Hi John, You need to work on the basic machine configuration. Your problems are not related to engrave11.
If you are seeing the Z axis dropping in height over multiple moves, it is likely that you have either the Acc or Speed too high for the Z axis and are losing steps. If the motors are not stalling, it is also possible you do not have the correct direction hold times for your stepper drivers. Each direction change may be losing a step or more. Try the following program.... it will test the Z axis configuration for proper setup. Zero your machine with Z = 0.000 at the table top. Run the program. It will make 200 moves back and forth from 0.5 to 1". If you have a configuration issue, you will find that the final position will not end up 0.500" that the axis window is showing. ( test program to see if Z axis loses position ) ( msg, test 1 of Z axis configuration ) G20 #1000=100 ( loop 100 times ) ( this first loop has delays after moves - tests acc and velocity settings ) o100 while [#1000] G0 Z1.000 G4 P0.250 G0 Z0.500 G4 P0.250 #1000 = [#1000 - 1] o100 endwhile ( msg, test 2 of Z axis configuration ) #1000=100 ( loop 100 times ) ( this 2nd loop has no delays after moves - tests direction hold times on driver config ) ( and also max accel setting ) o101 while [#1000] G0 Z1.000 G0 Z0.500 #1000 = [#1000 - 1] o101 endwhile ( msg, Done...z should be exactly .5" above table ) m2 You can also change the G0 Zx.xxx instructions to G0Xx.xxx or G0 Yx.xxx to test the x and Y axis for proper configuration. good luck.. isnt being a system integrator fun? Learning this stuff is basic to understanding how the machine is supposed to work. cheers On Wed, 2008-10-22 at 13:56 -0400, John Domville wrote: > > > Att: Lawrence G, > > > > Well, after the rebuild that followed my LINUX crash I went into > EMC2 and wrote another Congi.ini file, this time with the Z axis > reversed. Running the program seems to be ok now on > > The direction of Z axis. However, now it seems that the Z axis is > plunging deeper and deeper each time it returns from “ Safe Z”. I even > went in and set the engraving depth to .0005 and finally to 0.000 In > hopes it would stay at the depth which was actually Z0 before the > program was run. > > When I wrote the reverse Z config.ini file I only “reversed” the > Z driver. I noticed that there was also a setting for “Z Step” but did > not change it. Should I have? > > > > John – Elmira NY KC2EQ > > > > ----------------------------------- Original Message > --------------------------------- > > > > I was able to copy the g-code from a terminal window running copy of > engrave-11.py. I then opened a working AXIS file, erased everything > then pasted the clipboard file into it and saved it under another > name. I then was able to "open" it from AXIS. > > The problem I have now is that it does not run well on my SHERLINE > Mill. It starts by cutting a straight line from the start point to the > location of the first letter. Then raises the bit off of the surface > and does the rest of the movements in free air. It's almost like its > running the Z axis backwards. The first line from the start point to > the letter should be up off of the piece and then back down for the > engraving. Mine is doing just the opposite. I have been routing PBB’s > alright with the mill so I know it is set up OK. > > Still can't get the engrave-11.py to run from within AXIS, but > that’s no real problem. Just extra steps with the running of > engrave-11.py as an executable and then doing the cutting and pasting. > > John-Elmira NY (KC2EQ) > > > > > > > Hi John, > > The engraving program is smart enough to know if its being run as an > > axis input filter or directly as a standalone program. The save to > > clipboard button will generate and copy all the gcode to the system > > clipboard. If you have another window open with an editor (gedit,vim > > etc) you can use the edit/paste option to copy the gcode into the > editor > > file window. This is quite useful when doing multiple engraving > strings > > like on a front panel for a project. With multiple pastes, you will > have > > to do a little cleanup as the included subroutine(s) should only be > > defined once in a gcode file.... as well, if you have defined preamble > > and postamble on the engraving screen, this is only needed once in a > > g-code file. (This problem solved.) > > > > LawrenceG > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
