Macro help needed please.
I am using Estlcam 12 and a Nano board setup as for Estlcam, not GRBL.
I want to add a pair of line lasers to form a crosshair on my workpiece. The hardware I am building already for this. The crosshairs will be turned on and off using output 1.
The macro I am not sure how to go about it
I need to be able to turn on output 1 (crosshairs) and then be able to move the spindle manually to a mark placed on the work piece (centre)
At that point I would manually zero the position and after that I need to have the macro move to the offset position and then zero the tool automatically.
Finally the macro should turn off output 1.
Say the offsets are X35 and Y25 (real values will be used later)
I know I can manually move the spindle to the mark on the workpiece and line up the crosshairs on the mark.
I know that I can then zero the position using zero.
I can move the spindle to the offset position by entering G00 X35 Y25
I could then zero the position again, but I would like all of this to be done as much as possible with a macro.
G0 0X35 Y25
X=0 Y=0
output 1 off
I have tried this and it seems to work to some extent, but the output doesn’t appear to be turning off. I manually turned it on, so maybe that is the wrong way to call it??
Is it too hard to do?
Is there any documentation on writing macros for Estlcam anywhere?
The only valid macro entries I know of are controller commands (see command line help pane). The only undocumented command line I have discovered is Output 3 on S…/off for the spindle (Nano, presumably max outputs +1 for others).
Thanks for that Dave,
It looks like there is very limited use for macros without there being much that can be programmed. It would be nice if the outputs could all be used, not just output 3.
All Outputs should be usable, try typing the Output 1 command and hitting Enter multiple times. If Output 1 doesn’t toggle on and off I would check the wiring (Nano output #1 = pin 03, #2 = pin 02 and #3/spindle = pin 04). If a command works on the command line it should work as a macro line, e.g. Output 1 (on) … Output 1 (off) - using on/off seems safer, but it is not required.
…If you’ve customized Setup : Controller : Output : Name, you …will need to use that name (instead of the default Output 1).
I tried it and the output 1 will not work in a macro for me. I can turn it on without any problem using the Estlcam button and turn it off again with the same button, but when using in a macro nothing happens.
I did a physical test by putting a LED across pin 03 and GRD
Can turn on the LED and off again with the button, but nothing when using the macro.
I had hoped that the macro could just turn it off, but it wont even turn it on.
I tested with version 12, latest.
Yes Dave, that works. It seems that the name is the way to add into the macro, not the output.
I tested on a button on output 2 that I called LEDs and substituted the entry in the macro from output 2 to LEDs and it works fine. Testing with a LED across the signal pin and ground is pretty easy to do and effective.
Thanks for that example, it was pretty confusing when the output 2 didn’t work.