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Author Topic: Motor release command
krummrey
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Post Motor release command
on: January 16, 2016, 13:17
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Now that I use the small python script the motors never get freed up. Is there a Gcode to release the motors that I can send?
Unplugging the Arduino for every new drawing seems a little brutal. 😉
sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Motor release command
on: January 16, 2016, 17:28
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Maybe surprisingly, there _isn't_ a "release motors" command. (There isn't an "engage motors" command either.) Releasing the motors doesn't work on the original AFMSv1, so it was never a thing.

- The motors release automatically after a couple of minutes.
- Resetting the board releases the motors - no need to unplug.
- If you place a "return to home" command at the end of your queue, then the pen will be ready for the "set home" command at the beginning of the next one.
- Physically move the gondola back to the home point after the drawing, without unlocking the motors.

What's the reset/unplug for?

sn
krummrey
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Post Re: Motor release command
on: January 16, 2016, 20:45
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I never sent the gondola back home after drawing and sometimes I need to cancel a started job. Then it is in the middle somewhere far from home and I can't move it by hand because the motors hold it tight right there.
I can move the gondola before I send a home command, after that it is locked. That's why I thought there is a way to release the moters to a state they were before they were "homed".

sandy
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sandy
Post Re: Motor release command
on: January 16, 2016, 21:10
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Aha right. Yes, it's never been a problem for Polargraph because you can just move the gondola by hand, locked or otherwise.

So in your case, if your machine has been homed, then you need to _not_ include the "set home" command. Would it be helpful if you could send multiple queue files? So you could kind of compose a queue? I can't think of many other use cases.

Something like

python send_queue.py preamble.txt,mainqueue.txt,shutdown.txt COM4

sn
krummrey
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Post Re: Motor release command
on: January 18, 2016, 10:14
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That would help. However currently that approach doesn't work. I've been trying to draw two colored images.

File 1

  • "SET HOME"
  • Exported Gcode
  • "GO HOME"

Change pen
File 2

  • "SET HOME"
  • Exported Gcode
  • "GO HOME"

The pen moves home after the first drawing. The second one is totally off. The pen goes nowhere near to where it is supposed to be. If i unplug the Arduino in between it works. So apparently some sort of rest is missing.
What if you could use flags to enable code insertion before and after the original Gcode? So a 

-p

would automatically insert code from a stored template. saves some typing 😉

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