Another plasma component...

Most of the components needed for plasma cutting are already implemented and functioning, some that are included are not necessarily usable in most cases and some are "one time setup" functions.
There are arguments for having a single comp as well as having them separate. The only thing important for new users is the ability to edit only a single file and have the machine running. For more experienced users it is no big deal to have to work with separate components and files.
From my point of view. this is more than enough as is. I am pretty sure even the most sophisticated plasma cutters on the market lack some of the features included here and are far from customisable.
Plasma cutters are not and will never be " one size fits all ", there are distinct features and requirements for different uses. For machines cutting up to 6mm ( most of the hobby and small industrial ones ) there is no need for puddle jump, kerf crossing, even corner lock gets used very rarely. On bigger machines they are a must.
Take a look at new Messer greisheim machines, there is a noticeable trend of using floating head touch off and initial sensing ( no more ohmic sensing at all ), use of light weight aluminium gantry for rapid movements so the accelerations can be high hence no need for corner lock in most use cases, and use of water tables.
Now i have to wait till 22 of this month to get my new machine torch ( original Trafimet A141 ) with 12 meter cable, as i can not use the machine where it sits now without it. 6 and 7.5 meter cables are to short. At 450 euro a piece i ordered 2, but the wait is unbearable.
Thank you all .
Regards,
Tom

rodw wrote:
I might see if I can clone master branch and see if somebody will incorporate some of my components into master.

It would probably pay you to have each component in its own branch.

Another reason for loosing an arc during cut is thermal shutdown of the plasma cutter ( transformer ) during long cuts.
After a mandatory cooling period, with the help of reverse run ( or just backing up a line or two in the gcode ) and the cutting can be resumed.

My alternative approach...

rodw wrote:
There are a few reasons I think like this

1. That is consistent with the LinuxCNC component approach. Many standard components are < 10 lines of code.

The idea here is to keep as much as possible in one place as long as the thread time is not exceeded.

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2. I was always taught that if you could not see a procedure on a single screen or page, it is too long and it needs to be broken up.

Although technically this is one procedure, in reality it is many different procedures, each of which (mostly) follows the above criteria. They are then joined together in a reasonably easy to follow sequence in one place. I could (should) have split the 'CUTTING' procedure into the two differing types.

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3. I was adding pieces of the puzzle on a progressive basis.

That is how I originally built this component, one procedure at a time. First probing then going to pierce height and so on. Get a procedure working then go on to the next one.

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4. Many of the pieces are totally unrelated. Eg corner lock/velocity anti-dive and torch sampling have nothing in common.

If these are separate components then one has to know how to connect them together and in the correct order which I think complicates the setup for a new user.

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5. A small component is much easier to debug where we don't have access to a debugger to step through code in an interrupt service routine environment.

The original debugging was easy as only one procedure at a time was added. However that may prove be different when (if) I actually get to try it to my table.

billykid wrote:
the main problem for the pierce is the material that boils and inexorably ruins the nozzle. generally it is improved by starting first at very low speed so that the melted material is left behind by saving the nozzle.
thanks for the job

That would probably be able to be incorporated although I thought that puddle jump was used to get around this problem.

rodw wrote:
The more you look, the more you find with Plasma! It really is a very unique CNC operation.

+1