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Author Topic: Mach 4 THC Manual controls move Y axis instead of Z  (Read 1034 times)

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Mach 4 THC Manual controls move Y axis instead of Z
« on: August 08, 2019, 05:43:08 PM »
hello, I am running mach 4 hobby with the uc100 motion controller trying to run THC in manual for oxy acetylene torch. On our previous mach 3 system/computer THC was:
THC on port 2 Pin 8
THC up port 2 pin 7
THC down port 2 Pin 6
With mach 4 and uc100 it is only giving me the options port 1, pin 10-15
I loaded a simple g code file to check to see if it was working and tried to adjust torch height while running the code. The up and down controls for THC are actually moving my Y axis. How can I fix this?
thank you in advance. I am new to the cnc world so please bear with me.
Re: Mach 4 THC Manual controls move Y axis instead of Z
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2019, 09:47:01 PM »
Hi,
this post should be on the Mach4 General discussion board, I would guess that tweakie will shift it.

Quote
On our previous mach 3 system/computer THC was:
THC on port 2 Pin 8
THC up port 2 pin 7
THC down port 2 Pin 6

Clearly you had a second port in your previous installation and that second port was configured with pins 2-9 as inputs.
this gives you plenty for homes,limits and THC inputs.

The UC100 has only one port and must be configured with pins 2-9 as outputs (for motor outputs) leaving only
pins 10-13,15 as inputs. You are going to struggle because now you only have five inputs for all the homes, limits,
probes and THC.

You really need a board with more inputs.The UC300 from the same company has 85 inputs/outputs.
Note however that the UC100 or the UC300 do not support realtime THC. They should work with Mach4s script based THC,
but not realtime.

The Ethernet SmoothStepper has recently been upgraded to realtime THC and is worthy of consideration as it gives you the choice
of realtime THC OR script based THC.

Notwithstanding the limited input capacity of your motion controller you should be able to get it work. When you run the Gcode
does the X and Y axes move as normal, that is trace around the shape you wished cut? If so then clearly the X and Y axes are assigned
to and connected to the correct motors.

If you jog the torch up or down (using the jog arrows) does the Z axis go up or down? If it does then the Z axis is correctly assigned
and connected.

If both of these conditions are true then it suggests a problem with the controller. In particular the THC feature is enacted by an out-of-band axis
which if you like is piggy-backed on to the Z axis.Some controllers cannot handle out of band axes. Chaticone gives a good description of how Mach4s
script based THC works. I will try to find his explanation.

Craig

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