FireControl 20.4 Release Notes

We are pleased to announce the release of the latest version of FireControl (20.4). Our team has been hard at work improving our machine controller. These updates include many user submitted ideas we are excited about and hope you are too.

This release cycle was cut a bit short due to a desire to quickly release performance improvements so some promised features will be present in the next (20.5) release.

20.4 Features:

  • Improved System Resource Use: Reduced CPU, GPU and memory usage while running with and without visualizer.
  • Manual DRO Updating: Set current position to arbitrary value. Click on DRO value while Idle to set.
  • Pierce Counter and Torch Time: Keep track of wear on consumables with resettable counter.
  • Download Program: Download a rotated, scaled, or run-from-here program to run again.
  • Visualizer Greyed Cut Paths: Paths that have been cut or moved through will turn to grey in the visualizer.
  • Bug Fixes:
    • Unwarranted ‘Duplicate G-code’ and ‘Numeric Value’ errors no longer triggered by controller buffer overruns on valid programs.
    • Moves during Soft Resets no longer losing Zero position.
    • Other minor improvements.
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:fire::+1::+1:

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Woo Hoooo. :raised_hands::raised_hands::raised_hands:

Have not updated FireControl before. Do we have to uninstall the old version or does the installer do that for us. Program is still downloading.

Later Versions may prompt you to uninstall the older version before installing.

On Windows: Start Search -> Add/Remove Programs -> FireControl -> Uninstall

Would it be possible to have it highlight on the visualizer a selected line of code? I’d like to be able to use the start from here but don’t know where here is…

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I haven’t figured that out yet either

The line highlighting feature is actually complete but was removed from this release. We are working on an improved ‘run from line’ feature that allows starting at any particular line in the program (not just a loop) but this is much more complicated. We didn’t want to include the segment highlighting before this was available as it would give users the impression their new program would start from that point (it would start at the loop start).

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Hi, I noticed the rotate is still wrong. Any idea when it will be fixed? Thank you.

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Manual DRO Updating: Set current position to arbitrary value. Click on DRO value while Idle to set.
Does that mean I should be able to type coordinates and it goes to that location?
That is not the behaviour I see. it seems like you can type a X/Y value and it just replaces the current value with the new one.
Still have to manually jog to get to a specific coordinate, would prefer to just enter the desired coordinates.

No-it means that you can call your current position any X Y position that you desire. It comes in handy for doing things like indexing or picking up the center of a hole of an already cut part, etc.

1 Like