Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: squidink on April 28, 2015, 01:31:40 PM
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I have the limit switch on the floating head set as a probe, when the torch moves down to touch off and the limit switch is tripped the head still moves down and the X and Z axes start to shake. Not sure what the problem is with the X and Z but I've got something going wrong.
Thanks
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In plasma, you don't set the Z switch as a probe. You should only have one switch that trips as the floating head moves up, after the torch comes in contact with the work.
Set the switch input as the Z Home.
When the Z Home switch trips, the action causes the Z axis to reverse direction, and move UP until the Z Home switch opens.
At this point, the Z axis is set to Z0.
The distance from the initial point of contact when the torch touched the work surface, and the distance the Z axis moved to set the "Z" Zero is the "OFFSET".
You can determine what this offset dimension is manually.
Go to the Mach3 diagnostic page and jog the Z until the torch tip is close to the work surface. Set the jog steps to .001, and begin jogging down until the Z home indicator LED turns on.
Set the Z axis to 0.000
Now begin jogging UP until the torch head is just barely clear of the work surface. You can determine this using a piece of paper.
Write down the distance the Z axis moved.
This is the "Offset" distance for your floating head. This offset is entered into the Plasma cutting program, so the machine "knows" how far to move vertically, to set your programmed cutting height, and the pierce height.
John
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Thanks, i've tried using Z home for the floating head but when the switch is tripped the z-axis continues moving and the X and Y axis start to rattle as long as the Z home switch is tripped.
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You must have settings wrong in your config. That is the same behavior you described regarding using the "Probe" for your floating head. When a home switch is setup, whether it is x,y, or z, it will stop when the switch trips, and reverse until the switch opens. When the switch opens, Mach3 then sets that axis to zero. After that happens, Mach3 does not move, unless you have programmed the macro to make additional moves.
John
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There are 3 areas in setting up an axis that must not conflict.
1. Config/Ports & Pins/Motor Outputs
2. Config/Ports & Pins/Input Signals
3. Config, drop down menu Homing/Limits
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I figured out that the switch ground need to be isolated from the motor controller ground and that stopped the rattling on the X and Y.
The home switch lights up when triggered but the Z still keeps searching for home when tripped.
Here are the settings I'm using in config:
Input
Z Home Enabled/ port 1/ pin 12/ active low disabled/ emulated disabled/ hotkey 0
motor outputs
Z enabled/ step pin 6/ dir pin 7/ drlow disabled/ step port disabled/ step port 1/ dir port 1
motor home soft limits
Z reversed disabled / soft max 100.00/ soft min 100.00/ home off 0.0000/ home neg enabled / auto zero enabled/ speed 20
Post:
Plasma THC300-G31
If you see any thing I need to change let me know.
Thanks,
Dave
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IF you are using G31 you cannot use the switch as Zhome it must be setup as a probe. You can use either method BUT it has to be setup one way OR the other.
G31 uses PROBE
G28.1 uses Zhome
(;-) TP
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I don't know if it makes a difference, but you have soft max = 100.00, and soft min= 100.00;
Max and Min cannot be the same value.
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I've tried probe in G31 and home in G28.1 and neither zeros the Z when its tripped or stops moving and I've changed the min max.
I don't know if this is a post issue?
thanks
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SHow us your Gcode that does the TOM (top of material) routine.
When set up for the G31 method you have to set up the switch as a probe. To test teh switch first look at teh Probe LED it should be off. Then HOLD the switch down and check the LED it should be on. Release the switch and the LED should go OFF.
BY chance IS this a DEMO version ??? Or are you using an outside controller ???
(;-) TP
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The LED turns on when tripped and off when not tripped.
I'm almost positive that I loaded the .dat file in the mach3 program, at least I don't get any messages saying that I'm running a Demo.
No outside controller, direct serial port.
This Is the G31
N0090 M06 T1 (Plasma, 0.0592 in kerf)
N0100 G00 X8.5889 Y2.0867 Z1.5000
N0110 G31 Z -100 F19.685
N0120 G92 Z0.0
N0130 G00 Z0.0000
N0140 G92 Z0.0
N0150 G00 X8.5889 Y2.0867 Z0.0000
N0160 M03
This is the G28.1
N0090 M06 T1 (Plasma, 0.0592 in kerf)
N0100 G00 Z1.5000
N0110 X8.5889 Y2.0867
N0120 Z0.0000
N0130 G28.1 Z0.12
N0140 G92 Z0.0
N0150 G00
N0160 G92 Z0.0
N0170 G00 Z0.0000
N0180 M03
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Go to the help button at the top and selct about. It should give you the license info (your name) or say DEMO.
