Hi,
Machine always gets referenced but it is done outside of mach3 within the AC servo drives.
If Mach is not referenced (homed) then soft limits are out the window. If Mach does not know exactly where
machine coordinates 0,0,0 are then how do you expect it to know where soft limits 500,500,200 (in machine coordinates)
is?
Craig
Craig,
Person who sold me the MC told me these:-
Router had No home switch(es) so:-
1. I must always power on and off at exactly the same point - to make that the machine x=0, y=0, z=0.
2. [Ref all zero] after powering sets the machine zero
3. Softlimits reference that Artificial machine zero.
4. Before shutdown, I must always execute
G90 (absolute units)
G53 (machine coordinates)
G28 X0 Y0 Z0 (go home)
to send the machine to the same "Artificial machine zero".
Then only I should power off the router.
When I power on the next day, machine will still ref the same "Artificial machine zero" which can be set to zero again [with ref all zero]
I found that too troublesome so I installed home and limit switches except for z--.
I could not have z-- limit switch because I always must move the spindle cylinder along it's mount to compensate for very long and very short bits.
So a block of metal is always used to set the bit height after manual tool change (moving the cylinder up and down). Then the lower soft limit will ALWAY prevent my bits from cutting the machine AL table surface.