Microsystems of Buckhannon Inc Controller 2.6 Users Guide

WinCNC Controller

WinCNC Controller 2.6

Revision 1

Copyright © 1999 - 2013

Microsystems World CNC, LLC

14 East Lincoln Street, Buckhannon, WV 26201

[phone]

Microsystems World CNC, LLC makes no warranties either ex-

pressed or implied, including any implied warranties of tness for a
specic purpose, for this software. This package is provided solely
on an “as is” basis. All risk involved in the use of this software is the
responsibility of the purchaser.

Program errors, improper software conguration, hardware failures,

or other problems can result in damage to the machinery being

controlled. Failure of limit switches, cabling, or port components can

result in machine movement past limits, potentially damaging the

machine and endangering operators. It is imperative that a separate

Emergency Stop system be in place, which bypasses all computer

control. Software features to abort motion from the keyboard and

limit switch inputs are provided as conveniences only, and must not

be relied upon to stop motion in an emergency.

Microsystems World CNC, LLC disclaims all liability for any and all
damages, including incidental and consequential damages in con-

nection with use of this software. The sole and exclusive liability of

Microsystems World CNC, LLC will be limited to the purchase price

of this software package.

If you do not understand and agree with these disclaimers, please do
not use this product. Return all materials to the place of purchase for
a full refund.

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3 Hardware & Software Installation

9 Program Operation

43 SystemConguration

73 ScreenConguration

81 Command Reference

109 MacroConguration

111 Messages and Error Codes

117 KeypadConguration

123 Appendix

129 Index

Contents

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Installation

CAUTION: DO NOT USE THIS SOFTWARE ON A COMPUTER
CONNECTED TO A MACHINE UNLESS THERE IS AN EMERGEN­CY STOP READILY AVAILABLE WHICH WILL INDEPENDENTLY
STOP THE MACHINE.

Software features to abort moves from the keyboard and limit switch
inputs can NOT be relied upon in emergency situations and are pro­vided as conveniences only!

Requirements

WinCNC Controller 2.6 requires a Windows XP/Vista/7/8 (32 or
64 Bit) computer system with Pentium IV or faster processor, 1GB
or more of RAM, a hard drive, and an enabled USB port. Slower

computer systems may result in abnormal acceleration and other
problems. An Internet connection is highly recommended to ensure
proper technical support and access to Windows Updates from

Microsoft.

HardwareInstallationandCongurationofthePCI-7200Card

**It is highly recommended that you use an anti-static wrist strap
before handling any components.

Installation

Below are the components for the PCI-7200 installation. These
include a PCI-7200 card, a Daughter Board, and a ribbon cable
connector.

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Insert the ribbon cable connector into the Daughter Board.

Below is the PCI-7200 card on the left, the Daughter Board on the
right and the spacer/screw assembly. Note the matching holes in
the corners of the Daughter Board and the PCI-7200 card. This may
already have been done prior to shipping.

Installation

Insert the Daughter Board onto the 40-pin connector of the PCI-7200
card. Attach the two cards with the included spacer and screws. This
will insure constant connection between the two boards.

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Installation

Power down and unplug the PC from any power.

Insert the PCI-7200 card into an empty PCI slot on the motherboard.
Install the extra 37-pin connector into an empty cover slot. Install the

extra 37-pin connector into an empty cover slot so that when you are
looking at the back of the computer, you have two identical 37-pin

ports, one being blue and the other black.

TheblueDB37connectoristhedaughterboard,andtheblackis
thePCI-7200card.

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Installation

Very Important! Install the 37 pin cable from the control box into

the daughter card (BLUE) connector, not the PCI (BLACK) connec­tor. The cards have different power and ground pins and the cards
will be damaged if connected incorrectly.

Make sure the PCI-7200 card is using its own IRQ. IRQ settings
must be altered from the BIOS to insure no conicts occur between
the PCI-7200 card and other system resources. Changing these set­tings from within Windows alone will not insure this.

After installing your PCI-7200 card and the extra connector, boot up
your computer for driver and software installation.

**Note: When your computer boots up, you may get a hardware
installation wizard. Close it. You will be installing the driver after the
software is installed.

