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can you have seperate pins for an input of x y and z - or do all three go to one pin?
for the limit thing?
i think i have limit switches on both ends of each axis?
but only 2 wires coming down.
This is quite possible. Mach can use a variety of signals for homing or limits.
To check, take a continuity tester. Put it on both leads, it should be beeping continuously, trigger a limit switch. Did it stop beeping? Try triggering both limits. If pressing either limit switch causes an interruption of the beeping, then you have both switches wired in series with both switches being NC or normally closed.
This is the preferred method of using a switch. It will trigger if a wire breaks or a switch fails bringing all to a safe if not inconvenient halt.
Always error to the side of safety. Dont take little machines lightly. They dont understand how soft you are or when to stop ;-)
how do I using the motors - simply move the head manually on screen?
I am not really sure of what you mean here. Do you mean to make the head of the machine move? If that is what you are referring to, then a variety of ways are possible.
MDI (manual data input) a place where a simple GCode is typed and run line by line usually.
Hotkeys, these are keyboard keys assigned to specific functions. The functions can be almost anything from making an axis move a particular direction to triggering a limit switch, EStop or Reset. This can not be done before pins and ports are assigned in Mach (more on that later)
GCode, a language that generates specific movements or motion in machines.
or how does the homing thing work, does it look for the switches front and left?
In the section called homing/limits within Mach's configuration page there are many settings. An example of those settings will be, in which direction is the home switch?(this will be asked as a positive or negative direction), how far is the travel of this axis, how far would like this axis to go before it slows down and stops (again you want to give the machine a time to decelerate)
if for example I am only ever loading 2 foot square sheets in, can i set the machine to home at the front and to the left with the limit switches, so it knows it can only travel 2 foot back and 2 foot to the right?
Yes, home can be wherever you want to set it, limits on the other hand are just that. As far as the machine can travel
how does it work please?
in laymans terms?
That was a brief description of what little I understand. Forget laymans terms. Read up, learn the terms of this trade or skill and it will get easier. The words used are specific and are meaningful, it just takes time to understand their use. Same with the math involved to calculate all kinds of things once machining. BTW in no way am I preaching as I know a lot. I was a true beginner only a few years ago, now I know a little more. Probably about as much as the guy sweeping the floor of the shop in his first year ;-)
i think i understand assigning a pin on the bob to mach 3 home in the pin set up, but do not understand the purpose? - is it to simply shut the machine off from squaling the couplers on the shafts - yes i did just do that
Dont know what squaling is. Maybe you meant stalling? If so steppers are forgiving, no big deal at all.
Ports and pin assignments are so the computer can tell the machine what to do. It is referring to each pin of a DB25 or parallel port. Pins communicate both ways (different pins for each direction, limit switch inputs, spindle speed output, relays and a host of other commands).
As I said there is plenty to read. Youtube also has some tutorials. Good Luck and enjoy
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