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MachPro Plasma Setup Manual

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Configure Motion Controller

Please refer to your motion controller's documentation to:

  • Establish the network connection to the MachPro computer
  • Connect and configure drives
  • Connect and configure the spindle
  • Connect and configure I/O 
  • Calibrate the axes
  • Establish machine zero
  • Configure soft limits
  • Calibrate the Spindle

Some of these configuration steps also need integration with the MachPro software. 

Configure the Dedicated Network Interface

The motion controller connects to the control computer through an IP Ethernet connection, and we recommend you use static IP addresses for both the computer and the motion controller.

Follow the Microsoft guide below to manually set a static IP address on the computer:
 Microsoft Instructions: Manually Configure IPv4 Settings Scroll to the bottom and expand the section titled “To specify IPv4 settings manually.”

Then perform the following steps to use the MachLabs default settings:

  1. Set IP address to: 192.168.208.10

  2. Set Subnet mask to: 255.255.255.0

  3. Save the settings and close the window.

  4. Connect to the dedicated network port on the control computer.

Axes Configuration

EtherCAT Recommendations

  • Put servo & stepper drives first in the EtherCAT chain (closest to the controller).

  • Put I/O devices and safety relays in the middle.

  • Put VFDs last (at the end of the chain). VFDs make electrical noise — keeping them last lowers interference.

  • Use shielded network cable for all EtherCAT devices.

  • Cable length: keep each cable between 1 foot and 100 meters (about 0.3 m – 100 m).

  • Good cable management: keep cables neat, do not bend them sharply, and separate network cables from high-power lines when possible.

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Enabling Axes in MachPro 

Enabling Axes

After the drives are connected to the M31, open up MachPro, and enable the axes as follows:

Note: This may already be setup depending on your system.

  1. On the menu bar, click Configure->Control . Then select the Motors tab (pictured below).

Note, if menu options are greyed out (not active/selectable), disable the system to allow configuration changes

  1. Enable all the motors that are to be controlled by setting the respective boxes in the right pane to checks. In the example below, motors 0, 1, and 2 are enabled.
  2. If a motor moves the wrong direction, it can be reversed in the MachPro. Check the  Reverse? box if the motor direction needs to be reversed. The motor will now move the opposite direction than it did before. If the homing direction was already set, it will need to be reversed as well. (see the homing section ). NOTE: If you are needing to reverse direction on an axis with a slave motor, you may need to change the direction for both the master and slave axis.
  3.  Press [ Apply  ] to save any changes. image.png
  4. Next, select the  Axis Mapping  tab as pictured below. Associate the enabled motors to the applicable axis. In this example, Motor0 is the X master, Motor1 is the Y master, and Motor2 is not mapped to an axis. In this EtherCat system the VFD and spindle are motor 2, but will not be used for axis movement. No slave axes are configured on this system.  image.png
  5. If you have an axis with two motors - such as a gantry - one motor will be the master and the second will be the slave. In the slave column, select the motor that will be running in slave mode. In this example X axis has Motor0 as the master and Motor2 as the slave. 

    OjEimage.png

  6. Press [  Apply ] and [ OK ] to save and close.
  7. Carefully test jogging. If you have a gantry with two motors, you may need to reverse one motor for correct motion. See step 2 above.

The system should now be able to jog, however,....

WARNING
 The machine can be crashed very easily at this point. The axes need to be calibrated and the limits set up now.

Axis Calibration

Before calibrating the axes, set the backlash units to 0 for each axis. See the Backlash Repair and Compensation section below for details.

Go to  Configure-> Plugins -> Machine Calibration.

Select the type of configuration you would like to perform from the window:

  • Manual - Calculate the axes by comparing distance traveled vs. distance commanded. See Manual Calibration below for instructions.
  • Automatic - Calibrate axes using the specifications of your system. Continue for instructions.

Automatic Units Calibration 

Automatic calibration requires you to provide all of the details of your motor and axis hardware. If you are unable to find this information, proceed to the Manual Calibration section. 

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  1. Select the Drive that most closely matches yours. If there is not an exact match, select based on the number of encoder resolution bits. 
  2. Select the max motor RPM
  3. Enter 131,072 for the Encoder Resolution. If you have a stepper drive, or the drive is less than 17 bit, then enter the actual resolution per rotation for your motor. To verify the actual encoder resolution of your drive, please use the steps above in Checking Resolution. 
  4. Enter 1 for the drive ratio. 
  5. If this axis uses a pulley, select that box and enter the number of teeth from the load side and the motor side.
  6. If there is a gearbox, select that box and enter the ratio.
  7. This axis will have either a ballscrew or rack and pinion system. Select the type it has and complete the open fields.
  8. Select the axis to calibrate.
  9. Leave Angle at 0 degrees
  10. Press the [Calculate] button.
  11. Evaluate the current steps value against the proposed values. You may change values and re-calculate.
  12. When you are ready to Accept the new steps per value, enter in the maximum Acceleration and Velocity values that you want for this axis. 

