I’m new to cnc, but have got far enough to know that I have a problem that is beyond my knowledge, or of knowing where to look.
Using Mach3 on a home made machine, a Hobby CNC controller with steppers that I’m running at over voltage but at under their rated amperage. I am running them at full step and they move very smoothly when jogging them or running g-code, Except. ----- I converted a dfx file of lettering, using Mach3 and each letter starts being routed in the middle of the left side. Almost every time I’ve run it, at some point, at a random letter, when it plunges to start the next letter at the correct point (the middle of left side) it will start routing as if that point is the top of the letter and offsets the remainder of the letters down ½ a letter. It is not a g-code problem because it is random at which letter it does this using the same file. I also hear no skipping of steps of the motor. And it plunges in the correct spot according to the code but looking at the Y DRO, after I see it has messed up, it is off by about 1 ½ “ (routing 3” letters). So, it plunges in the correct spot, but then moves –Y about 1 ½” to get to where it’s supposed to be to start the letter, and continues from there.
It does this 2 out of three times.
Any suggestion of what to look far would be appreciated.
Here’s a section of code typical of where it stops one letter and starts another:
G1 X7.3352 Y1.3604
G0 Z0.250000
G0 X7.8158 Y2.5113
F15.000G1 Z-0.1250
F12.000G1 X8.1944 Y2.4754
G1 X8.2350 Y2.5113
The letter height is from apx... Y1.0922, to Y3.9274
Louis