Install software

Insert the WinCNC Controller CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. If

the installation does not automatically start, you will need to manu-

ally run the “Setup.exe” le on the disk. To do this, click “START”,
then “My Computer”, then right click on the ‘D:, E:, or F:” drive that is
labeled ‘WinCnc.”. You should get a menu that pops up.
On that menu, click “Explore”. Once the les on the CD are visible,
double click the “Setup.exe” le. Follow the prompts of the installa­tion wizard. The install routine will create the specied directory if it
does not exist and copy the necessary les into it. If there is a previ-

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ous installation of WinCNC controller the les will be overwritten.

DriverInstallationforPCI-7200Card:

**Normally,driverinstallationisdoneautomaticallybythe
installationCD.

Forsoftwareversion2.4.xx:

A driver is required for the PCI-7200 card. The driver is included in
the PCI-7200 folder on the root directory of the WinCNC installation
disk for user convenience. If the installation disk isn’t available, the

driver can be downloaded from the Microsystems World CNC web

site. After connecting to the internet, go to www.wincnc.net and click
on the “Support” link at the top left of the page, then click “Down­loads”. Next, nd the “CNC Windows/” link and click that, then click
“Device Manager”, click “2.4”, then click “PCI7200”, and nally click
“PCI7200.exe”. Next click “Save” and browse to your desktop, and
then click “Save” again. Once the download is complete, click “Run”,
and then “Run” again. Make sure at this point, that you “browse” to
the WinCNC folder on your C:\ drive before clicking “Unzip”.

Go into the PCI7200 folder inside of the WinCNC folder and nd
“uninstdrvr.bat”. Run that le, and be careful not to close it before it
is done. Watch for prompts asking you to press a key to continue.

After that is done, run “instdrvr.bat”. Same thing.... either or both of

these may take longer than you think, and may pause and not do
anything long enough for you to think it might not be working correct-

ly. Sometimes those two les run fairly quickly, but there have been
instances when they take a couple of minutes to complete.

Installation

After running both les, reboot your computer and try opening
WinCNC.

Run the program by double clicking on the WinCNC icon on your

Windows desktop.

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Forsoftwareversion2.5.xxor2.6.xx:

In the WinCNC folder, there is a le named “driverinstaller.exe”. This
should be the only le you need to run in order to install the PCI card
drivers. Double click on this le to run the driver installer program

which will automatically detect the operating system and install the

correct device driver (32 bit or 64 bit). After the program is nished,
reboot your PC, and the driver should be installed correctly.

Toverifythecorrectinstallationofthedevicedriver,forall2.4,

2.5,and2.6versions,dothefollowing:

Click “Start”, right-click on “My Computer”, click “Properties”. Then
nd the “Hardware” tab, click it, then click the “Device Manager”
button. In the Device Manager list, there should be two components
as shown and circled below.

Installation

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Overview

WinCNC Controller has advanced features to provide the smoothest

possible cuts. G-Code input is constantly buffered to ‘vector match’
moves. This means your machine only slows down when it needs

to and then only as much as needed to stay within the acceleration

parameters programmed. WinCNC Controller also does S-Curve

acceleration through arcs and matches arc tangential velocities with

straight moves to provide smooth arc moves. The result of these
features is simply smoother cuts and less need for nishing opera­tions. WinCNC Controller has a highly customizable, user-friendly

interface that lets you take control of your machine, providing fea-

tures previously only found on custom industrial controllers.

Any stepper, micro-stepper, or servo system with step and direction
inputs can be interfaced using the included PCI card and micropro­cessor daughter board, or one of several available PCI I/O expan­sion cards. In addition to axis motion, up to 128 auxiliary outputs
and 128 separate inputs may be dened. The intuitive user interface
is easy to learn and convenient to use. All the features you need and
expect are readily accessible via industry standard G-Codes. Simple

keystrokes provide the ability to start, pause, restart, jog, and rapid

transit any axis without navigating multiple screens and windows.
Programs may be run from any line as needed. The programmed

feed rates may be adjusted from 1% to 200% without stopping ma-

chine motion.

Program Operation

Run the program by double clicking the WinCNC icon on your Win-

dows desktop. Program options may be selected from the pull down
menu using the mouse, ALT+ menu key, or function keys while the
machine is stopped. Files can either be typed into the command line
or you can use the File menu’s open option to bring the le name to
the command line. Using the open command does not automatically
run the le, it just brings the name to the command line.

