PM-45M-CNC Setup and Configuration with Mach3

James, that's a great looking control panel, very neat and well thought out. I would be embarrassed to show you mine. Bob

Hey Bob, I can't take a single ounce of credit for the look of the control panel, the good folks overseas did all the work for me! It looks as though you converted your own CNC. You sir deserve some kudos, I certainly don't have the brass for that kind of undertaking. Regardless of how neat and tidy things are I'm impressed either way!
 
Just to be clear, I have crashed my Mill many time. Most of the time, it is easier to get to the E-Stop on the Mach3 screen than the big button on the switch box.

As for you wiring. My assumption is that the terminal blocks are electrically connected from top to bottom. In other words, if a wire is connected to the screw on the top then it is electrically connected to any wire that is in the screw directly below it. This is a typical expectation for terminal blocks but I will go and check mine later today just to be sure.
Based on that assumption

Connections 1;2;3;10 are all connected together and then in turn connected to one side of the E-Stop switch ("From Estop"). You show that the wire labeled "To Estop" is not connected to anything. I goes to the bottom of the terminal block but there is no second wire on the same screw and there is no wire on the screw directly above. Not sure what to make of that.

I would be curious if you go into Mach3 "Ports and Pins" config screens and look at the "Input" tab, do you see the entry for pins 1,2 & 3 ? What does Mach3 think these inputs are for?
I don't think it would help for me to check mine as it is clear we have different controller boards.

I'm glad I'm not the only one crashing my mill like it's going out of style! :)(Okay, not really that much, just a few times)

You are correct that the tops and bottoms of the terminal connectors are connected. I will get back to you on what mach thinks those ports are. Unfortunately today was a no-shop, all final exam preparation day.

one more thing. Be sure that you have removed power including the USB cable when you are using the ohm meter to check connectivity. :).

Guess what happened to my last cheapy ohm meter :rolleyes:
 
I just tried to clean up the duplicate posts at the end of this thread.
there were 4
2 that read exactly the same, and 2 that said just duplicate
I clicked delete on the last item and it took all 4
If I deleted your post Please re-post and I'm sorry
this new software is a learning curve
I think I'll wait until the bugs are worked out
Steve
 
I just tried to clean up the duplicate posts at the end of this thread.
there were 4
2 that read exactly the same, and 2 that said just duplicate
I clicked delete on the last item and it took all 4
If I deleted your post Please re-post and I'm sorry
this new software is a learning curve
I think I'll wait until the bugs are worked out
Steve
No worries. Thanks for all the work that you do for the forum !
 
I figured we could use a thread specific to configuration of the Precision Mathews 45M-CNC. This will make it easier for people to find from searches in the future.

I have attached my XML configuration file. I am not sure if it is directly interchangeable with other systems but likely it is with the one issue that I have the PBJ Multi Interface ScreenSet 2013 installed.
Just put this in the MACH3 directory and it should show up in the list of systems when you use the Mach3 loader.View attachment 71216

Do you think this would work for a converted PM-45M? New to this and picked up one that was converted to CNC using the Gecko G540. Mach 3 runs, but when I am just trying to engrave lettering the machine engraves it way too large from what I did in inkscape.. in Aspire it will only do a couple of letters.. so was curious if there was some settings in Mach 3 that I was missing from what I installed from the xml file from gecko for mach3 .I am totally new to this if you havent already figured that out haha!
 
The configuration of Mach 3 (which is stored in the XML file) is very dependent on the Motion Control board, how the drive train is designed and other factors. So while you might save some time by STARTING with an established config (XML file) it would be unlikely that it will work without further modifications.
Have you done any calibration tests where you use the MSI to input simple movement gcode and then measure that movement? In other words, if you issue a G0 X2.0 does it move exactly 2 inches (or cm)? Be sure you have also tested things like the E-STOP and hope switches to be sure they are working properly.
 
The configuration of Mach 3 (which is stored in the XML file) is very dependent on the Motion Control board, how the drive train is designed and other factors. So while you might save some time by STARTING with an established config (XML file) it would be unlikely that it will work without further modifications.
Have you done any calibration tests where you use the MSI to input simple movement gcode and then measure that movement? In other words, if you issue a G0 X2.0 does it move exactly 2 inches (or cm)? Be sure you have also tested things like the E-STOP and hope switches to be sure they are working properly.

Thanks,
Good point, I have not check to see if it travels in cm or inches. I will check that out tonight. E-STOP works. The Limit/Home switches where never setup got this second hand. I am working on those also.
 
Once you verify that you are in the correct units (inches vs cm) then if that does not resolve it
And
you have verified that G0 X2 moved 2 no more or less
Then
the I would look at the GCode for the engraving to verify if the issue is with the GCODE or the MILL. In other words, if you are expecting 1" tall letters but getting 2" tall letters then you need to be sure where the issue is, With the GCODE or with the MILL.
 
Once you verify that you are in the correct units (inches vs cm) then if that does not resolve it
And
you have verified that G0 X2 moved 2 no more or less
Then
the I would look at the GCode for the engraving to verify if the issue is with the GCODE or the MILL. In other words, if you are expecting 1" tall letters but getting 2" tall letters then you need to be sure where the issue is, With the GCODE or with the MILL.

Awesome thanks!
 
Hello Boswell, Are you using 12,800 spm on your machine and how did you come to find it? Was it that Calibration Button on the settings page? I just wondered why it's different than the Setup instructions. Thanks, Bill
12,800 is dead on for me. By the way are these lead screws really ball screws? They look like delrin nuts to me....?
 
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