From teh MDI line do the probing call.
G31 Z-2 F5
While it is running trip the switch. Does it stop ???
(;-) TP
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Looked under the help/ and my name was there so its not in demo.
Used the G31 Z-2 F5 code and the Z just zeroed and never drives down to touch off.
The probe led didn't light up to tell it that it touched off.
If I trigger the switch the probe led lights up.
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HUM there is NOTHING in that code that tells the Machine to zero itself.
You have things going on that I have never heard of before with Mach3 (;-)
(;-) TP
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hi there I need help bad!!! I'm using a geckog540 with a proma compact thc , with sheetcam with a floating head and micro switch attached. now a few things I need to know are
- mach3, how to set it up with homing I have
- Z home and the pins set up right it does get the signal in diagnostics screen
? in homing/limits do I need to change anything such as ( soft max, soft min, or activate home negative?)
in the code it uses G28.1, when I run the code the torch goes down but if stops when the Z DRO hits 0 I thought it would keep going down into the negative until it finds the material and activates the Z home switch on the floating head, so just to test I tricked the DR0 to think it was 30mm off zero when it was actually touching the material but as it goes down and activates the Z homing switch nothing happens and it drives hard into the job?
I am using a full version of MACH3 with Plasma screen set , sheetcam with PM1000-THC post processor and now I'm stuck ass hell
any help would be great I'm at the end of my rope and will end up throwing the machine in the river.
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Is the z switch that is activated setup as the PROBE input or the HOME input, i think it must be the Probe to work as limits and homes are disabled when doing a G28.1
Maybe be better to start a new thread too, the one this in is over a year old?
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yeah mate I'm new to this forum and I bit useless. I have tried using PROBE input still no good and I have seen a few posts that say the MP1000 post processor uses G28.1 and that I must use the Z axis home, also I did see 1 post that said to use Z++ limit as the switch so I gave that a go and it just triggered the Z limit and went into emergency E STOP
another problem I am having is the THC , I get the signal in diagnostics screen in test mode torch up,down ect but the Z axis DRO doesn't move and I have a full copy of mach3. so I set the same pins to activate the z-- and z++ jog at the bottom of the pins page ,and than it moves but jogging doesn't really work well for THC I think
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The code seems to work fine if I set the z axis up at a good height so that it wont sink into the job it goes down until the dro says ZERO and it has triggered the home switch but that trigger didn't affect the Z DRO but as it comes up and the trigger is released I does set the Z DRO to zero than goes about its work until it lifts and goes to the next cut and the Z axis will only go down to Zero which at this point is the height of the material than goes through its thing again but ends up higher up off the job , now at this point its not triggering the switch at all as it is above the job and the floating head doesn't touch the work and with every new cut it gets higher every time .
seems to be resetting zero every time without even using the Z Home switch ? I don't know I'm a boiler maker building the bed and sorting out all the hard ware was a breeze now I feel like a 5 year old lol. my guess is its something small and basic as I am very green with it all
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Concentrate on one thing at a time, disregard the THC.
As far as I know ALL the top-of-material sensing routines use the PROBE input only - get this set up and make sure that the floating head switch shows up in diagnostics as a PROBE input on the screen. Do that first, it's vital.
Once that is working, go to the MDI line and type
G28.1 Z5.000
The head should start moving DOWNWARDS and stop when the floating head switch triggers, it might be worth triggering it early by hand for the first time, this will give you time to e-stop if it fails.
Try that ;)
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ok cool thanks mate i will try that and see how it goes thanks.
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Hi all,
Brand new to the Mach scene.
I am busy setting up my CNC-Plasma and ran into a few hold-ups.
Specs: 2x Nema 34`s on y-axis, 1x Nema 34 on x-axis, 1x Nema 23 on z-axis. Proximity switches (NC; PNP 3-wire) for over-runs and homes. Mach3 Licensed, Sheetcam Licensed.
I got the y- and x- axis to work as required (I think), moving according to Mach`s Axes layout and homing correctly (again, I think).
My problem is with the z-axis, to get it to touch the material.
I have a NC Proxy installed so that when the floating head is in normal position, the proxy is open, so on moving downward (touch off), it will close.
According to what I understand from this thread, the touch-off proxy should be set as Z-home? Is that correct?
If so, then how will the Z-axis retract to the top (lets call it normal home) as to be out of the way when the gantry is homing?
Any help will really be appreciated.
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With further research:
Some post say that a limit switch has been used as a probe...
Will a proxy work as a probe? So as to be activated on touch-off?