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ScreenDisplay

The following section contains a sample of the WinCNC software
display. Common components are labeled to provide clarity.
NOTE : This screen may differ from your screen layout, as it is

highly customizable and may have been altered by the CNC ma-

chine manufacturer.

Program Operation

ScreenDisplayComponentBreakdown

MenuBar

The Menu Bar contains many of the main features of the WinCNC
software. It is broken down into several generalized sections, as
shown below. The menu bar selections are described in the follow­ing pages. If a menu option has a shortcut key, the shortcut key

combination is listed in parenthesis () after the name of the menu

option.

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FileMenu

Open (CTRL+O) - Opens a le.

Edit (CTRL+E) - Opens the editor. If a lename is in the command

line, the editor opens that le.

Simulate (CTRL+S) - Simulates a le running to check for errors and
estimate run time.

View (CTRL+V) - Views a le in the viewer window.

Restart (CTRL+R) - Opens the le restart dialog box to restart a le.

Create Home File (CTRL+H) - Creates a home le at the current

machine position.

Import=>DXF - Allows the user to import DXF (Drawing Exchange
Format) le.

Import => HPGL - Allows the user to import HPGL (Hewlett-Packard
Graphics Language) le.

Program Operation

*Note: The DXF and HPGL import feature is intended for cutting
simple designs. WinCNC does not compensate for tool diameter
when converting these les. For more complicated design, where
intelligent tool pathing is important, please use a compatible CAD/
CAM program.

Digitize=>Manual - Enable/Disable the Manual Digitizing Toolbar.

Digitize=>Automatic - Automatic digitizing (L802, L803).

Digitize=>Frame - Skeletal Digitizing (L810). This scanning

method scans a center line or spine, and horizontal lines or ribs of

the object.

Digitize=>Outline - Creates an outline trace around an object.

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Digitize=>Laser=>RunScan - Opens the laser digitization dialog
box to set up laser scanning parameters.

Digitize=>Laser=>ReprocessData - Opens a data le from a
previous laser scan used to re-generate a 3D object with different
ltering options to improve the quality of the 3D object.

Exit - Closes WinCNC.

CongurationMenu

D/ACalibration - Calibration Settings for D/A (Digital to Analog)

spindle speed control. This can only be used if D/A has been acti­vated in the WinCNC Program.

SettingsMenu

Positions - Opens the positions dialog box with options to view and
edit stored positions. (Ex: G53 P# to call position in G-Code)

Home Positions - Opens the positions dialog box with options to
view and edit stored home positions. (Ex: G0 H# to call home pos.)

Program Operation

Tool Positions - Opens the tool positions dialog box with options to

view and edit stored tool positions for use with automatic tool chang-

ers. (This requires an additional software feature to be enabled)

ToolLibrary - Edits and views the dened tool library.

Local Coordinates - View XYZ coordinates.

ViewMenu

Resolution - View current resolution settings for each axis.

Acceleration - View current acceleration settings for each axis.

Limits - View current limit settings for each axis.

Inputs- Views real-time input states.

Outputs - Views real-time output states.

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Toolbars- Enable/Disable the main toolbar.

Toolbars=>Size-Change toolbar from small to large.

RefreshView(F5) - Refreshes the screen.

Clear Screen (CTRL+C) - Clears the message display window.

OptionsMenu

Soft Limits (CTRL+L) - Enable/Disable the software limits.

Keyboard (CTRL+K) - Enable/Disable the keyboard transit/jog con­trol used to move the machine with the keyboard.

Buttons - Used to customize user buttons.

AutoRepeat - Auto populate the command line with the last com-

mand executed.

AutoRun - Enable/Disable the auto run feature.

AutoPreview - Enable/Disable the auto preview feature.

Program Operation

Single Step (CTRL+P) - Enable/Disable single line execution of G-

Code les.

UnitsMenu

Inches - Sets the unit of measure to inches.

Centimeters - Sets the unit of measure to centimeters.

Millimeters - Sets the unit of measure to millimeters.

TransitMenu

Slow (F2) - Sets the transit speed to slow.

