Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: austinengstrom on December 11, 2013, 03:19:05 PM

Title: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 11, 2013, 03:19:05 PM
Hello,

We are having issues regarding our CNC machine. During a program, multiple things could happen:

- We could run the same program 14 times in a row and nothing go wrong. We could run it 3 times in a row and nothing go wrong.
- We could run the same program 1 time and the Z location is not correct, and the piece isn't cut all the way through or too deep.
- We could run the same program, and it ignores any Y coordinates and just keeps cutting along X.
- We could run the same program, and it ignores any X coordinates and just keeps cutting along Y.

Usual fix:
- Restart machine, computer, reset everything. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does for a while, then problem persists.
- Check connections, cat-5 cable, etc.
- I have reinstalled Mach3 to the most up to date version.

We do have a Super PID for speed control, but this shouldn't affect the x,y, and z.

Thank you,

Austin

Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 11, 2013, 03:21:15 PM
Also: When problem is apparent, hitting go to zero puts the zero point anywhere from 1" x 1" x 1" off to 8" off.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: RICH on December 11, 2013, 03:50:11 PM
How about some more info.
- Type of motors - stepper or servo?
- Mach version your running? Demo or license?
- Windows Operating system?
- Are you doing 3D work?
- ANy BOB's?
- Post your xml file.

RICH
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 11, 2013, 04:06:18 PM
- Stepper motor
- Latest Mach Version, Licensed
- Windows 7 64 Bit
- No 3d work
- Not sure what BOB's are.
- XML Attached
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 02:58:58 AM
Sounds like your axes may be stalling, have you tried reducing the accel and velocity by a considerable amount for testing?

Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: RICH on December 12, 2013, 05:07:17 AM
Echo what Hood said.
You may want to to also try reducing the feedrate in your program.
RCH
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 09:04:20 AM
Trying now. Could it be a SS problem?
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 01:38:14 PM
Dont think the SS would cause any issues like that, it would tend to work or not.
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 01:44:31 PM
We reduced velocity and acceleration, everything went smooth except for our Z axis. It did not cut through all of our parts.
Z Axis is always binding as well.

The issue we have is ongoing. It comes and goes.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 01:51:31 PM
When you say binding are you meaning the axis is physically binding? If so then you have to get that sorted out by whatever means as your steppers will forever stall if they dont have enough torque to move a binding axis.
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 01:56:11 PM
Also getting error when trying to run driver test. "No driver sensed installed"
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 01:59:23 PM
The driver test is for looking at the pulse from the parallel port driver. You are using the SmoothStepper so you do not use the parallel port and thus you do not have the driver installed as it is not required.
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 02:00:37 PM
Gotcha,

What else could cause coordinates to be off?
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 02:03:33 PM
If the axis is binding then the motor will not be able to move the axis to the commanded position as it stalls. With a servo system you would get a fault but as you are using steppers the first you will know is the axis not being where Mach thinks it is.
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 02:35:17 PM
Hood -

When I manually jog Z down to my piece everything is fine. When I tell the program to cut past my piece it does not fully jog to the set coordinates.

We programmed a cut at 17.75MM, but when actually measured it is only 16MM deep, re zeroed and the pieces are still not fully cut through.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 03:10:32 PM
We did a test for the z axis. Did a couple test patterns at 14 mm, 15 mm, 16 mm, 17  and 18. Everything was good except for 17 and 18. They both stayed at 16mm. Even though our program is correct.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 04:37:11 PM
Do the DROs in Mach show it going to 17 and 18?
If yes then it is likely your axis is binding and not allowing the motor to move the axis further. remove the motor and manually move the axis and see if there is binding.
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 04:52:33 PM
The motor doesn't bind when I manually control it with the pendant past 16mm.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 04:53:08 PM
Yes, Mach shows it going to 17 and 18.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 04:56:45 PM
Open the smoothstepper monitoring page and have a look there whilst commanding the axis, does it show it still moving or does it show some error or?

Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 05:00:55 PM
You dont have Z Depth Inhibit turned on do you?
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 05:55:54 PM
No error occurred. Z inhibit is turned off.
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 12, 2013, 06:19:01 PM
Just command Z moves on their own from MDI.
Does the Is Still box in the SS monitoring have a check in it when it is going past 16 or does that just appear when Machs DRO gets to the 17 or 18 or whatever you have commanded?
If it is the latter then your problem doesnt seem to be Mach or SS as both are showing motion commands up until they are stopped.
Hood
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: austinengstrom on December 12, 2013, 07:00:21 PM
Ok, heres what I finally found out.

Z Problem - Someone had moved the router head, and the bit wasn't clearing to our spoilage board. A part of the machine itself was touching the wood before the bit could go through. Thats why our z was off by 2mm.

X and Y Hopefully - I checked another thread of someone having the same issue and saying that it was the E - Stop switches that were not wired correctly, or poorly wired. So we undid all of the cover plates for them and checked the wires. We found some pinched wires under some E - Tape that we think might have been the issue. We re-wired them and everything seems to work fine. It will take some time to tell if it did the trick. But for now we are operational.

Thank you for your help Hood.

Austin
Title: Re: X, Y, Z Getting mixed or different coordinates than given.
Post by: Hood on December 13, 2013, 04:31:04 AM
Hopefully thats you sorted :)
Hood