Hi!

I tried to install a later version of Mach3 but it did not work so I decided to remove all Mach3 files on the computer (I dit remember to backup my .xml files and licensefiles  ).
I installed the newest version (the one I had from start) and now it works perfect again. I have not installed some plugins that I need yet but I will do that soon and see if the problem returns, hopefully not...

Thank you all for your help .

Regards
  Per

I'll have a look at that. Although I have tried the sensor through the mills breakout board and the speed can be read in the DRO so we are half way there. I got the lathe rigged up to run through a board that my father in law made and everything worked. I tried doing a threading cycle but it just stops. the X position goes to the first cut depth and the Z axis is supposed to start at o.1 which it does. It moves to about 50 thou in and then stops.  Is this likely to be because of what you are saying or could it be something in the G76 line or something in the mach software. Sorry if I seem a bit slow with this but I'm not up on electronics. My father in law is doing all this sort of stuff.

Jason, what is actually creating the pulses to control the lathe?

To display the speed on a DRO, the input can be taken from pretty much anywhere, but as I said in my last post, inorder to sync motion to the spindle (i.e. when cutting threads), whatever is generating the pulses must be capable of the required syncing, and have the spindle pulses directly fed to it.

I forget the name but it is an LED that shines on to the indexing disc that has a reflective strip., This creates  the pulse and is wired straight into the break out board.

What I meant by pulses, are the steps for the stepper drivers.
Are you still using the Pokeys to control the steppers?

No the steppers were wired through the breakout board as well.

That's fine.

Are you using a licensed version of Mach?
Threading is not enabled if you don't have a valid license.

I've never used the PP for threading so the only other thing I can think of is do you have the index input (Ports and Pins -> Input Signals) set to the pin you have the spindle sensor connected to?
The fact the tool moves into position then stops, sounds like mach isn't receiving the spindle signal. When you command a thread cycle, the tool moves into position ready to start, then pauses briefly while it waits for a spindle pulse.

The other problem could be your acceleration/speed isn't fast enough for the thread you're trying to cut, although I'm not sure what Mach does if that is the case. However a quick way to test for this, would be to slow the spindle down and cut some air to see if the threading is going to work.

When Ii tried threading through the breakout board that my father in law made we I used another laptop because it had the parrallel  port on but didn.t have a license. So this could be the problem as you saide.

The index pulse is configured to the correct pin. I would have thought that if it was not then I would not see a an RPM

I am cutting air anyway just to try it and slowed the speed down to 100 RPM.

I shall try the breakout out board again with a licensed copy of mach and see what happens.

If I get no joy then I guess I' m  going to have to bite the bullet and do as you said before and invest in a separate motion controller.

Just to let you know I' v got the index working and I just run a couple of threading programmes in thin air. This is through the parrellel port and seems to be fine. The real test will be when I actually cut material. I'll let you know how that goes.

Thanks for all your advice.

Regards. Jason.