Medium (F3) - Sets the transit speed to medium.

Fast (F4) - Sets the transit speed to fast.

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JogMenu

0.001 (F6) - Sets jog increment to 0.001 units of measure.

0.01 (F7) - Sets the jog increment to 0.01 units of measure.

0.1 (F8) - Sets the jog increment to 0.1 units of measure.

1 (F9) - Sets the jog increment to 1 unit of measure.

Custom (F10) - Allows the user to set a custom jog increment.

HelpMenu

Help Topics (F1) - Activates the in-program help menu.

Update Program - Opens the update utility.

About - Displays the WinCNC “About” box which contains impor­tant information about your specic software package. The About

box displays your security key serial number, the software version
number, your user level, the maximum number of axes, the table size

limitation, and which additional features you have enabled. If you

do not have a feature enabled that you would like or need, you can

contact your software vendor for an upgrade.

Program Operation

ToolBar

The tool bar is a collection of shortcut buttons that perform specic
actions. The toolbars in WinCNC are oating and can be positioned
or docked to the user’s preference. The image below shows both the

standard and manual digitizing toolbars both docked in the normal

toolbar area. The additional images show each toolbar separately
as a oating toolbar. The explanation of each button on the toolbar
is as follows. The explanations move sequentially from left to right
along the toolbar.

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Start Motion - This button will begin the command or job listed in the

command line.

Restart - Allows you to pick a job le and the line to start that le on.
This is useful if you want to skip over lines in a job le, or if you have
aborted a job and want to start back at the point you aborted from.
You can also choose to run the le in single step mode.

Single Step - When selected, this allows you to execute one line of

a G-Code le each time you hit ENTER.

AbortMotion - Aborts a command or job that is running.

Pause/ContinueMotion - Pauses/Continues a command or job that

is running.

Open File - Opens a browse box that is used to open a job le.

View History - Opens the command history box, which allows a user

to execute a command used previously. When an error is found in
the WINCNC.INI le, the line containing the syntax error is displayed
here in red when WinCNC starts.

Program Operation

Edit - Opens the default editor specied in the WINCNC.INI le.

WinCNC uses Notepad by default. The editor can be used to open
job les, listed in the command line in the editor.

Simulate - Simulates a le to check for errors and run-time.

View - Opens a le for viewing in the viewer window.

Soft Limits - Enables/Disables Softlimit features.

ManualDigitizeButtons - The seven buttons on the manual digiti­zation toolbar are for use only with the Manual Digitize feature, and

will only be visible after showing the manual digitize toolbar under

the View->Toolbars section of the menu bar.

StartaManualDigitizedFile - Starts a manual digitized le and
enables the manual digitize mode.

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AddaRapidMove - Adds a rapid move to the manual digitized le.

AddaFeedMove - Adds a feed move to the manual digitized le.

Add an Arc Point - Used to add arcs into a manual digitized le.

CloseShape - Used to close the last move in a shape without mov-

ing the machine.

Undo - Used to undo previous moves.

Save - Allows you to save the manual digitized le in either G-Code
or DXF le format.

Command Line

The command line is the input line for users to enter commands or
job les to be executed.

MessageDisplayWindow

Program Operation

The message display window is the main output window displaying

the commands that have been executed, messages to the user, or

errors that have occurred during an operation.

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Axis Window

The axis window is the primary display for current information about
each axis on your machine. The current positions and velocities for
each axis are displayed in the text boxes. Displayed above the posi-

tion and velocity boxes are the current units of measure, any current-

ly active modes, and the current feed rate override percentage. Red

triangles to the left and right of each axis label indicate low or high

limit switch hits. A red triangle to the left of an axis label indicates a
low limit switch hit, and to the right indicates a high limit switch hit.
A green box displayed to the right of the position box indicates a

temporary workspace (G92) setting, and a blue box indicates a tool

length measure or workspace setting. To the far right side of the axis
window is the feed rate override control slide bar.

Program Operation

TransitSpeedButtons

These buttons allow you to specify the transit speed of
your machine.

Fast transit is the default.
In the cncscrn.ini le, change the “default speed” eld to

1, for the speed you would like to be default, all others

must stay 0.

