How to convert a basic machine with Axis GUI to PlasmaC Gmoccapy GUI

Good morning Phil,

I got the arc voltage input working, thank you. Now I see that I don't have an entry for the ARC OK signal in the hal files. If I try to start a cut, the plasma cutter sends an ARC OK signal to pin 5 on the second parport (that would be parport.1.pin-05-in, the LED on the breakout board lights up). But where to connect this pin to ?

As far as I can tell there was no entry in the PlasmaC configurator for an ARC OK signal, and I don't see it in the hal files. I suppose I need to add another line in the connections hal file, but which PlasmaC hal pin ?

Cheers, Peter

Thanks Phil, that works, I missed the difference in modes. I think I am getting close to get it to work, it just brings up an error "valid arc lost", I have to work out what that means and how to rectify that.

Cheers, Peter

Hi Phil,

I have tried to invert the parport pin, then the Arc OK light on the GUI is on constantly, so that's not correct. I have set it back to the original. Can have something to do with the voltage scale and/or offset ? I have used the online calculator with the numbers from our THCAD-10 card, but is there something else that I am missing or can change ?

Cheers, Peter

I think its time to go back to basics here and follow this through.
The expected use is to take field power and connect it to one of the pins on your CPC port on the plasma cutter. The other side is connected to your input pin. IN a parallel port I have no experience but possibly field power is GND for you.

Use halshow and watch the parallel port pin you have connected. what happens?

Are you getting expected behaviour when cutting?

What happens if you bridge the ArcOK pins as a test? Does the pin go true? It should. Get that right before worrying about the GUI/Plasmac side.

Hi gentlemen,

If I am correct, in mode 0 PlasmaC works out an ARC OK and THC from the Arc voltage, so there is really no need to have a separate ARC OK signal from the plasma cutter ? Am i better off to use mode 0 and not worry about the ARC OK signal from the plasma cutter ? As I see it the external ARC OK is just another thing that can go wrong, why use it if PlasmaC is capable of working with just the arc voltage. Or am I missing something here ?

Sorry that I am asking so many questions, PlasmaC has so many variables that it's a bit hard to know what does what.

Cheers, Peter

Hi all,

We have tried both modes 0 and 1, with no succes. I have used all the instructions from the PlasmaC user guide regarding Voltage Scale and Offset, but in mode 0 the torch pierces and then comes up with an error, and in mode 1 (with the ARC OK from the plasma cutter connected to the parallel port and in HAL, the torch probes, the torch comes on for a split second and then it cuts out.

I am a bit at a loss at what we do wrong here, we have followed all the instructions as good and far as we understand them, but no idea at this stage what is causing problems. ! thing I do notice is that the ARC Voltage on the screen is at 140 when the machine sits idle, so I wonder what is causing that ? If I change the voltage offset then the ARC Voltage reading changes too, do I have to change the voltage offset until the ARC Voltage reads 0V when the machine sits idle ?

Cheers,