Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: same55 on October 26, 2009, 07:25:31 AM
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My Taig mill has decided to sloow right down on jog, and Ref Home All refs Z and then immediately resets!!!l
I am running Mach3 VR3.042.027. The Taig is the later version, 2 years old now. I tried reinstalling the xml files and reboot to no avai.
I have checked the jog settings and even pushed to 100% but is no different.
Many Thanks
Ron
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The reset is because you have noise or your switch is bouncing, what is happening is you home and Mach sees the home switch trigger, backs off the switch but it bounces. Mach sees the switch turn off so says its at home but because of the bounce or noise it comes back on for a second and then Mach sees that as a limit being hit and stops everything.
The jogging could also be related as when Mach sees a limit being hit it will only allow you to jog slowly just in case you jog the wrong way, if you stop jogging then start again it should now be at full jog speed.
One other thing it could be with the jog is that you have a slow jog set, if you press the Shift key and then Jog that will move at full jog speed.
To get over your noise/bounce problem try setting the Debounce interval up a bit, try at 2000 and then progressively lower until it again becomes a problem then bump up slightly. You will find the Debounce Interval on General Config page at the top right.
Hood
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Thank you Hood for such a prompt reply, being my first ever post, I am amazed.
On the switches, I used very high quality micro switches which probably was a mistake as my Y axis will go off from cutter vibration or a tool dropped onto the Taig bench. I am replacing them with push button switches.
I will give the bounce thing a try.
With the jog thing I know about and use the shift key all the time, but now suddenly it has only one speed and that is so slow.
Regards Ron.
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If you attach your xml I will look and see if I can replicate the slow jog problem.
Hood
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Hello Hood
Thanks for the offer to look at my XML; sorry about the delay, I have PD and can't always get to my workshop. I have the file now but being new I don't know how to attach it.
Guess what, I just saw additional options!!! I have already tried a reload thats why this file is renamed '2'
Hope this works. Thanks.
Ron.
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Just had a look at your xml, are the LEDs for limit and home switches showing as constantly on when you are on the Diagnostics page?
Hood
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Hood Thankyou.
Its 9 pm here in South Aust. I will fire up the mill tomorrow morning and check those LEDS and let you know.
Thanks Ron.
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Hello Hood
On the debounce issue tried 2000, ref all home Z homed and immediately reset. Jog is still very slow.
All three LEDS for home and limit are lit, yellow on diagnostics page. M1++Limit, M1- -Limit, M1 Home.
I can send you a Snagit of the screen if you like.
Regards Ron.
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OK try changing the active state of your switches and see what happens.
Hood
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Hood,
I tried clicking the leds, no-go.
Where do I change the switches?
Sorry for being DUMB but don't want to click badly.
Ron.
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Same
I am in no way knowledgeable but to change the active state of a switch, go to the "config" at the top of the mach program page. Click it, then click "port and pins". Under input signals, scroll down until you see "home" for each axis, are they enabled? Is "active low" checked or not? If it is, uncheck it & select O.K. Go back and look at diagnostics leds and see if there is a change.
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Just check or uncheck the box for active low, just so it is opposite of the way it is set now. Then test
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Btw my understanding of this setting is, if the active low has a green check mark it is compatible with a N.C. switch. When and if this circuit is broken a stop is triggered and must be reset. There is much more to it than that I am sure. Hope it helps.
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Hello Fastest1
All active lows were off, marked X. On enabling them, ref all home started up X axis and crashed the switch.
The leds did not change, so I restored everything back to before.
I am lost!
Regards Ron.
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What kind of switches do you have and how are they wired?
Hood
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Hood,
There are 5 Matashuita micro switches, 1 on X axis plus a heavy duty plunger acting as the home switch, 2 on the Y axis and two on the Z axis. they are wired in pairs doing both home and limit. The cabling is shielded and tied to ground at the Taig interface box. They were wired in by a very competent technician and are very tidy. On reflection I think that the micros are too sensitive and I would like to replace them them with some momentary plunger types.
I don't know why things have changed! I certainly don't go into any of the settings and fiddle around. the only other thing perhaps is some fibre or dust has got into a switch and is playing up . The Z one has its plunger facing up and could attract dust. I will check this out. I recently made 6 90mm ratchet wheels with 18 teeth in acrylic and spraying a bit of WD40 on the cut, itr could have drifted into that area.
Regards Ron.
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Ron
save the attached xml into the Mach3 folder and then use the Mach3 loader to open it, be careful just in case I have missed some settings.
Let me know if it works.
Hood
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Hood,
Thanks for the xml, I have just come b ack to the house its 8.30 pm and was replacing the Z axis switch with a plunger type. I could not see properly so gave in.
You asked about the switches. What was your conclusion?
I don't have the phone or internet in the workshop so will take the xml over on a stick.
Regards Ron.
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I am thinking your switches are probably fine, especially if they had been working previously. There was something weird going on in your xml that I couldn't be seen from inside Mach config pages so would have to view as a text file and that frys my brain, so didn't bother ;D
Let me know how you get on with the xml but be careful just in case I missed something.
Hood
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Hood
I have repaired a broken wire on X. Now all six switches show LEDS when moved.
The reset will go off with the box switched on but the motors are dead and freewheel
I got this message, I made a snagit, also a diagnostic screen.
Your xml is in the Mach folder named 'mymil.xml ' to match Mach named 'mymill'.
That is it as of now.
