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How do you want to command your outputs? There are a myriad of ways to control them with in Linuxcnc, custom M-codes being just one. In fact you could command up to 32 outputs with just a single custom M-code with the addition of a binary variable (M100 Pn) where n= an integer number that is written to a hal pin (Bitslice Hal component) who's binary value sets the value of each output pin. You could add another 32 by adding a Q variable to the M-code for a total of 64 outputs with a single M-code command. Now remembering all of your possible binary integer commands to turn on/off the correct outputs might be a bit of a trick, but that shouldn't be hard for a computer to do. I've done this before myself, but for only about 16 outputs.

I looked at the code I was using and the thc enable gcode is there, the thc enabled light is on, but not the thc active light thats what confuses me, what are the requirements for it to activate?

What does your G-code for the above move look like? The answer might be as simple as adding another line of code, or moving the line where the G41/42 is issued.

voltages sound about right. Nice to know ethercat is so simple to install for plasma machines.

I'm a bit rusty, it can be a bit cantankerous  on non standard setups, Check the thc is not disabled in the gcode which sounds a likely place to look

You could use ethercat. Start with a EK1100 coupler
www.beckhoff.com/en-en/products/i-o/ethe...-coupler/ek1100.html
and then add 32 output EL2407 modules as required.
www.beckhoff.com/en-en/products/i-o/ethe...l-output/el2407.html
6 would give you 192 outputs and an  EL2008 rounds it off to exactly 200 inputs.
the EK1100 can supply for 2 amps but the power bus is can handle 10 amps. If you need more power you can insert a EL9410 power supply module between modules on the bus.
www.beckhoff.com/en-au/products/i-o/ethe...x-system/el9410.html

 

Im using a beckhoff 3102 +-10v analog input so im dividing the arc voltage 30:1 inside the powermax 65, and after the first tests with a bench power supply I realized that the beckhoff module outputs a float value between -1 and +1, given the range I assumed it relates the voltage and the float output value 10:1, so in qtplasmac i combined the two ratios to be 300:1 the cut voltage appears to display right in the tests i have done so far, 200 something volts at ark start and stabilizing at about 130V and that agrees with hyperterm's tables for the parameters im using

edit:
and as I said before thc is working fine when doing a manual cut with the jog keys
 

There is 
net plasmac:arc-voltage-in <=  lcec.0.3.ain-0-val
so the voltage is provided by an ethercat analog input
and I see the GUI settings of
Arc Voltage Offset = 0.0
Arc Voltage Scale = 300.0

How do you scale the input back to volts?
Do you see a Voltage being displayed?
What I'm seeing is you are multiplying the input value by 300 which does not sound right. 
I would have thought you would be using the voltage divider factor from your plasma cutter. eg if 20:1 you'd multiply by 20.
The other approach would be to scale the voltage outside of QTplasmac and use a scale of 1 which I have used before.
Need to get your voltage correct before looking at thc

tommylight wrote:

I am not moving to USA !!! It has become unbearable, even on TV !
Sorry for hijacking the topic.

If you can't bear the US, don't come to Australia!
My son is in Texas after a stint in Europe and I quite sure he'll never come back home! 

Hi all,

It's been quite a while since I was here last..

A year or two ago I installed and configured the 5-axis version of QTDragon (the one that has jog buttons for A and C axes as well), but I can't for the life of me remember where I got it from   

I found Jim's profile but it seems I can't message him from here.

Help appreciated!

I made a simulation html with claude

If you want a lot of TTL level (open drainn) outputs, a 7I90HD in sserial remote mode
will provide 72 outputs (or inputs) per card.

PCW wrote:

I don't see anything in the hal  files that reference the THC or plasma voltage or
source for plasma voltage information at all.

+1

Do you need to activate them from gcode or from GUI?
Why 7i73? See 7i71 or 7i72 at 48 outputs each.
Not much info to go on, but yes LinuxCNC should have no problems controlling "as many as you can wire in" outputs, granted the hardware is there.
But that will also depend of the first question.

I need to setup a machine that will require 200 custom outputs.  I was looking at using Mesa cards since I am familiar with them and they will allow me to control that many outputs using a 7i74 and a bunch of 7i73 cards.  Will LinuxCNC allow that many custom commands?  If so, how would I approach this? I am familiar with the M100-M199 User Defined Commands, is there a way to add more beyond M199?

I don't see anything in the hal  files that reference the THC or plasma voltage or
source for plasma voltage information at all.