How to continuous web cutting

[PatrickHes]

I want to use my 60 x 90 80 watt machine in a mode which can be described as "continuous web". Briefly, I want to construct a transport for spooled paper, driven by the rotary attachment, and convert MIDI music data into a suitable format to create music rolls which can be used with legacy player pianos. Has anyone tried this kind of application? Is there a better area of the forum to pose this question? Thanks.

[AdamKita]

Interesting question.
Do any of you real CNC guys know what it means?

[Wayne Rees]

We have made a continuous feed mechanism driven by the rotary axis controller for cutting thin material, But unless you are pretty good at programming then you have a task ahead of you.

First this is how much do you know about midi, what TYPE of midi file are you using, there are 3 main types but the third type 2 is rarely used,
It not just the note information that you will have to interpret, just the note values are easily deciphered, Hex value to note representation)
7F = G9
7E = Gb9
7D = F9
7C = E9
7B = Eb9
7A = D9
79 = Db9
78 = C9
77 = B8
76 = Bb8
75 = A8
74 = Ab8
73 = G8
72 = Gb8
71 = F8
70 = E8
6F = Eb8
6E = D8
6D = Db8
6C = C8
6B = B7
6A = Bb7
69 = A7
68 = Ab7
67 = G7
66 = Gb7
65 = F7
64 = E7
63 = Eb7
62 = D7
61 = Db7
60 = C7
5F = B6
5E = Bb6
5D = A6
5C = Ab6
5B = G6
5A = Gb6
59 = F6
58 = E6
57 = Eb6
56 = D6
55 = Db6
54 = C6
53 = B5
52 = Bb5
51 = A5
50 = Ab5
4F = G5
4E = Gb5
4D = F5
4C = E5
4B = Eb5
4A = D5
49 = Db5
48 = C5
47 = B4
46 = Bb4
45 = A4
44 = Ab4
43 = G4
42 = Gb4
41 = F4
40 = E4
3F = Eb4
3E = D4
3D = Db4
3C = C4
3B = B3
3A = Bb3
39 = A3
38 = Ab3
37 = G3
36 = Gb3
35 = F3
34 = E3
33 = Eb3
32 = D3
31 = Db3
30 = C3
2F = B2
2E = Bb2
2D = A2
2C = Ab2
2B = G2
2A = Gb2
29 = F2
28 = E2
27 = Eb2
26 = D2
25 = Db2
24 = C2
23 = B1
22 = Bb1
21 = A1
20 = Ab1
1F = G1
1E = Gb1
1D = F1
1C = E1
1B = Eb1
1A = D1
19 = Db1
18 = C1
17 = B0
16 = Bb0
15 = A0
14 = Ab0
13 = G0
12 = Gb0
11 = F0
10 = E0
0F = Eb0
0E = D0
0D = Db0
0C = C0
0B = B(-1)
0A = Bb(-1)
09 = A(-1)
08 = Ab(-1)
07 = G(-1)
06 = Gb(-1)
05 = F(-1)
04 = E(-1)
03 = Eb(-1)
02 = D(-1)
01 = Db(-1)
00 = C(-1)

but there are so many other value for note information such as velocity, duration, etc.

then these would need to be converted into code for the stepper/servo's ie Gcode, but then some z axis conrollers are routed trough a relay so that it is either y or z axis not both at the same time, it may be worth finding this out first, if its a relay then it will need rewiring so all 3 feed motors are usable at once.

[SergeismiEr]

Cannot see a problem with doing this I have done similar cutting lengthy paper and vinyl stencils up to 100ft in length, only difference was I used a 2.8w laser diode £70 aliexpress to do the cutting, your problem is the driving of the paper if reeled and pulled roll gets larger so speed increases which would mess up your cut so paper need to be fed through rollers to maintain accurate speed of feed hence correct distances.

[PatrickHes]

Yep, that's the plan. So, assuming I devise a way to command a row of small holes to be cut at a specific X coordinates (which would involve both X any Y axis movement), how do I command the rotary attachment, which normally uses Y axis commands, to incrementally advance the paper (through suitable transport gearing/mechanism) to the next row position?

[FelicityPi]

I just set up a pair rubber rollers spring loaded one direct driven by a nema 23 to pull material through and then calibrated as you would your Y axis changing steps to suit, as far as software concerned it was just a 100ft table.