Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Issue with z axis on plasma table

« on: November 05, 2021, 03:03:16 PM »

Good day, having issues with z axis as I start a cut program I zero torch tip when it just touches plate, program is set to pierce at 4 and cut at 3mm. Start program torch moves to position and makes 1st cut, torch raises and moves to next position as it lowers, issue is torch will drop an extra 4 mm or around that each time it raises and lowers. So on 2nd cut the torch is touching the plate. Makes cut raises and moves to position and will now really push hard on the plate.
I did a test yesterday and started with torch high enough I could fit my finger between torch and plate and by the time it was doing final cut was just touching the plate.
Curious if this is a problem with mach3 or in sheet-cam. My thoughts are mach3, any help would be amazing

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Mach3 under Vista / Re: Issues with motor controls

« on: May 02, 2021, 01:09:06 PM »

Thanks for your suggestion I finally figured it out and not sure what really changed other than removing a connection point. The electrician that wired my box had a main junction board where all the wires tied into then a new wire ran from there to its point, be it a driver parallel port or power supply. Initially I had hooked the drivers direct to stepper motors, to see if I had a connection issue or mixed up wire. The final connections left in the junction board were the limit switches and emergency shut off, once connecting those wires directly to the the break out board all controls worked as they are supposed to.  Mind blown!
6 weeks of this hassle. Thanks to everyone that gave input.
 My next step is understanding z axis for cut starts and stops. Also just realized from a video I watched that I need a connection point to the plasma to tell it when to fire. I believe there is a relay in the box just need to connect wires/cord from it to plasma.

3

Mach3 under Vista / Issues with motor controls

« on: April 30, 2021, 06:49:57 PM »

Good day  very stuck at the moment.
I have a windows 7 32 bit with pci parallel port table is run by cnc4pc c10 parallel adapter leadshire 452 drivers and motors are 8 wire no name. 

I have worked thru several issues but struggling with this one.  Communication between cpu and table is good. When I am testing motor response using hot keys or alt tab screen. The motor respond to the positive side most of the time but the negative buttons are rare looks like motors think about doing something then don’t. Occasionally when I push y or x positive I can have 3 motors respond 1 from each axis. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I have read thru mach3 manual and watched several set up videos and followed all steps and don’t seem to help. 

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Mach3 under Vista / Re: Setting up mach 3 on good used cpu win7

« on: April 27, 2021, 12:39:33 AM »

well its been a long 2 weeks i have made some ground. i have x and y axis motors installed on machine and did some testing today. I have been thru countless videos and read as much viable info i can find, i have went thru the wiring 3 times and every thing finally appears correct. I have unplugged the z axis stepper driver and the x and y axis seem to be responding correctly finally, until they don't again. i am using the hot keys left right and up down. 90% of the time up down will move y axis back and forth and right arrow moves x access, however the left key the motor doesnt respond. From time to time that key works properly and sometimes the other keys all work correctly and sometimes 1 or 2 work correctly.  typically when the malfunction happens 2 key will make the y axis move the same direction and the other 2 keys move the x in 1 direction. How can this happen how can they work properly then not. its like operating a tractor with a bucket raise lower tilt up down work fine then raise bucket meow tilts bucket and tilt bucket meow lowers bucket on each lever and the other way dont do anything.   I have tried a dxf file and its tough to tell but seems like its following the coordinates properly. 
thus i am not sure where my problem lays in the wiring (which i doubt), the breakout board, or mach3 program. the breakout board is cnc4pc - c10 - parallel port and the only identification on the motors is 60bhh100501e25s with 4 coils set up in series. believe most of the parts come from china.   any help would be appreciated

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Mach3 under Vista / Re: Setting up mach 3 on good used cpu win7

« on: April 11, 2021, 12:22:14 AM »

what is profile xme  and i will try figure that out to add to the post

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Mach3 under Vista / picture of set

« on: April 11, 2021, 12:13:17 AM »

here is a picture of the wiring and drivers and such
drivers are leadshine m542
dont know the makers of the motors, parallel card or other items in the set up would assume from china.
 the motors are 8 wire type 60bhh100 501e 45h  cw no: 16.01.05

can only post 1 picture as file gets to big

7

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Setting up mach 3 on good used cpu win7

