David White

It sounds like the xml file is incorrect. Have you successfully used that file before? The first thing I’d do is I open the xml file alongside one from another device and look to see if the format looks similar. I’ve had xml device files which are formatted completely different and won’t work. I can only assume they were created for a different type of system. if the format does look similar to other device files then it may be corrupted. I’d be trying to find another version of the file to compare

You can still set up everything using a configuration file in ppmac. You don’t actually have to create the motors in the project, although it’s much more visual if you do. Once a machine is configured you can Generate a configuration file (right click on configuration) You can have many differing configuration files in the project. They can be imported into a blank project and used to set up a new pmac even if no motors or coordinate systems have been set up in the IDE Right clicking on the configuration files allows you to select “check to download” then right click on the configuration heading and select “download selected” into a new controller The settings still go down to the new CK3M just the same. They just won’t appear in the IDE. You have to do this each time a project is downloaded if you have any motors or coordinate systems defined in the ide as these will override what’s been downloaded from the cfg file If you do have motors set up in the ide, it is possible to right click on the motors heading and upload motors settings from the pmac. This doesn’t create motors in the ide, just uploads the settings so the project matches what’s been previously downloaded. Doesn’t always work if they are very different types of motor hardware though as the ide tends to want to hang on to basic settings that are created within it. You can also upload the coordinate system settings and encoder table into the ide in the same way. They have to be created in the ide to match what is in the pmac but will then upload settings for that coordinate system from the pmac. Things not defined in the ide won’t affect things in the pmac when a project is downloaded. So whatever is sent by the cfg file stays unless overwritten buy something defined in the ide. Older ide’s had trouble with uploading correctly from the pmac, particularly the encoder conversion table. The newest one seems better Hopefully I’ve communicated all that clearly.

%100 ? % returns current override value %50 etc. sets the feed override value

Not 100% sure of your application, but I guess you’re machining or engraving on the surface of a cylinder??? The cylinder has a circumference, so you could scale the rotating axis units to match the circumference. For arguments say your linear axes have 1000 counts per unit (mm for arguments sake) and your cylinder is 100 mm diameter, then it’s circumference is 100 x Pi = 314.159mm If your motor moves it 1 rotation in 100000 counts then you would scale the C axis as 100000/314.159 = 318.31 counts per mm at that diameter So #1->1000X #2->1000Z #3->318.31C Then you can use FRAX(C,X,Z) and any motion program move will be able to use F1000 etc. to specify the feed rate in any combination of those axes. It gets a lot more tricky if you are dynamically moving at varying distances from the center of your C axis.