Ex: for default medium speed, use the following:

“JogMode”, 0,5,35,25,7,1,”Med”,””,””,-1,-1,”med.bmp”

JogIncrementButtons

These buttons allow you to specify the increment of a jog move.

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Current File

Percentage of File

Completion

G00/G01

Mode

Indicator

Elapsed Time for
Current File

* Note: There are TWO t ool

changer indicators

Tool Changer ON/OFF

and current tool being
used

G90/G91

Mode
Indicator

Current
Line in Job
File

Program Operation

Transit/JogButtons

These buttons are what allow you

to initiate a manual transit or jog
movement from the console of the

computer that runs the machine.
In transit mode, holding the button

down will continuously move the

machine. In jog mode, each time a

button is pressed the machine will
move according to the jog incre-

ment that has been selected. Holding the button down in jog mode
will move the machine only once.

CustomScreenButtonsSection

This section of controls is a cus­tomizable button section that allows
the user to place shortcut buttons to

activate heavily used commands.

Note: See Section 4 Screen Con­guration

StatusBar

The status bar is the label along the bottom of the WinCNC window
that looks similar to the one shown below. This bar provides the user
with the status of several features in WinCNC. Each section in the
example below is labeled for clarity.

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ShortcutKeys

FileMenuShortcuts

Open Enter (with blank command line), CTRL+O

Edit CTRL+E
Simulate CTRL+S
View CTRL+V

Create Home File CTRL+H

ViewMenuShortcuts

Refresh View F5
Clear Messages CTRL+C

OptionsMenuShortcuts

Keyboard CTRL+K
Soft Limit CTRL+L

TransitMenuShortcuts

Slow F2
Medium F3

Fast F4

Program Operation

JogMenuShortcuts

.001 F6

.01 F7

.1 F8

1 F9
Custom F10

HelpMenuShortcuts

Help F1

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ShortcutKeyscontinued

ToolBarShortcuts

ESC Aborts the current le or command

SPACE Pauses a le or command

ENTER Starts/restarts a le or command

TAB Opens the command history box

CTRL+R Opens the restart le box

FeedRateOverrideShortcuts

INSERT Increases override rate

DELETE Decreases override rate
CTRL+either Resets feed rate to 100%. No over-

ride settings

ManualDigitizeShortcuts

After opening the Manual Digitize toolbar and clicking the green

start button, the following shortcut key combinations become active

for adding moves to the digitized le.

Add Rapid Move CTRL+J

Add Feed Move CTRL+F

Add Arc Midpoint/Endpoint CTRL+A

Undo Last Move CTRL+U
Close Current Shape CTRL+D
Save CTRL+W

Program Operation

SpindleSpeedandLaserPowerShortcuts

Spindle Speed Alone or
Laser Power Alone

Spindle Speed and Laser

Power Together

CTRL+(Function Key) See “ctrlf#=” in conguration settings

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+ - (plus and minus)

Laser Power uses + ­Spindle Speed uses Shift + -

WinCNC Controller

LimitSwitches

The default channel settings will normally provide proper interfacing
with the machine’s limit switches. Before attempting to move the
machine, verify that all limit switches are functioning properly. Limit

switch status is displayed in the position window using a red triangu-

lar indicator to the left or right of the axis label.

Program Operation

The indicator to the left of the axis label shows low limit status for
that axis. The indicator to the right of the label shows high limit
status. If the indicator is present then the limit switch is closed,
otherwise it is open. The lim_mode setting is used to control how
WinCNC responds to limit switch triggers.

First toggle your limit switches by hand. Verify that the appropriate
limit display toggles. If it does not toggle then you need to ad­just WINCNC.INI. See the WINCNC.INI reference sections of the
manual if the default settings are incorrect for your machine.

It is recommended that you verify limit switch operation at the begin­ning of each session. Do not attempt movement until the limit switch
displays toggle correctly. Once the limits are working try a small
move. If nothing moves, the wrong axis moves, or movement is in
the wrong direction then adjust WINCNC.INI.

Perhaps the easiest way to do preliminary testing of movement is

with the Jog mode. Select “Jog .1”, and select the KEYBOARD op­tion under the OPTIONS menu. If you are using the default jog key
conguration, use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to move X, the
UP and DOWN arrows to move Y, the PAGEUP and PAGEDOWN
keys to move Z, and the HOME and END keys to move U. Other­wise use the buttons that are dened for your system.

