@dc42 I've forked and updated the github repo. You can see the code changes at: https://github.com/MZachmann/RepRapFirmware/tree/v3.2-screwmap

and it forks from the 3.02-dev branch (3.2 retail).

Let me know where you'd like to go from here. Implement (pull request)? Move to M-codes? Change syntax?

The only thing I couldn't yet figure out from the code base was how to correctly have the ui update the user position when the screw map definition changes.

Mark

Well, that came out just great - smooth and all the detail showed up. Thanks. For scale the nearer lizard is about 1.5" long.

This isn't really a bug but an annoyance that has now hit me a few times.

I have error messages not timing out, so I can leave, do stuff, then come back and see what happened. What this means is that I have to manually remove error messages and when I do that by clicking the close X button on my touchscreen I miss the X sometimes and instead it runs whatever random macro is underneath my finger because the macros display in the same screen area as the error messages.

Is there any way something there could be changed? Running a random macro when I want to close an error message isn't great.

Thanks. Mark

I've just put together (ignore the wires all over the table and yucky connectors) a system to run a Taig Micro-Mill.

A couple of photos follow. I'm hoping it has enough current capacity and enough torque at 30V but it seems to be ok - it was enough torque to grab and tilt the spindle column when the bit jammed!

I'm going to keep working on this, and here's why... I'm including 4 photos.

Two of them show my current CNC X axis and the camera, to understand the context. The other two show a scan of the camera looking at a ruler as I move the CNC manually in inch increments.

Looking at the problems, what is happening is that the X rails are deformed slightly in the center. The X dimension error increases then decreases (and then increases near the right edge). And .. at maximum X error there's also a Y error that's significant.

Using my last controller (WinCNC) I automatically created a multi-axis screwmap using the camera (which takes under 15 minutes) and the positioning error dropped from a max of .03" to .003".

@mdejong Very clear. Thanks.

I'd still vote for a simple 24->5 converter that provides external always-on 5V. The switch could be tied into a script that runs M80.

The mapping seems to be working quite well.

Here's a video clip showing it in use : https://youtu.be/uTqUBrUHinU

I'll write it up in the next week or so. Note that with minor mods this could do backlash compensation.
Here's the input file:

Here's the script I run to set the screwmap

Here's the result:

Mark

I've started thinking about finally improving my macros so that they use some meta commands (such as global variables) and was surprised to notice this ->

"Sub-expressions may be enclosed in { } or in ( ). However, standard CNC GCode uses ( ) to enclose comments. So in CNC mode, RepRapFirmware treats ( ) as enclosing subexpressions when they appear inside { } and as enclosing comments when they do not. Therefore, when RepRapFirmware is running in CNC mode, any use of ( ) to enclose a subexpression or function parameter list must be within an expression enclosed in { }."

I have RRF running on three machines. My CNC router I set to CNC mode because the CNC RRF interface that's available stops it from doing dumb things if you click wrong - but it requires your machine to be in CNC mode. My CNC mill I run in non-CNC mode because the CNC interface is sparse.

This really makes me worry though because now it seems my macros will work differently on my different machines unless I'm careful and I never would have known that ()s were different without randomly reading that paragraph today.

I already ran into issues with CNC spindles changing definition in 3.3.

Are there other CNC mode differences that are subtle like this? Is there a document describing exactly what CNC mode is and why I would or would/not use it?

Thanks.
Mark

@william3d Feel free to ignore this if too basic but here's my 2c ->

When I was having strange issues with my CoreXY the first thing I did was check simple movement. [I did try to use homing as an early test, immediately drove the nozzle into the bed and thought hmmm...]

Homing is an extreme test because it causes parts to hit other parts and limit out.

Instead, I placed the head in the center of the bed and turned off homing requirements then used the dashboard to move the carriage left and right and back and forth 50mm at a shot. Make sure only the dimension you expect to move actually changes when you do that.

Once moving straight was true everything else worked.

Mark

What seems like a teaching moment...

