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Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« on: October 27, 2017, 01:26:16 PM »
Need help my torch comes on every time I start mach3 and stays on. What could be wrong?
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2017, 04:25:01 PM »
Hi,
try this as an experiment. Turn on Mach. Is the relay on?

Go to the MDI screen an issue M03. Does the relay change state? Now issue an M05, does the relay change state?

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2017, 09:10:59 PM »
I tried issuing a M03 and a M05 it made no difference relay stayed on. What would you suggest next to try?
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2017, 10:51:24 PM »
Hi,
M03 should turn the relay on and M05 should turn it off. The same instructions are used to turn a spindle motor on, M03 turns the motor on
clockwise and M05 turns it off.

I rather suspect that the pin you have the relay hooked to is not the same pin that Mach controls.

Can you post your xml file. If you look at the lower right of Mach there is a profile name. If you go to the Mach3 folder with Explorer, find the <profile>.xml
and make a copy renaming it mikeperr.xml.

When replying to this post hit <Additional Options> at the left of the text window and browse to and attach your renamed xml file.

To what pin do you have the relay connected at the moment? Can you sketch a circuit diagram of how you've wired it?

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2017, 12:16:43 AM »
Craig

I am resending the Info you asked for because I was unsure if it posted the first time.
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2017, 02:33:37 AM »
Hi Mike,
that xml raises a few questions.

First I see that you have two ports defined, port one at address 0x3 and the second at 0x4. You show just the one board, ie enough for one port and not two.
Secondly those port addresses look all wrong.

Do you actually have two ports on your PC? If not, and I suspect not then disable port two in Config/Ports an Pins.
Next go to Device Manager and get the correct port address, I'm going to guess if its a built in port the address will be 0x378.
Next you will have to run DriverTest.exe to see if your port is playing ball. Just as a matter of interest what PC are you using?. You will need a 32 bit OS Windows7
or earlier.

I see that you have THC ON, THC UP and THC DOWN all assigned to pins in port two but not enabled. Is this correct?

I see you have three outputs assigned. Output#1 is port 2 pin 8, but do you really have a port 2? Outputs#2 and #3 are assigned to port 1 pins
10 and 11. Both of those are input pins! They CANNOT be used as outputs. Worse port 1 pin 10 is also your Estop, a clash!

I see on Config/Spindle Setup page you've assigned output#1 to M3,M4,M7 and M8??? What is it that you want output#1 to do...it can do one thing not four?

I note that you have not assigned any switches for limits or homes. Is this correct?

I think you need to get:
http://www.machsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf and read it. Then read it again. Then read it a third time.

Once you've digested that then we will start. The first thing will be establish the port and using DriverTest.exe to confirm its operation.
Then we will assign ONE input, an Estop. The only really essential input. All the rest can wait until we're ready to cross that bridge.
Then we will assign motor outputs, ONE motor at a time. Maybe women can multitask and do four motors at once but YOU CAN'T.
One motor at a time and test before going on to the next one.
Then assign home switches. If you don't have enough IO it may be time to get some more hardware or ditch that Chinese board and get
something else, there are many better choices.
Then and only the do we start to look at controlling the plasma.

If CNC were plug and play then anyone could do it but its seldom plug and play. You can blame piece of s*********t this, or piece of s*********t that or blame the supplier
or the Chinese or God Himself but in the end YOU have to learn sufficient to solve your problems. Its a steep learning curve but very satisfying.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2017, 01:20:49 AM »
Craig

I need to start out telling you that I had put a MiniTHC with a omics probe, and an ESS smooth stepper from warp9 on my table. I had the guy that sold me the MiniTHC get on my machine remotely form Russia he made a bunch of changes to the mach3 settings. Now I am lost. I have read over the instructions, I have watched the videos, and I am still confused.

1- I unhooked the MiniTHC and the ESS smooth stepper, then I hooked back up the parallel port.  

2-  I figured out and reset the port setting 0x387 and turned off the second port.

3- I used pin 15 for my estop. (By the way my table doesn't have an external estop button and has no limit switches).

I am confused as to the torch on/off and the relay on the BOB. the on/off Is that the spindle control? I know that the torch on/off would be an output but where do you control the out put and what pin would it be? if the answer is in the manual I did not get it.

Everything is working except the torch is not turning off i.e. (the relay) stays kicked in all the time even when Mach3 is not running.

I did not understand what you meant by config/spindle setup page. I could not find the page and I would have no idea how or what to change it to. then again if it is in the Manual I could not find it.

Yes it is a steep learning curve and I have been getting by just fine with my table until that guy from Russia messed with it and now he will not respond to my e-mails. I need help.  


Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2017, 02:05:22 AM »
Hi,
you're still guilty of trying to get everything to go at once. Stop it, you are just confusing yourself and going backwards.

Quite frankly the ESS is a step forwards, I understand that you don't understand and therefore wish to do without it but its still a step backwards.

For the moment lets work on what you've got, one parallel port. Have you run DriverTest.exe? Do so and report the results, it will often say 'Excellent' but that's
laughably insufficient, post the numbers, particularly the timing jitter or post a screen shot.

Now you need to set up an Estop. You should have one, in many countries a machine that does not have a working Estop is considered dangerous and illegal in a
work place. Get a cheap and cheerful Estop switch and wire it up.

Now wire up the motors, one at a time and tune them. I noticed on you motor tuning pages the Z axis looked very weird. Have a close look at it an set it
appropriately.

Now you are ready to wire homes and limits or just homes. I would recommend three home switches and three inputs. So simple. If you don't have home
switches when you crash your machine and break something this will echo in your brain 'I f....ing told you so!' If you've got decent home switches wired and can
reference your machine so that soft limits are effective you can get by without limit switches.

Have you downloaded the Configuration and Setup manual? Your not ready yet to hook up the plasma but when you are thinking about it read chapter 4.6.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: Torch relay turns on and stays on when I start mach3.
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2017, 11:57:55 AM »
Re: Emergency stops: If it helps, I have a mains contactor set up which is opened by the NC contacts on the estop button. The driver watchdog circuit is in series with the big red mushroom and the spindle overload, and the extra contacts in the estop button also signal to mach3 that an Estop has been initiated. Thus, if the button is punched, Mach gets signalled and the mains circuits drop out. If Mach *********s itself, the driver watchdog shuts it down; mains off as before.
The mains contactor shuts off power to the spindle and the stepper drivers, so everything stops instantly in the event of any sort of emergency.