Regards Ron
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what is your debounce set to? Do you hear the steppers? I experienced many grounding problems between my controller and my machine. I built my own board as I mentioned earlier but I put it in a metal enclosure not the plastic one the designer suggested. Took me a while to figure that 1 out. Try disconnecting your machine physically if possible, run the code on mach, did it run it successfully? The grounding issue got me at least 2 different tiimes and doesnt really leave any clues. Most all seems to operate. I was trying resisitors and such in the switches and high debounce settings. Worth a try.
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Is this with your xml or the one I did?
Do you have an E-Stop button on your mill? If you do press it and see if you still get the message, if it does then you are needing to reverse the active state of the E-Stop in Ports and Pins, Inputs page.
Hood
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Hood
This is your xml. I have renamed it to'MyMill.xml' to match 'MyMill'
E-Stop yes. Pressing only alters the reset LED,I don''t think it brought up the message;I will check as soon as possible and let you know. The reset doesn't work when the box is off.
Ron
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OK check I have the enable set correctly.
Hood
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Hood,
Friday 3pm.
Start up screen---Reset flashing---click it, it goes off.
Switch on Taig box--Reset flashing--click it--stays on and' Error On Reset' message pops up
Asks-- do you want me to fix this? If YES it changes the switch state.
No matter what I try it always ends up with E Stop enabled.
During ALL of this the motors are free to turn with the handles.
Running one of the bundled Mach Gcodes seems to be normal.
Fastest1 is pursuing the grounding issues. The mill has been running for 2 years on and off
Regards Ron.
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I actually had the grounding issues I was referring to. Did you ever disconnect the controller and try to run Mach, if so what happened? If there is a mechanical link of any kind (metal table both items are sitting on, stepper wires, limit switches, etc) and your controller is not optoislotaed (mine is not) it will trigger the E switch just as you have stated. Since there is nothing really triggering it, it wont repair. This is my understanding of what a breakout board is for, basically to isolate your controller from any stray voltages that might fry the board. Let us know the outcome of the test, then we can move on.Btw 1 of the tiimes it was because I connected the sheilding of the wiring of my steppers to ground inside my contoller box but NOT at the machine. This is common practice to quell any unwanted noise supposedly, Nothing worked on mine til I disconnected the shielding, not the other wiring just the shield. Also I see you refer to turning on the Taig box, but I mean physically disconnect all wiring from the computer to the the controller. Also for testing try an adapter at the 110v wall plug (1 on the machine, 1 on the controller and 1 on the computer) that doesnt have a grounding lug
Hood,
Friday 3pm.
Start up screen---Reset flashing---click it, it goes off.
Switch on Taig box--Reset flashing--click it--stays on and' Error On Reset' message pops up
Asks-- do you want me to fix this? If YES it changes the switch state.
No matter what I try it always ends up with E Stop enabled.
During ALL of this the motors are free to turn with the handles.
Running one of the bundled Mach Gcodes seems to be normal.
Fastest1 is pursuing the grounding issues. The mill has been running for 2 years on and off
Regards Ron.
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Fastest1
1Disconnect ptr cable on box;; Reset works OK and program runs OK.
2 Yes all limit Sw. + Estop.
3 I am not pulling my plugs to bits, it seems that theres no shielding. All the limit switches terminate on a strip block but I don't really want to wreck that either.
4 I pulled the printer cable from the Taig box, program ran OK and reset worked. Plug back in, cant reset; motors free; the sign comes both with the on and off. Look in ports and pins reads enabled and active low.
Turn box on; motor s locked on all three, can't run them because reset wont go off.
5 I have a switched power board with four outlets. I opened up the plug and disconnected the earth wire (ground). Did not see any change. We have 240 volt 50 Hz power in Aust.
Regards Ron.
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Fastest1.
At last a small step forward. Set debounce to 3000 and the Z axis moved at full speed but in the wrong direction! X and Y are still locked and won't respond. Changed the state of Z, now moves OK.
Tried Ref Home All on Z, it homed normally and the Y DRO ran OK and stopped when I set the home switch; likewise for X; but not their motors, they were locked.
The E-stop does not work but is enabled.
The ground wire is not connected. I don't know about your 110V system but here our neutral is tied to earth in a brass link strip with the earth wire which is tied to a stake buried in moist soil. Could noise be coming down the neutral wire? Mad thought!
Regards Ron.
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In the states, they sell adapters to make older non grounded receptacles use a plug with a grounding lug. Theoretically you are supposed to connect it to ground but nobody ever does. This was only suggested for the test, if using one of these adapters on each item that has power supplied you could rule out grounding issues. I am still weary of your high debounce settings though movement is always good. If you have your debounce at 3000 and you leave Mach on does it trip the reset after a few minutes? Or does it remain stable. Also now that your z is working, record the motor settings. transfer those settings to x and y if they are not the same now. We will be waiting.
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Fastest1
At last!! Success, how good is it to hear those motors humming, n o growls or jerking jitters or locking up.
I should have realised when it happened so suddenly, like a switch, that it was a FUSE blown. Not the external fuse (easy to get at) but one inside the Taig box requiring lifting the lid. A new 3 amp fuse had everything up and running.
All that agony of checking and going over it all again; the endless trial of xml's, thanks Hood, also others for helping.
Ron.
Edit; what caused the fuse to blow? Being inside the box would suggest that it would only blow on rare occasions, the main fuse is on the front panel.