the problem is that mach3 does nothing when i press the switch. i dont need to wake up mach3, it never goes to sleep

i dont have charge pump connected, if that matters.

Does the BOB use the charge-pump or not?

You say it does nothing - but it is doing something - it is lighting that LED in diagnostics!

So, you push the button, the LED goes OUT, then press RESET does anything happen?

the bob cannot use charge pump, its a cheap one which came with the used cnc.

apart from unlighting the led when i press the estop nothing happens. the led is on all the time when estop is not pressed.

on the mach3 screen, nothing happens, i dont even have to push the reset button on the screen. this button does not switch colour as it usually does when pressing the estop.

Go into ports and pins, estop line on inputs tab, click "Emulated" to on - this should remove the estop button from the issue, can you then get Mach3 out of reset by pressing the reset button?

the problem is not getting mach3 out of the estop. when starting the program, i hit the estop button on the screen and i can machine.

the problem is that hitting the estop switch does nothing, except this one led lit.

Ah, now if that was clearer at the beginning

So, lets try getting it the right way round first, go into ports and pins, set or unset the "Active Low" box on the Estop line - reverse whatever its on.

Now, in diagnostics, I think this is right - I'm not near my machine, the LED should come ON when the estop is pressed instead of off.

Try that

sorry for not being entirely clear with my descriptions.
i tried again, the led is lit and goes off if i press estop, no matter if i set active low or not.

I guess you won't have a spare N/C switch you can use - this is the generally accepted way of wiring an E-Stop button??

But either way, if Mach is ignoring the input then I am afraid I don't think i can help much, i have never seen this behaviour, it may be worth uploading your XML file so that it can be viewed - maybe just a simple error somewhere.

thanks. i am a few days off now, on my return i wil post the xml file.