PixelCNC Has Moved: deftware.org

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Post Processors

A topic by DJL54 created Dec 02, 2020 Views: 319 Replies: 7

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DJL543 years ago

Hi Charlie,

I have tried the softeare and am stuck at gettign a g-code file that will work with my CNC. I have tried the different post processors that you include with the program. I have also tried the one I normally use in Fusion 360 - RS274. They all give me the same error when I try to run the file from the controller --- "out of soft limits" for all three axis. Is this a problem with how I have set up the work area. I have tried to change the size but still get the same errors. At a loss as to what to do next.

Thank you

Doug

DeftwareDeveloper3 years ago

Hi Doug,

It sounds like the machine isn't homed/zeroed out and thinks it's outside of its physical bounds. Can I ask what machine you're running?

Charlie

DJL543 years ago

Hi Charlie,

Running an Axiom Iconic 8. Table size is 23.81 inch (X), 47.63 inch (Y), 3.937inches of Z. ( 610 mm x 1210 mm x 100mm). Using a RichAuto B11 DSP controller. Home is at the front left corner and I home the machine on every start up. Today I tried moving the origin to the center of the table and the Y soft limit no longer came up as an error. Tried setting Z = 0 as high as possible and at the spoilboard. In both cases still getting errors of X soft limit and Z soft limit. From what I understand, the controller thinks the file is too big for the machine. Not sure if it is an imperial/metric thing as the controller works in metric. In PixelCNC I did change the canvass dimensions to be metric. The only thing that was not metric was the tool size.

Doug

DeftwareDeveloper3 years ago

Hi Doug,

Yes I believe you're right about it thinking the coordinates in the G-code program are too big for the machine though it might be that none of the currently included posts are compatible with your machine. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to get one working if that's the issue. Do you have any G-code that you're able to run on your machine that I could look at as a reference? It doesn't matter what program produced it - just that it runs as expected on your machine. The problem could simply be that none of the existing posts in v1.43a are formatting the G-code to where your controller is able to properly parse out the command blocks and it could be interpreting a non-coordinate value as a coordinate.

You can use Pastebin.org to put the contents of a G-code file online and reply with the link it produces for me to see. I'll then put up a post for you to download and try out :)

Charlie

DJL543 years ago(+1)

Hi Charlie,

https://pastebin.com/BR5MSaH is the link. called example NC file.

Thank you so much for helping me out .

Doug

DeftwareDeveloper3 years ago

Hi Doug,

Glad to help! Okay here's the post I made that hopefully resolves the issue. It produces G-code that matches that of the working code you sent, so if there's still an issue with the soft limits it likely is a machine origin type issue (zero on your machine doesn't match where you have the origin set in PixelCNC, for example).

Download the post here: RichAuto (Metric).txt If it doesn't download and instead opens up in the browser you should be able to right-click and Save As to save it to the posts folder in your PixelCNC directory.

Let me know how it goes :)

Charlie

DJL543 years ago(+1)

Hi Charlie,

The post processor worked! Thank you so much. Now I am palying with the origins and canvass size and importing a jpg to see how I manage with the program. Looking at one of your videos (horizontal roughing and parallel finishing) it seems that I just load a jpg, set a few parameters, create tools and operations and am good to go. Seems too easy?

Doug

DeftwareDeveloper3 years ago

Glad to hear it! I'll be including that post in the next build of PixelCNC that's released :)

Yup, setup your canvas properties - and remember that it's an XYZ volume within which toolpaths are generated, so if you don't need your cuts to be deeper than a certain amount then you generally don't need a Z-size that's larger than that.

Load up any images/models you want to composite on your canvas, you can rotate, size, and scale by selecting the layer and left/right click-drag the little circle handles that appear, or directly edit the layer's properties on the right-side, including how layers blend together - blending from the bottom up so that a layer's blend mode affects how it composites with everything below it (in terms of how they're ordered in the layers list on the left-side of the window).

Setup your tool(s) and then create your operations to generate toolpaths. Remember to consider your operation parameters carefully, there's still a little work to be done to "shield" the user from entering bad values. After you have a toolpath generated you can go into simulation mode and see what your cuts will look like.

Let me know how it goes!

Charlie

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PixelCNC Has Moved: deftware.org

Post Processors