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HomingtheMachine

When WinCNC Controller is started the display is set to the last

known position. If the machine has been moved manually or has
drifted while powered down, this position will not be accurate. The
G28 command must be used to home the machine. G28 moves the
WZ motors up to the high limits, then moves the XY motors to their
low limits. The heads are then moved away from the limits by the
values specied in WINCNC.INI and each axis is set to zero. This
position is Machine Zero.

It is important to use G28 to set Machine Zero since many WinCNC
features are calculated from this position. Soft Limits and Bound­aries cannot be used if Machine Zero is not properly set. G28 will
search for the limits at 50” per minute. The “lim_step=” setting in
WINCNC.INI can help minimize the impact to the machine when
stopping at the limit switches.

G28 can also be used to home only specied axis. (i.e. G28Z homes
only the Z axis).

Normal machine operation using WinCNC Controller would be:
Start the program.
Enter G28. Push ENTER. (Machine Goes Home)
Enter part program to cut. Push ENTER. (Job le runs)

Program Operation

FeedRateOverride

WinCNC accepts feed overrides to increase/decrease the feed rate.
The feed rate can be adjusted from 1% to 200% of the programmed
rate. The override rate cannot be set higher than the max velocity
or G0 rate for a given axis. Use the Insert key to increase and the
Delete key to decrease the programmed feed rate, holding CTRL
and pressing either Insert or Delete will result in the feed rate being
reset to the programmed value. There is also a slider bar to the right

of the feed rate screen display that can be used to initiate a feed rate

override. The override feed rates will be displayed in place of the
programmed feed rates in the display. The feed rate will change col­ors to depict that an override is in use. If the override rate is higher

than the programmed rate the color of the feed rate display will be

red, if it is lower than the programmed feed rate it will be blue.

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Coordinate System

The Machine Zero (MZ) set by homing the machine becomes the
anchor point for all positions specied in subsequent G-Code com­mands. This is also considered absolute zero, not taking into ac­count any temporary homes (G92’s) or tool measures.

Local Zeros (LZ) are set using the G92, G92.1 and G92.2 com­mands.

The position display box displays the current axis coordinates and
the axis coordinate modes. The axis coordinate mode is displayed to
the right of the axis position.

A green box indicates that the axis has a Local Zero applied. (G92,
or temporary home).

A blue box on a horizontal axis indicates that a workspace other than
G54 is in effect. (G55, G56, G57: ex: using W axis instead of Z).

A blue box on a vertical axis indicates that tool length measure is in
effect.

Program Operation

The coordinate modes show how the axis values in a given G-Code
command will be interpreted.

MZ Coordinates - values are relative to MZ. (Or absolute zero)

G92 Coordinates - values are relative to LZ specied by G92
(Ex: enter the command G1 X10 Y10, then enter. Next type G92,
then enter. X & Y will now show as x0, Y0)

G55, G56, G57 Coordinates for horizontal axes - horizontal axes

values are offset for vertical axes heads.

G43 Coordinates for vertical axes - vertical axes values are offset for

M37 tool measure values.

G92 and G55, G56, G57, G43 - values are offset for both.

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G91 Mode

G91 mode is called relative or incremental mode. In G91 mode val­ues specify distances. For instance if the X position is currently 20
and G0 X8 is specied the machine would move +8 units of measure
in X to X28.

A G-Code program written in G91 mode may be run from any posi­tion. Since the moves are relative, the starting position does not
matter. The program will run properly from any starting position.
However, to get the proper results, the machine must be set to the
proper position in relation to the workpiece before the piece is run.

The axis coordinate status does not have any effect on how the pro­gram runs. It does however affect the coordinate display while the
program runs.

G90 Mode

G90 mode is called absolute mode. In G90 mode values specify
positions. If the X position is 20 and G0 X8 is specied the machine
would move -12 units of measure in X to X8.

Program Operation

In G90 mode the situation is different. The initial of the machine
position will not affect where the part runs since the rst move will go
to the absolute position specied on the table. Instead of setting the
machine position properly before running a G90 program.

