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Hey everyone.

I'm documenting my journey to control a CHC-200F (Capacitive Height Controller) as a Torch Height Controller.

CHC-200F is superior to CHC-200E as the "F" has faster processing and also provides a probe output signal.

These systems are made for use with a DC motor in the torch : which LCNC doesnt.

They communicate to the motor with a PWM signal, which overrides the controller's PWM to provide a height correction.

 

The PWM signal provided is 10V with 9 to 18 KHZ frequency. Which can be read by either the Mesa Encoder input with the proper voltage scaling.

Unlike the arc voltage, which the THCAD converts into an encoder signal, the PWM signal will have a polarity so it will have scaled and offsetted..
It will also have a different "meaning" as the encoder in the THCAD, so it will have to be 'read' in a different way.

Has anyone used mesa systems to read PWM?

Is it more suitable to read it with a THCAD?

PS: Im guessing I could also use the polarity of PWM signal to generate two inputs: Move Torch Up & Move Torch Down, and use QTPLASMAC in Mode 2 (Up/down signals). But this wouldn't provide such a fast thc response as the "arc voltage" does.

This post will be advanced as more progress is made.
 

You probably want something like:

loadrt logic count=2 personality=0x203,0x204

(you need to specify the personality of each gate)

We can also decide to make a ringbuffer. A buffer with 250 segments in the past and 250 segments in the future.

As one of the guys who plan to use LCNC for a wire-EDM machine I would hope this is the chosen path. After all it has been implemented and is working flawlessly as it is now. And it would be a great loss if a feature like that is removed.
At least make it possible to implement for those who need it. If it is possible to set it as an option if needed this is enough. 

If not implementing it now means it will be difficult to implement at a later stage I say please dont leave it out at this stage.

And thanks for the great effort you are putting in to this Grotius!

I have numerous gates;OR2, logic,  etc. working in a postgui.hal file.
I was using an OR2 for unhoming x&Y and it worked, I'm now trying to include Z

So I now need to add a 3 input OR gate.

I already have a 4 input OR defined as ....

# this is a  4 input OR gate
loadrt logic count=1 personality=0x204   # was 203 for 3 input 0x204 for 4 input A16
addf logic.0 servo-thread

Attempting to add a 3 input like this ....
loadrt logic count=1 personality=0x203  
addf logic.1 servo-thread

gives error.... logic: already exists

So I tried changing the count of the logic personality 0x204 to 2, and then just setting the 4th input pin to 0,  as follows...
# this is a 4 input OR gate  AUG12-2024
loadrt logic count=2 personality=0x204  
addf logic.0 servo-thread
addf logic.1 servo-thread

net un-home-x <= arduino.keypad.UnHome-X
net un-home-x => logic.1.in-00
net un-home-y <= arduino.keypad.UnHome-Y
net un-home-y => logic.1.in-01
net un-home-z <= arduino.keypad.UnHome-Z
net un-home-z => logic.1.in-02
setp logic.1.in-03 0

this gives the following error...
postgui.hal:233: Pin 'logic.1.in-00' does not exist

I'm using the same pin naming format that worked for logic.0,

Help please
 

So i got the brake working. Not difficult if you understand the documentation.
i wrote a little how i set the driver up. Maybe it is useful for an other

To setup a brake on the driver, ex for the z axis.
You must change the function of the DO.
Lets say we change DO2.
DO2A is VCC (ex +24v)
DO2B is connected to a relay or brake (max 200mA)
Relay is also conected to GND in this case

The default function of DO2 is zero-speed. (do not use the brake before changing this)
Go into parameter P04.04 and change it from 3 to 9. This will make it a brake output.
Parameter P04.03 can be used to invert the signal. (Default low to disable brake)
parameter P02.09 till P02.12 can be used the set the timing of the brake enabling and such.

Next i want to do the homing with the driver itself, has anyone done this yet?
i have set DI2 as home switch and DI4 as end switches, i am able to read them.
However i am currently stuck on how this would work in HAL.

Kind regards,
Andries
 

I never really fully got the hang of inkscape. It sounds like it's the most open source but the least user friendly. I really want to try to build my table idiot proof so if I get lucky and it gets to the point I'm not doing all the work myself and I can easily have a newbie operator run the machine. I know linux cnc has plugins for plate centering is it possible to make this work with multiple work planes? So like if you load 5 sheets on the table can it centre all 5 or do I have to stop in between sheet.

Im glad you manage to fix it and is probably much better than any retrofit.
Can you share some details, I would like to do the same but am affraid it would cost too much.
I paid for whole machine and vacuum pump cheaper than it would be for them if they sold it to junk jard as steel waste.
But again am just starting this cnc thing and dont have any business running yet.

Yes, across the THCAD input side.

bonjour, je voudrais savoirsi la carte bonjour, je voudrai savoir si une carte d'adaptateur PCI Express vers parallèle DB25 peut etre utilisee pour linuxcnc? merci fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005007091741451....gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

You mean across positive and negative of the Thad?

Okay, so this is not reproducible for you. I also think it was working for a short while for me before I started getting the following errors.

The value position-fb jumps to is consistent across time and even if unloading all modules and starting over. But it has changed as well at some time, but I'm not quite sure what has been the trigger for that. Perhaps some change in the modbus .mod "config", but I'm not sure.

I actually was also thinking about narrowing it down by a ethernet capture, and already took one with Wireshark. I could see the LBP16 commands, but have not tried to decipher what is written/read yet (by the LBP16 commands). But just by looking at the source code, it appears the step rate is written and the position feedback (16.16 floating point accumulator) is read back. It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out if something strange happens with those. Hopefully

I would put at least two of those 5K resistors in parallel, in parallel with the input of THCAD.

Is it possible to make the random tool change faster searching for the next tool in the g-code and prepare it while the program runs?

5 volt Thad
24 volt power supply.

I tried that firmware on a 7I95T with the included relayboard.mod
and stepgens set to 5 with no issues (with or without a relay modbus
device connected).

I'll try your example on Monday. Worst case, may be debuggable with
tcpdump.