moving X and Y axes using four position joystick

Hi all

Normally I would not ask this, I would simply connect up some switches and see how it all works but I have built the board into an enclosure that is very neat and incorporated securely into my mill stand, but a pain to work on for quick jobs like this. Please also excuse me not being intimately familiar with the terms used, that's part of my confusion i suspect

I bought a four way 'joystick' which is essentially a four way switch, and the intention is to make a hand held controller box that has the three axes controlled both for single press incremental movement (jog?) and also the joystick to move the X or Y axis continually while the joystick is in the appropriate position. However looking in the user manual, I can only find outputs for the Jog function, and a reference to 'jog mode'. On the software controller you have both movement types concurrently but the impression I get is that for an external controller, you can only have one button, and use the alt function to cycle between continual or single increment motion. I want a press button for the incremental movement in each axis direction, and to use the joystick and a two way momentary toggle switch for the X, Y and Z axes continual movement respectively, equating to a total of 12 switches.

I want to avoid the need to switch between modes, because if nothing else I know I will end up using it in the wrong mode at some point and screw up

So am I understanding the set up correctly or am I missing something?

Thanks

Les

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lesthegringo

Hi all

Normally I would not ask this, I would simply connect up some switches and see how it all works but I have built the board into an enclosure that is very neat and incorporated securely into my mill stand, but a pain to work on for quick jobs like this. Please also excuse me not being intimately familiar with the terms used, that's part of my confusion i suspect

I bought a four way 'joystick' which is essentially a four way switch, and the intention is to make a hand held controller box that has the three axes controlled both for single press incremental movement (jog?) and also the joystick to move the X or Y axis continually while the joystick is in the appropriate position. However looking in the user manual, I can only find outputs for the Jog function, and a reference to 'jog mode'. On the software controller you have both movement types concurrently but the impression I get is that for an external controller, you can only have one button, and use the alt function to cycle between continual or single increment motion. I want a press button for the incremental movement in each axis direction, and to use the joystick and a two way momentary toggle switch for the X, Y and Z axes continual movement respectively, equating to a total of 12 switches.

I want to avoid the need to switch between modes, because if nothing else I know I will end up using it in the wrong mode at some point and screw up

So am I understanding the set up correctly or am I missing something?

Thanks

Les

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Most CNC machines have to be switched to handwheel mode, particularly for safety, handwheel mode can be incremental with a dial or jog with a joystick or button. The feedrate using a handwheel should be reduced for safety ie 2m per minute maximum. It is usually an OEM option. To make something yourself could result in damage to you or the machine.

Thanks for answering, I can see the sense in the safety aspect. An answer to that could be a need to hold down a second button at the same time on a different controller so that the joystick would be disabled by default, without the possibility of it being accidentally pressed. That would form a kind of interlock. What I want to avoid is having a situation where you press a button to set the controller in to handwheel (thanks for clarifying that as the terminology!) mode, then have to press it again to reset to jog mod. If it can work like having to press shift on a keyboard to get capitals, and releasing it automatically goes back to lower case, that would be more than fine

Is that how the software interacts with the board?

Cheers

Les

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lesthegringo

Thanks for answering, I can see the sense in the safety aspect. An answer to that could be a need to hold down a second button at the same time on a different controller so that the joystick would be disabled by default, without the possibility of it being accidentally pressed. That would form a kind of interlock. What I want to avoid is having a situation where you press a button to set the controller in to handwheel (thanks for clarifying that as the terminology!) mode, then have to press it again to reset to jog mod. If it can work like having to press shift on a keyboard to get capitals, and releasing it automatically goes back to lower case, that would be more than fine

Is that how the software interacts with the board?

Cheers

Les

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A second button press would be good if jogging with the safety door open, handsets often have the button built in, so you need two hands on the handset to enable the drives and operate jog. With the safety door closed and locked, it wouldn't be necessary. it could be possible to bridge the panel jog button input through your handset, so either the panel or handset button could operate jog.