The G92 commands are used to change the coordinate system so
that any position may be temporarily made to be Local Zero (LZ).

Most G90 programs are written relative to a starting position of X0Y0
with Z0W0 being either the bottom or top of the workpiece. All that is
then necessary to run the program is to insure that the current LZ is
set to match the program before running. There are several ways to
do this.

The machine may be positioned to the proper position and the G92
command used to set the proper coordinates for running.

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G90Modecontinued

Example: The workpiece is xtured at X20Y20, is 1” thick and Z0 in
the part le refers to the top of the workpiece.

G90 Commands in G90 Mode
G92 Turn off any current G92s

G0Z2 Set Z 2” above the table and 1” above the workpiece
G0X20Y20 Go to corner of workpiece

G92X0Y0Z1 Set this position to be 1” above LZ

The Axis Window shows:

Program Operation

Alternately LZ may be set by shifting MZ the desired amount using
G92.1. Using G92.1 it is not necessary to move to the workpiece
rst.

Example

G90 Commands in G90 mode

G92.1 X20Y20Z1 Move LZ 20” in XY and 1” above the table

The coordinate display shows the current position relative to the
workpiece.

When writing a G-Code program there must always be a starting

point. Typically it would be the lower left corner (in XY) of the piece

to be machined and either the upper or lower surface of the work-

piece or a position a known distance above the workpiece (ZW). In a

G91 mode program this point does not need to be given a coordinate

value.

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In G90 mode this point is assigned a coordinate value (usually 0,0,0)
and all positions are specied relative to this starting point.

When running the program the machine is positioned to this start­ing point and G92 is used to set position to the start position for the

program. Alternately G92.1 may be used to shift MZ.

Workspace

The G54/G55/G56/G57 functions are used to allow for easy switch­ing between workspace coordinates. Each G54/G55/G56/G57 line
you wish to use must be specied in the WINCNC.INI le.

WINCNC.INISetup: For descriptions see the Systems Conguration
Section of the manual.
G54=X# Y# T# A# R# O#

After conguring the G54/G55/G56/G57, the G54/G55/G56/G57

commands can be used to switch workspace coordinates, or for

rotating a rotational axis.

If using the type 0 G54/G55/G56/G57 for switching vertical heads
just use the G54/G55/G56/G57 commands alone to switch work­space coordinates.

Program Operation

If using the type 3 G54/G55/G56/G57 for rotational axis command
G54/G55/G56/G57 X# Y#, where X and Y are the positions to rotate
towards.

Head Swap

L12 provides a means of cutting with a head not specied within a
program and of using multiple heads simultaneously.

Example:
L12WZ moves Z whenever W is specied and moves W when Z is
specied.
L12ZZ moves Z and W together whenever Z is specied.
L12 alone or L12ZW sets normal operation.

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ToolLengthOffset

M37 is used to measure tool length and set ZWUV workspace.

By using M37 it is not necessary to measure tool length for every

workpiece thickness change. Using M37 in combination with Soft

Limits and Boundaries also provides a means of protecting the table

from being routed accidentally. After M37 is set G28 will set the ZW
to the actual position of the tool tip above the table.

Example: (without automatic tool changer)
Move the Z head tool tip to the table.
Command M37 Z0.

M37 turns on G43 mode, indicating that tool length offsets are active.
Tool length offsets can be disabled using G49 and re-enabled with
G43 without re-measuring.

SoftLimit/Boundaries

Soft Limits and Boundaries are used to keep programs and com-

mand from moving into the limit switches. Values must be set in
WINCNC.INI before using.

Program Operation

Soft Limits check absolute position command against the limit

switch positions. If a position is commanded that would result in a

limit switch being hit, a limit error will be displayed and the move will

not be run.

lolim=X# Y# Distance from MZ (machine zero) to XY low

limit switches less .1”

hilim=X# Y# Z# W# Distance from MZ (machine zero) to XYZW

high limit switches less .1”

ZW low limits normally are not specied since desired positions vary
with tool length.

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Boundaries check workspace positions. In G54 mode the Z head
will not be allowed to leave the table. In G55 mode the Z head might
move off the table but the W head will be kept on the table.

lobound=X# Y# Z# W# Distance from MZ to XY table edge and

top

hibound=X# Y# Distance from MZ to XY table edge

ZW high boundaries normally are not specied since desired posi­tions very with tool length.