I reworked my IR sensor carrier to move the sensor closer to the hot-end and while I was at it I made the sensor board edges more orthogonal to the bed. This seems to produce far more consistent results and noticeably more range than the last less-careful mounting. (The first iteration had oval holes since I wasn't sure where it would end up)

@alankilian Thanks. The finish is really glossy so it shows the machining ripples well in this light and they're just spot on.

Well, that came out just great - smooth and all the detail showed up. Thanks. For scale the nearer lizard is about 1.5" long.

@alankilian @rjenkinsgb Thank you both very much. Sweet, I'll upgrade my postprocessor.

Simple question - I'm trying to carve some fairly intricate stuff and noticed that the Fusion360 postprocessor I'm using switches off 3d arcs for Reprap. Is this old and does, by any chance, RRF 3.x support 3d arcs?

Thanks.

I have limit switches on my CNC and milling machine. They seem repeatable to .001" but generally I don't rely on that. The ones with LEDs are nice but the ones without don't require that third wire for power.

You asked about wiring. I use shielded copper cabling - 24AWG for indicator stuff and 18AWG for the 3A motors. After trying two different Amazon cables that were both garbage and would break if you looked at them, I went to my electronics distributer and bought General Cable (Carol) stuff, such as E2204S.41.86. If you use shielded cable make sure you only connect the shield to one end - usually the controller.

@dc42 Thanks so much. It's already very useful.

I've started thinking about finally improving my macros so that they use some meta commands (such as global variables) and was surprised to notice this ->

"Sub-expressions may be enclosed in { } or in ( ). However, standard CNC GCode uses ( ) to enclose comments. So in CNC mode, RepRapFirmware treats ( ) as enclosing subexpressions when they appear inside { } and as enclosing comments when they do not. Therefore, when RepRapFirmware is running in CNC mode, any use of ( ) to enclose a subexpression or function parameter list must be within an expression enclosed in { }."

I have RRF running on three machines. My CNC router I set to CNC mode because the CNC RRF interface that's available stops it from doing dumb things if you click wrong - but it requires your machine to be in CNC mode. My CNC mill I run in non-CNC mode because the CNC interface is sparse.

This really makes me worry though because now it seems my macros will work differently on my different machines unless I'm careful and I never would have known that ()s were different without randomly reading that paragraph today.

I already ran into issues with CNC spindles changing definition in 3.3.

Are there other CNC mode differences that are subtle like this? Is there a document describing exactly what CNC mode is and why I would or would/not use it?

Thanks.
Mark

@kvi94 Sorry, I haven't been on for a few days. If you didn't get this...

Since you have 24V running always-on it's quite easy to add a 24V-5V DC converter to your circuit (they're cheap and very reliable). With that converter you can run 5VDC always-on to the 6HC board - which will keep the CPU running, and PS_ON always valid. Then you just need to use M80 and M81 to turn the SSR (and motor power) on and off.

Once M80 and M81 work, it's simple enough to hook the button into one of the 6HC IO inputs and have a script execute when the button is pressed. That script just needs to run M80 - power on.

On my system I just have a 5V power supply running always on and I switch the 24VDC supply on/off at the AC input but you don't have to do that - your always-on 24V works ok.

Does that make sense?

Mark

In order to sense the metal stock in my milling machine I've been attaching a 6HC IO connection between my spindle and my (electrically isolated) bed. When the bit hits metal it shows a connection and works like any other probe / switch.

I was maintaining my mill and realized that the AC spindle wiring ran earth ground to the spindle - which seems like a really good idea. It has been working fine with the 6HC ground line connected to the spindle and 6HC input pin connected to the bed.

So the question: is connecting the IO ground to earth ground a bad thing here? Should I use an optoisolator or connect IO ground somewhere else or ?

Thank you.

@mdejong Very clear. Thanks.

I'd still vote for a simple 24->5 converter that provides external always-on 5V. The switch could be tied into a script that runs M80.