Repeat for each axis.

Press [OK] and restart MachPro to save the calibration settings.

This is an example of a simple X axis that has been calculated and is ready to be accepted. You may need to change the Acceleration and Velocity values to be appropriate for your machine. 

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Verify that each axis is moving the distance that you command. 

Manual Calibration

This tool will enable you to calibrate your axes based on measuring actual distances moved and updating the MachPro parameters. Use the longest distance that you can accurately measure to calibrate each axis. 

You will be commanding motion on each axis. Carefully jog each axis to the middle of travel before starting calibration.

  1. Select the axis to calibrate.
  2. Select either Jog Distance or Commanded Distance. Jogging allows you to directly control the speed and distance the axis moves.

Manual Calibration Using Jogged Distance

Manual Calibration Using Commanded Distance

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  1. Press [  Enable  ] and then [  Record Jog  ]
  2. Jog the longest distance you can accurately measure
  3. Press [  Record Jog  ] again to stop the recording
  4. Measure the distance jogged and enter it into the actual travel field.
  5. Press [ Submit ] to calculate the steps per unit
  6. Press [ Accept ] to update the axis calibration.
  7. To verify, use the Commanded Distance function
  1. Enter the distance and feedrate you want to use.
  2. Press [  Enable  ] and then [  Move  ]. Be prepared to press the E-Stop button if the axis moves too close to a hard stop. 
  3. Measure the distance moved and enter it into the actual travel field.
  4. Press [ Submit ] to calculate the steps per unit
  5. If the distances commanded and moved are the same, it will not change the steps per unit and you can press [ OK ] to close the window.
  6. If commanded and actual are different, press [ Accept ] to update the axis calibration.
  7. To verify, repeat the Commanded Distance function.

Pressing [ Accept ] at this point will update the steps per unit on this axis

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Pressing [ Accept ] at this point will update the steps per unit on this axisimage.png

Axis calibration is a core function of a CNC control. Ensure that it now meets your accuracy requirements before moving on in the configuration. All of the following configuration steps depend on calibration, and if you later change the calibration, you will need to reconfigure many of the items below. 

Configure Velocity and Acceleration

If you want to adjust your velocity, select Configure on the top menu bar, then Control . Select the Motors tab as shown below. 

image.pngIn the right pane, click on the motor you want to set up.

Click the word to highlight and select the axis. The checkbox is for enabling/disabling the motor

The selected motor’s parameters will be loaded and the velocity or acceleration settings can be adjusted.

  • The max velocity is limited by several factors, including the motor. If you want an axis rapid speed to be limited or lowered, adjust the velocity for that motor to the max speed you want the rapid to be. The rigidity of the machine hardware will limit practical maximum velocity of an axis. The cut quality and accuracy will degrade as it reaches that point. 
  • For stepper motors, max acceleration is typically 15-20 if in standard units. For servo motors, start with value of 30-40. This parameter also sets the deceleration rate, which interacts with a regeneration resistor - if one is installed on this axis. 

Press [ Apply ] before clicking on another motor or closing out the Mach Configuration window. NOTE: If you change the counts per unit, the velocity and acceleration values will adjust accordingly. If you do not want them to change, type in the current values shown. Verify by clicking another motor and then coming back to the adjusted motor.

WARNING
No limits have been set up. DEATH, INJURY or serious PROPERTY DAMAGE can occur if the system is not operated carefully. Limits and homing setup  will be completed in section 3

Backlash Repair and Compensation

Backlash is caused by the gaps between moving parts such as gears and ballscrews. It is the amount of movement one component can make in one direction without causing motion in the next connected part. Most mechanical systems have some backlash - even when new. If the mechanics are too tight, binding and excessive wear will result. As the gears and ballscrews wear, the backlash will increase, and accuracy will decrease. Ongoing testing and maintenance of your mechanical system is required to minimize backlash.

The M31 provides software backlash compensation as a short-term solution for small, stable amounts of backlash. To calculate the backlash of an axis use How To Test For Backlash 

Backlash Value – (Enter in Configure | Plugins -> M31). This field sets the backlash amount in inches or millimeters, depending on the setup units. For best performance, backlash should be less than .0015 inches. Start by entering half of the backlash value, test and adjust. 

Backlash Speed % – (Enter in Configure | Plugins -> M31) This is a factor of the axis acceleration value. The M31 takes the max acceleration of the motor and multiplies it by this percentage. Valid values are 10-400 (0.1 to 4 times max acceleration). A common value is 20%.

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Do not leave the backlash speed  value at zero if you enter a backlash value. The M31 will not function. 

All of the axes are now calibrated, but MachPro does not know where the limits of travel are on each axis. That will be configured next. Until that setup is completed, be very careful if you are moving axes

 

 

 

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