:08
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Don't know Mach3 that well, and don't know whether I would trust it. The restart method I described is for ANY machine controller.
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  #19  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 14:44
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
Irfan,

I am interested in following along with this because I am interested to see if it is useful to me.

I can not find a rapid height or a run from here window. Could you please be more specific where these are located.

Thanks
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  #20  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 14:49
servant74
Just call me: Jack
 
Nashville (Tennessee)
United States of America
It seems like the 'ultimate rapid height' would be with Z = 0. That would raise Z to the full extent. Or are there times this could become an issue?
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  #21  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 18:22
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
Jack,
In regards, to Z=0, you are mostly correct.
It truly depends on the material zero you select on setting up your G-code file.
In some, CAM programs (3d carve, rhino, lazycam, etc.) you can pick top of material as zero, but I often will pick the bottom or (center of the object in 4th axis mode). While bottom zero is not that common, I often find that If I set the tool height zero on the table top...it becomes my "not to exceed" number and will not cut into the table even if I dial in the wrong material thickness. Of course, the first pass when I do this is often very deep and very loud!

...just a little trick I do to keep other operators from cutting up my spoilboard prematurely.

Sean

Last edited by smreish; Mon 20 July 2009 at 18:27..
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  #22  
Old Mon 20 July 2009, 19:51
servant74
Just call me: Jack
 
Nashville (Tennessee)
United States of America
Yes, I was thinking the 'machine z=0' rather than a 'programmed z=0' ... like to move up till the 'limit' keeps it from going futher.

As always, it is 'just a small matter of software'

The 'machine z=0' might really be several inches of negative z depending on the environment (cutter, material, machine design, or whatever).
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