ZW low boundary checking is available if M37 is used. Use M37 to
set Z0W0 to the tabletop. The ZW hi limits and low boundaries are
then both set to 0. This allows movement between the limits and the
table.

Limits and Boundaries may be enabled or disabled in the Settings

Menu and in WINCNC.INI using softlim=0 or 1 and boundary=0 or 1.

Repeat Command

The command or le name history may be viewed by pushing the
TAB key. To repeat a command from the history list select the de­sired command or le name using the mouse, and then click OK.

Program Operation

Simulate

WinCNC supports the simulation of les to check for errors, estimate
runtime, and check min/max positions. To use the simulate func­tion of WinCNC make sure the le name is typed into the command
line and instead of running the le, you will use the simulate call to
simulate the le. This is done by using either the Simulate command
found under the File menu, by pressing CTRL+S, or by pressing the
simulate button on the toolbar. Once you initiate the simulate fea­ture, the software will display a screen showing the specics of the
le simulated which includes the starting (x,y) positions, the ending

(x,y) positions, the min and max (x,y) positions, the number of lines

ran in the le, and the total time it will take to run the le.

NOTICE: The time function in the simulation feature does not take
into account smoothing. If you have smoothing set up on your ma­chine, the time it takes for the le to run should be less than what is
displayed in the simulation data.

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Viewer

WinCNC contains a built in viewer window that will allow you to

display the output of G-Code les before the job is actually ran.
The viewer can also display a G-Code le line by line as it is run by
WinCNC. When the le is displayed in the viewer you can distin­guish G0 moves from G1 moves by the color of the line. By default,
G0 moves are shown as a black dashed line. G1 moves are dis­played as a solid blue line. See the Screen Conguration section if a
different color conguration is desired.

You can also re-center and zoom in/out of the display within the
viewer. To view a le before you run it, enter the le name into the
command line and then press CTRL+V, select View from the File
menu, or press the viewer button on the toolbar. The le will be
displayed line by line automatically when you run the le. Once the
object is loaded into the viewer the following controls can be used:

Zoom In Incrementally - click the left mouse button.
Zoom Out Incrementally - click the right mouse button.
Selected Zoom - hold down the left mouse button and drag the box
around the area to zoom in on.
Pan or Re-Center Object - hold CTRL and click either mouse button.
Reset Image - hold shift and click either mouse button.

Program Operation

To set up the viewer window you must include lines in both the
WINCNC.INI and the CNCSCRN.INI les.

WINCNC.INI Setup (for descriptions see the System Conguration

section of the manual)

table=X# Y# W# H# B#

CNCSCRN.INI Setup (for descriptions see the Screen Conguration

section of the manual)

“Display”, “Viewer”, 370, 150, 270, 270

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PumpControl

WiringfortheDaughterBoard

PulseWidthModulation

-Jumper Pin 1 of connector 4 (C4) on the daughterboard to

Pin 2 of C4.

-Disconnect trace between Pin 2 of C4 and Pin 3 of C4.

-Jumper Pin 3 of C4 to Pin 4 of C4

-Pin 11 of CN2 is the pump control signal.

-Pin 15 of CN2 is the pump reverse signal.

FrequencyMode

-Pin 11 of CN2 is the pump control signal.

-Pin 15 of CN2 is the pump reverse signal.

WINCNC.INISetup (for descriptions see the System Conguration

section of the manual)

pumpcont=T# L# H# A# B# I# R#

Commands (for descriptions see the Commands section of the
manual)

L55, L56, L57, L58, L59

Program Operation

Buttons (see also the State Buttons section in the Screen Congu-
ration section of the manual)

PumpModeOn

“StateBtn”, 280, 5, 50, 25, 4, 0, “Pump On”, “L55”, ““, -1, -1, ““

PumpModeOff

“StateBtn”, 280, 35, 50, 25, 5, 0, “Pump Off”, “L58”, ““, -1, -1, ““

PurgeMode

“StateBtn”, 280, 65, 50, 25, 6, 0, “Purge”, “L56”, “L57”, -1, -1, ““

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