well folks i just took out my z drive,limints and homing did not work, z  just kept going. been working on this problem way to long.

1. im getting frustrated with the lack of info on that area.

2. even after i pulled the plug it was to late.

3.im getting homing switch erroes that i cannot find the problem too.

one time i will hit the home switch it will work then next time it wont work.

all wires are sheilded.

now all of a sudden the limits yellow lites are on in diagnostics.


all switches are set up in normally close state.

so i need some help in the set up of limit and estop switches.

i was also told that i do not need all that safety crap like the estop or the charge pump, running a simple gantry machine like mine,
im sure someone will tell me i have it configured wrong, okay so tell me how to configure correctly.

pulling the plug did not stop my machine from going on a little futher and cracking up z and causing damage.

the limits did nothing at all

i have read the manual a dozen times and it hits on the limits just enough to confuse you, i aslo tried to disengage the estop but it still comes back checked.

also it seems to me that mach 3 is a little finicy at times or does that mean i need to register it:)

but no joking aside i would like to move on, can somone tell me or direct me to a limit homing switch guru.

becsuse im #$%^()&^%$# tired of the manual.

i understand that mach 3 is a good program, i have been tring  to get started with anything but i cant because im stuck in this estop limit switch crap.
thanks........Robert

Are you using a break out board?

no sir im not

When you manually press a limit do you see the LED changing state on the diagnostics page?

Hood

Hi, Robert

Not sure about the no license ver. of Mach issue and how you have everything setup, Hear are the steps I'd take.

1. Disconnect the Z stepper at the drive coupling or run the Z down far enough that disconnecting the power will stop axis before a crash.

2. Mach only needs one input to provide homing/limits operation, Unless your doing something special, Connect NC switch's in Series to your input pin #.

3. In Config, Ports & Pins, Inputs, Set X,Y,Z Home to that Pin & Port #, Make sure the Emulated are set to X.

4. In Config, General Config, Set the De-Bounce Interval to 2000, "Helps Mach to have time to see the Switches state of change".

5. Test your Home Switch's by Manually Actuating them, While the Axis is Far Away from the the Home Switch.

Some have used .01 capacitors across the switch contact's, I've never had to do this.

Mach in Homing Mode knows which Axis is moving and stops it if any of the switch's open, In Limit's mode it stop's All Axis's.

Mach saves an XML file on shutdown, It's name is the same name as your startup configuration at startup typically "Mach3Mill.XML", It's located in your Mach3 Folder, After you get everything working save a copy somewhere else on your computer after shutdown of Mach.

Hope this Helps.

Thanks, Chip

I would recommend you get one of these break out boards:
http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=49
The C1G

I'm no expert but got the first machine running in 15 min with that board and the good thing about the board is it has led's so you can see what each output and input is doing even without a  computer connected.

I cannot understand your problems, unless you have something really wrong - and I do not think that will be the case.
You do not need a beakout board - this is just a poor mans thinker - but I assume you have identified the wires out of your 25 pin port and you have your limit switches wired to them (each with an appropriate earth or ground). The only problem with some of the pins  is that they are inverted in the computer logic.

I assume you have correctly identified the pins as the appropriate inputs in CONFIG/PORTS AND PINS/INPUT SIGNALS.  If you have all this done, then go to the Diagnostics page and test each limit switch manually with nothing else running. As you close each switch (or in actual fact OPEN it) then the appropriate led should light. If it is already lit, and then goes out, then your active low setting needs reversing in the Ports and Pins page. This should then give the correct signal.  Do check your ground wires, however - because if they come adrift you will get nothing. The ground wires need to be pins 18 to 15 on your 25 pin plug.

Yellow light comes on - E-STOP

Have a look at the instructional video which explains all this in some detail - and how to combine limit switches with home switches.