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Z-Plate is grounded!
« on: December 23, 2016, 01:44:32 PM »
I am running vista. C10 breakout board KL-430 digital drivers.
I connected the z-plate to pin 15 and the other lead to a ground, when I hit auto tool zero I get an error " Z-plate is grounded check connection and try again"
I looked in the diagnostics, the digitized lite was lit green. I set the z-plate to the probe settings  and set it to active low. I removed the wires to the z-plate got the same error with no plate installed.

At this point I just don't  know where to go. Any help would be great thank you.
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2016, 08:26:10 PM »
Hi,
I'm guessing the pin on your BOB has a pulldown resistor. So in absence of a current source it will always be low and
because Mach is expecting an active low per your setting it determines that the probe has contacted.

I don't have or use a C10 board but recall looking at the circuit diagram and set up notes for another bloke who was having
trouble getting going. If memory serves there is a jumper that you can reposition that will now pull the pin high and your
problem is solved. Only one drawback is that one jumper controls the pullup/pulldown behaviour of all your input pins
so fixing your probe problem may well break your Estop/Limits/Homes or whatever else you have hooked up.

You could add another resistor to the pin from a 5V source and if the resistance is low enuf it will 'beat' your pulldown
and you have a solution that doesn't upset your other pins. Before I could recommend I would want to see the circuit diagram
of the pin to ensure that no part gets hot.

Let me know if any of this makes sense and I will try to firm up my recommendation.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2016, 08:55:40 PM »
Hi ,
found the document required on the cnc4pc website. The section your interested in is 7.4 'Other Connections'.

Note that it does say that you require the pullup jumper to be high. This is probably contrary to your other inputs
on pins 10, 11, 12 and 13. If you're not using those then just change the jumper. Other than that you will have to use
the 'added pullup resistor trick'.

If you put a 4.7kOhm resistor from the pin to a 5V source (not sure how you've jumpered the com) then the pin will float
at 2.5V. Probably enuf for Mach to recognise a logic high. If you use a 1kOhm resistor it will float at 4.1V, easily good enuf
for a logic high that Machs expecting. Means your probe will have to sink 5mA to pull the pin low when it makes contact,
no problems there unless your probe wiring is really shonky. Note the 1kOhm resistor will dissipate 25mW when the probe
contacts so even a 'baby' resistor will do the trick.

Let us know if that solution works.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2016, 12:20:25 PM »
Thank you for the replys. I will give that a try and re-post the results thanks again.
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2016, 02:53:30 PM »
That took care of the problem. I just did a fast test by jumping the jumper and problem gone. Now where would i put the resistor on the board? Here is the link to the wiring of the board.  http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/products-page/breakout-boards/c10-bidirectional-breakout

The other problem I seem to have is when I hit auto tool zero the z axis goes all the way to the top and just does not stop at all. Here is a copy of the script I am using. Thinking that is possible the problem.

I am using metric so when you see the 19 in there that is my correct thickness of my plate.

Thank you once again for all your help.
CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818) 'Get the current feedrate to return to later
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48) 'Get the current G90/G91 state
CurrentGmode = GetOemDRO(819) 'Get the current G0/G1 state

If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then 'Check to see if the probe is already grounded or faulty
DoOEMButton (1010) 'zero the Z axis so the probe move will start from here
Code "G4 P3" ' this delay gives me time to get from computer to hold probe in place
Code "G90 G31Z-4. F4" 'probing move, can set the feed rate here as well as how far to move
While IsMoving() 'wait while it happens
Wend
ZProbePos = GetVar(2002) 'get the exact point the probe was hit
Code "G0 Z" &ZProbePos 'go back to that point, always a very small amount of overrun
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Call SetDro (2, 19) ' change .060 to your plate thickness and then adjust for final accuracy
Sleep 200 'Pause for Dro to update.
Code "G1 Z1. F50" 'put the Z retract height you want here, must be greater than the touch plate thickness
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)" 'puts this message in the status bar
Code "F" &CurrentFeed 'Returns to prior feed rate
Else
Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)" 'this goes in the status bar if applicable
End If
If CurrentAbsInc = 0 Then 'if G91 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G91"
End If
If CurrentGMode = 0 Then 'if G0 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G0"
End If   

Offline ger21

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Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2016, 03:47:38 PM »
What is your Z axis position when you start the macro?
The macro probes to Z-4, so if you are at a lower position than Z-4, it will probe upwards.

You'll need a much better macro than that if you need it to work without paying attention to every detail in it.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2016, 06:03:04 PM »
I started at zero. I would move the z-axis off the table went half way up then zeroed it there. Do you know where I can get a much better macro? Thank you
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2016, 02:13:20 AM »
Hi,
my VB skills are pretty rusty and they were never that good to start with, I've changed to Mach4 and am learning LUA
instead. Have really only scratched the surface yet but IMHO it 'wipes the floor' with CE, Mach3 variant of VB.

Can help with where to put the resistor. Put one end into terminal 15 along with your probe wire and the other end into
the 5V terminal right next to it.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'

Offline ger21

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Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #8 on: December 25, 2016, 08:35:54 AM »
Are you using the parallel port, or a motion controller?
And what version of Mach3?
Many chinese motion controllers don't support the GetVar() command.
And probing is broken for some when using 3.043.066.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html
Re: Z-Plate is grounded!
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2016, 04:38:26 PM »
thank you for the reply's. Thanks Craig I am going to set that up. I am using a parallel port. version R3.043.066.
would I need to update the version?

Thanks Gerry