Bridgeport EZ Trak and MeshCam

[MikeM]

I have a Bridgeport EZ Trak and would like to use MeshCam as my CAM program.
I generated a tool path and saved it as a Quicktime-inch TXT. I assume that would be posting it.
Bridgeport uses TXT file extensions and the program seemed to load OK. When I run the file, I get a #4 internal addressing error.
I was told this is a syntax error in the code. I don't know anything about G-code - that is why I like MeshCam.

Any ideas on how to work through this issue?

[Randy]

Hi MikeM and welcome to the forum. Is your gcode small enough to embed in a message? If not, please zip and attach it (Upload attachment tab under the reply box) and we'll take a look at it. MeshCAM puts out really standard motion gcode (G0, G1, G2, G3) but there might be some machine-specific setup or tool change lines in the postprocessor that your machine is choking on.

Randy

[cnczane]

Hi, MikeM,

Create a simple model and code it manually in your EZ Trak (which I've used) and then use MC5 to generate code for for the same model.

Then open them side-by-side and note the differences. These are what you'll want to address by creating a new post file for your machine.

You'll do this by identifying an existing Post file that "gets it mostly right" and COPYing that file to a NEW file; e.g., MyBridgeport_wLineNos.con, and editing the new one until the errors are gone.

You can read up on the syntax for post-processor definition files, but it's also helpful to open up ALL the examples of them in the posts directory and "see how they do stuff," copying whatever you think you can use out of them into yours. I found some neat stuff doing it this way.

Here's a link to a previous post:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15349

And the post directory is in:
"Program Files/MeshCAM/posts/"

Mine only has 8 in it at present, but I deleted the ones I will never use (stupidly, instead of just archiving them in a zipfile), so I don't have to sift through them to find ones I do use.

Cheers.
--
David