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Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #20 on: August 31, 2006, 05:22:44 PM »
I was referring to the motor direction which is on the home screen (or am I smoking something?), you control the home direction with the home 0 button..

At least I think I got that right, it's harder jumping from one version to the other than I though it would :)


Ok on the limits I have the min set to 0 for all three, the max is the machines limits (Z is -4.80), this is all in the home limits dialog. Now if I turn on Auto Limits Override does that look at those values there and stop me from jogging out past the limits? I don't have any limit switches setup, I only did the home ones.

Sorry for all the questions, I read through the MachII mannual twice and some of this I think you just have to kind of plod your way through...

Thanks

-Paul-
Thanks... It took some tweaking but I finally got X and Y to move the way I wanted and the DRO's to reflect it.  One change I would like to see is the reverse button to be put on the ports screen for the motor outputs, having it in the home/limits confused me for a while (could be I'm just easily confused).

Are you talking about reversing an axis or changing the homing direction? If its the latter then I think homing and limits page is the best place for it, but thats just my opinion.

Now about the Auto Limits Override, I set it but I can still jog past the numbers in diagnostic, I thought it would stop at the limits? or will it let me be a moron and job into the machine? I have the limits entered into the home/limits screen, the reference buttons take the axis's back to the right position, so I'm not sure if it's me or I missed something...

The help here has been wonderful, as soon as I figure this out I'll test the tool change stuff and break out the dial guage and tune my motors and see if I have to do anything for backlash...

Thanks

-Paul-

When you say you can Jog past the limits do you mean it stops at a limit then if you reset and jog again it will go past? If yes then that cant be helped as Mach sees a limit as a limit and doesnt actually know which one it is (minus or positive) What you will notice is once a limit has been hit when you jog off it will be at a reduced speed, this is I think to help minimize damage if you jog off in the wrong direction. After you start to Jog off you can release the jog button and press it again and it will continue at full rapids.
 If you are meaning that when you jog and hit a limit the movement continues without seeing the limit then you must have the limits set up wrong.

Hood
-Paul-

Paul Davis
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Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #21 on: August 31, 2006, 05:35:10 PM »
I was referring to the motor direction which is on the home screen (or am I smoking something?), you control the home direction with the home 0 button..

If your axis is moving in the wrong direction then you can change it by changing the Direction Low Active for that axis, it is on the config - ports and pins - motor outputs page. I am not at the workshop so cant change test things out but I think the reverse on Homing and limits page probably does the same.

Ok on the limits I have the min set to 0 for all three, the max is the machines limits (Z is -4.80), this is all in the home limits dialog. Now if I turn on Auto Limits Override does that look at those values there and stop me from jogging out past the limits? I don't have any limit switches setup, I only did the home ones.

Sorry for all the questions, I read through the MachII mannual twice and some of this I think you just have to kind of plod your way through...

Thanks

-Paul-

You really want to set up your home switches as limits also if at all possible, just enter the pins and port for each axis positive and negative the same as the home is set for that axis. When Mach does a home move it will use the switches as home switches, any other time it will use them as limits.
 For the soft limits you may want to set the slow zone a bit bigger, this will mean as the axis gets near to its limit it will slow down so hopefully avoiding an overshoot and hitting the physical limits.

Hood

Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #22 on: August 31, 2006, 07:58:57 PM »
Here is where things get really strange to me...

If I go into Ports and Pins and choose input signals, and turn on the X-- signal, the program changes the behavior of the X-Axis motor settings in the home/limits screen.

So for instance, I have X working as I want, I can run a gcode and it does what I expect. But if I change the Input Signals by turning on the X-- it sets the Reversed flag on the X Axis and turns off the Home Neg.

I'm not sure why but it makes setting options super hard because one button effects three others, and it's confusing and actually to me unwanted behavior. Imagine setting one option and suddenly your gantry moves in the other direction!! :)

So let me put the question this way:

If I set the X--, Y-- and Z-- (and reset my other settings back to what I want), then if I move the gantry past the limit the machine will stop and not crash?

Then for my Motor Home/Limits if set my Soft Max to the positive limit of my machine (for the outer limits), MachIII will not allow the gantry's to move past that position if I turn on the Auto LimitOverRide switch?

I need to spend a day and just read through the MachIII manual (I'm getting brain overload), but I thought the Software limits where supposed to limit the machine from running off the end..

Also one other question I noticed while playing, if I press the Goto Z on the program screen it locates the X-Y and then raises the Z, should it not be the other way around, would you not want to raise the tool out of the way first and then position the machine?? There's probably a setting for it somewhere I just have not found yet...

Thanks for the endless help ;)

-Paul-
-Paul-

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Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2006, 02:34:08 AM »
Can you post a screenshot of the Input signals page?
For the Z moving, make sure you have the safe Z setting enabled in Config - State, or it could be in  Config - Logic, cant remember :(

Hood
Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #24 on: September 01, 2006, 01:08:34 PM »
Sure... here ya go...



Cheers

-Paul-
-Paul-

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Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #25 on: September 01, 2006, 01:26:41 PM »
OK, you dont have the X++, X--, Y++,Y--, Z++,Z-- enabled, what I suggest is you move all axis to the middle of their travel then go in and change these axis to enabled, also set them all to active low. Now save and reset and try jogging to make sure the axis travel in the direction you expect, if they dont then go into motor outputs and change the Dir Low Active for any axis that is going the wrong way. Then you can manually trip a limit while on the Diagnostics page and you should see the 3 LED for plus, minus and home light up, test with the other axis switches. If thats all working then do a home and see if its going in the right direction for a home, if not then go to homing and limits page and try the Home negative setting for that axis.

Let me know how you get on, Oh also if I remember correctly your Y limit is only for one end of the travel so get ready to hit the Esc key on the keyboard (or E Stop if you have one) if the axis is moving the wrong way and there is not a limit there.

Hood
Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #26 on: September 01, 2006, 04:21:00 PM »
Ok done...

The machine only has 1 limit for X and Y (basically a home and -- limit), I actually called them today and orderd a set of switches so I can add another set to the X and Y. I followed your instructions to the T however and here are the screen shots:




I was able to home everything and it all worked as it should...

So why even have the ++ switches on when there's no switch there??

If there is a problem with getting the switches then I'll get some pieces locally and make them, it's not hard to do at all...

-Paul-
-Paul-

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Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #27 on: September 01, 2006, 06:49:29 PM »
Do your switches get activated at either end of the axis or just at one end? ie is there a ramp or trigger of some sort at either end of the axis that triggers the switch.

Hood
Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #28 on: September 01, 2006, 08:49:07 PM »
There is one switch one each axis, it serves as the home and the 0 limit switch, there is nothing at the positive end of the machine in the way is limit switches.

-Paul-
-Paul-

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Re: Some Simple Questions
« Reply #29 on: September 02, 2006, 02:25:08 AM »
Ahh ok your machine must be set up differently than the one Bagpipes has as I am sure at least two of his limits get triggered at each end of their travel.
  Is there any way you can do that by setting up something to trigger them?

Hood