Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: SStar on January 20, 2015, 10:03:47 AM

Title: Mach3 CNC table Soft Limits configuration
Post by: SStar on January 20, 2015, 10:03:47 AM
Hello everybody. Trying to setup my 3 axis CNC with Chinese 3axis USB breakout card

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-Axis-USB-Controller-Card-400KHz-CNC-MACH3-Breakout-Interface-Board-Win7-8-XP-/261395836685?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&hash=item3cdc67ef0d

I managed to connect this device to my steppers, connected X,Y,Z home switches and E-Stop. Everything, seems to be, is working fine. Except...

- After homing ( machine home switches are located on the opposite side from 0 for X and Y, and in the middle of the axis travel for Z) I get machine coordinates set to X0,Y0,Z0. Doesn't matter, what Home Offset is set in Motor Home/Limits menu. Auto Zero is set to ON. How to fight with this? I can't map physical spindle position with the Table Display in MACH3 :( . Physically X/Y position is 280/200, but Machine coordinates are always set to 0/0/0 after homing what is reflected on the Mach3 screen :(.

- With soft limits enabled ("Soft Limits" button is in green rectangle) Mach3 still allow axis to move, even if it cross Soft limits coordinates. This is really bad, and I can't understand how to fight with this.

Tried this on several different PC's with fresh MACH3 R3.043.066 DEMO. Results are the same :(. What I'm doing wrong? All settings in General config are "Factory default". Can this be a USB Card PlugIn fault?
Title: Re: Mach3 CNC table Soft Limits configuration
Post by: ger21 on January 20, 2015, 11:32:44 AM
It may be that your USB board plugin does not properly support Home Offset and SoftLimits. Contact the manufacturer.
Title: Re: Mach3 CNC table Soft Limits configuration
Post by: SStar on January 20, 2015, 03:32:42 PM
Correct! Just spent 2 hours disconnecting this Chinese scrap and re-connecting everything back to cheap/noname, but 100% functional LPT breakout board. Now everything works fine! This is a Plugin problem for sure! Leave some keywords for search, to warn all potential buyers of this scrap to do my mistake. Never buy breakout board of this manufacturer (known as Digital Dream, FasterCNC Co. Ltd, DDREAMCNC CO LTD, ddcnc.com).
Title: Re: Mach3 CNC table Soft Limits configuration
Post by: Ratpack on January 20, 2015, 10:09:07 PM
SStar,
How good is your cut on your travel when cutting circles and angels?

Ratpack
Title: Re: Mach3 CNC table Soft Limits configuration
Post by: inetech on February 08, 2015, 11:30:10 PM
I wish I had read this thread before buying that exact same board.  having identical issues.
also the stuttering mentioned here http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,26029.0.html

Title: Re: Mach3 CNC table Soft Limits configuration
Post by: 80gus on January 07, 2017, 06:12:08 PM
Has anybody got a digital dream ddsm5v5.0 to work fully, I'm so close I got the homing to work by adding an extra 2 sequences to the homing button as I found it would except the first 2 sequences then miss 2. The drama I'm having is soft limits it drives through them then pulls a soft limits error. So frustrating I wish I had researched more before buying.