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Author Topic: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING  (Read 1221 times)

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MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING
« on: March 20, 2020, 05:42:59 PM »
Hello All,

I have this nagging issue.  Wondering if anyone else has seen it.  I have a homing switch on X and Y axis.  When I Home the machine (Reference All Axes button) X and Y axes home and zero the machine axes properly. 

I have set the Z set to Home in Place.  If I watch the DRO (machine coordinates) I see that Z  will flash for a partial second 0 (zero) then revert back to it's value.  Therefore it will not zero at all.  It just stays at whatever value it is currently on.

Is there any other way to fix this issue through configuration or set the Machine Z axis zero through script or GCode?

I do have a support ticket in with ArtSoft.  Their suggestion was to install a newer version of the software.  I tried this and it didn't got so well as I lost all of my settings.  Trying to avoid the re-install unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks,

S

Offline thosj

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Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2020, 06:35:17 PM »
Can't help with the Z issue, but the best way to install a new version of Mach4 and NOT lose your settings is:

Rename the Mach4Hobby directory to something memorable.
Install the newest version from scratch, it will create a new Mach4Hobby directory.
Now go to your old directory, the one with the memorable name, and copy over your Profile, Screenset, any macros, anything else that's peculiar to your old setup over to the new directory.
Wallah, set to go with the new version.

I've done it dozens of times, works like a charm always, and...........you can revert by simply renaming directories if you need/want to. You might also consider making a backup of the entire Mach4Hobby directory to another hard drive or network location once in a while, like before updating to development versions or anything you might consider "risky". Belt and suspenders, don't you know!!!

Tom
--
Tom
Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2020, 06:38:36 PM »
Thanks Tom.  At least I did make a copy of my original setup so I didn't lose anything.  I will try your suggestion.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2020, 06:40:56 PM by daffyduck »
Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2020, 08:55:07 PM »
Hi,
the most likely reason your settings were overwritten is because you do not have a uniquely named profile AND screenset.

Most people have a uniquely named profile but just use the generic wx4.set screenset say. When they update to the latest
build a new wx4.set overwrites the existing. Therefore all your screen edits and tweaks are lost.

The correct procedure is to create a uniquely named copy of your favoured screenset and use that instead. Thereafter
all your screen edits and tweaks will be in the uniquely named file which WILL NOT be overwritten at update.

This procedure means you don't have to follow the renaming procedure Tom has outlined, just download and install
the latest build and nothing is lost in either your profile NOR your screenset.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'
Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2020, 02:45:23 PM »
Thank you for the tip.  Stay safe and healthy everyone!  Seems like a good time to hibernate in the man cave and make some stuff.
Re: MACH4 MACHINE Z WILL NOT ZERO ON HOMING
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2020, 03:00:20 PM »
So I seemed to have found the issue with the Z Axis Machine not zeroing on homing.

To make a short story of it I had my machine configured to run Motor0 (X), Motor1 (Y), Motor3 (Z) and Motor4 (A).

So it seems Mach4, or the controller plugin, did not like the fact that I had not configured Motor2.  I reconfigured the physical connections to my controller and the settings in the software so now I have Motor0 (X), Motor1 (Y), Motor2 (Z) and Motor3 (A).  Now homing works as expected with home in place on the Z Axis.

Weird software bug if you ask me.

Anyway just wanted to note it here in case someone else has an issue in the future.