« on: April 10, 2021, 02:04:41 AM »

Good evening everyone
i am pleased yet distraught with my plasma table. I have made progress: mach 3 communication to table is good. I have wired my motors to the drivers properly. I have went thru my wiring 3 times trying to find any bad connections as much of my research points to this being my issues and dont believe that is my issue anymore. fingers crossed.  The current issues are motors will respond to keys properly x y and z testing each direction a couple times. next thing some keys are correct but some keys nothing happens or a wrong motor or multiple wrong motor spin:like z up will run 1 motor from each axis, try a different key it is correct, next key proper motor stutters or tries to move, next key will be correct, then the next couple are wrong. next time thru the left right up down page up and page down i get different results.  then i run the road runner test dxf file, motors run fine seem to turn back and forth smoothly. the z motor seems to be travelling in 1 direction fairly regularly. program completes i try the keys again: some work properly some dont.

I install the z axis motor set torch in the middle of it set of motion, try the keys and again keys are random, some work properly and some dont. i run the dfx roadrunner file, motors sound good spin smoothly about half way thru the process i have to stop the program as the z axis has hit the top of its movement. I remove the motor and try the z axis controls as these ones have typically not worked, and they work well motor spins proper direction upon corresponding key, but the others well 3 of 4 dont work properly. At 1 point the motors all responded smoothly to 1 direction but the other was stuttered and noisy

I am thinking this is an issue with the mach3 set up as the wiring is right as far as i can see. i took pictures of the drivers and breakout board and of several config pages.  It seems i have some learning to do on getting pictures from phone to cpu. they transfered but did not save. just another day in my wonderful life. I will try load pictures to cpu in the morning and get them on the forum, if they are needed

any help would be greatly appreciated

8

General Mach Discussion / Motor controls not consistent

« on: April 08, 2021, 10:28:03 PM »

God day all
I have been battling with this set up found a much needed video last night to sort out my issues, meow onto the new issues.  i have power to everything and testing the motors: motors are sitting on the machine, the y axis motors spin both direction, x axis motor spins both directions, z axis motor spins both directions, i roll thru the axis again y x and z y works properly x one direction makes one y motor spin other direction other motor spins, hit z motor it wants to spin but so does the one y motor. i stop ponder for a minute try each axis and direction and each axis motor spins when it is supposed to and direction.  roll thru axis's again all motors work properly again. try it again y axis works properly and x and z axis act up again. for the most part the motors respond properly

i thought i would try installing the motors and see if they would function while in the machine, the y axis responded the best but didnt move just tried and the x and z didnt move at all.

each motor is wired the same and would appear to be wired correctly as it runs properly sometimes. very odd to see this.
the drivers i am using are leadshine 542 stepper motors model are 60bhh100 501e 45h, parallel port is an pci, y axis port is 2 and 3 x axis is 4 and 5 z axis is 6 and 7 

Any ideas fellow artists

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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: April 08, 2021, 10:02:18 PM »

Good day all

I joined recently as i have been rebuilding an old machine, its been a slow 3 year project and finally close to fruition.
I have been a welder for 24 years and built alot of different items.  I have a small shop and a plasma table would be very handy, every day it could be of use.
This project sure has tested my computer skills and my patience, hopefully it worth it.

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Mach3 under Vista / Re: Setting up mach 3 on good used cpu win7

« on: April 06, 2021, 10:13:36 AM »

Thank you for your help I tried another page that showed a guy how to become admin on the Cmd and it worked, I copied the keys suggested to fix the crashing problem and amazing how easy it was. 
I hooked cpu up to plasma and right away I could tell there was a connection, however there is an issue with the wiring on the table or I need to sort thru my pins. Which I tried testing the pins with a multimeter, didn’t have same success as the video link that was shared. I will watch the video again and look at it some more today. My electrician is supposed to come have a look at the wiring today or tomorrow to help sort out wiring issues if any.
Hopefully the next struggle isn’t with the table but my cad skills.