[KenR60]

Couldn't see where to reverse the Z Axis ... attached are all updated Setup Screens and so far the Z Axis is the only thing stopping me from running ( Fingers Crossed ) If anyone can point me to the correct setup screen.

Attachment 324488
Attachment 324490
Attachment 324492
Attachment 324494
Attachment 324496
Attachment 324498
Attachment 324500
Attachment 324502
Attachment 324504
Attachment 324506
Attachment 324508

[aarggh]

If it's a standard Molex style connector you can carefully pop the cable pins out and re-arrange pretty easily. They just have a tab that protrudes to stop the cable from working it's way out of the connector, use a fine tip screw driver or a pin to push it in and slide the connectors out.

cheers, Ian

[Big S]

This screen here try changing the "DirLowActive:" under the "Z Axis" column to a "1" instead of a "0"

Shannon.

[KenR60]

This screen here try changing the "DirLowActive:" under the "Z Axis" column to a "1" instead of a "0"

Shannon.

PERFECT, Thanks Shannon I tested the Z+ and Z- and now it looks correct ... will test it later tonight with some MDF :-)

[Big S]

PERFECT, Thanks Shannon I tested the Z+ and Z- and now it looks correct ... will test it later tonight with some MDF :-)

Good to see yoou are getting things up and running, it also pays to air cut the gcode on the first few times you use the machine. Set the Z height above the material (so it wont touch it at the lowest point and run the code to make sure all the motion is as epected. Then when you are satified the code runs fine, set the Z height to suit you material and do the actual cut pass.

I still do this from time to time on tricky files and new setups just to make sure its not going to break anything etc.

Edit: you may now need to check that the probe is going in the right direction as reversing the Z axis may have reversed it?

Shannon.

[KenR60]

Thanks Shannon, Yes I have been doing lots of Air Cuts ( Dry Runs ) to make sure everything behaves as it should, I have yet to perfect the exact Z Locations but will master that tonight with lots of tests :-)

[KenR60]

Now that my Programs seem to be cutting correctly doing the Dry/Air Run, I went to set my Tool Height by clicking "Probe" and the Spindle goes Upwards until it trips the Limit Switch, this is why the Z Direction was reversed last time to allow Probe to work, if I reverse it back again it means the GCode will be flipped in the Z like it was before I reversed the Z Direction. So I thought I would Manually set the Tool Height, Boy is that confusing me as I can't seem to get the Bit to drop down low enough to cut the 6mm MDF I have prepared. Here are my Settings in Aspire ... I notice it says a Home Position for Z = 20.

Attachment 324726
Attachment 324728

[aarggh]

Personally I find it much easier to reference zero from the top of the material so cutting into it will always be negative.

20 or 25mm Safe Z or Home/Start position is good and simply means the amount above whatever zero is set to that the cutter will go to at the end of the job, and 5-6mm Z height rapids is usually adequate if you generally clamp around the outside of the material so you don't run the cutters into anything. If you clamp into the middle anywhere adjust that accordingly. Check out the settings on the machine we use anyway for comparison.

cheers, Ian

[Big S]

Now that my Programs seem to be cutting correctly doing the Dry/Air Run, I went to set my Tool Height by clicking "Probe" and the Spindle goes Upwards until it trips the Limit Switch, this is why the Z Direction was reversed last time to allow Probe to work, if I reverse it back again it means the GCode will be flipped in the Z like it was before I reversed the Z Direction. So I thought I would Manually set the Tool Height, Boy is that confusing me as I can't seem to get the Bit to drop down low enough to cut the 6mm MDF I have prepared. Here are my Settings in Aspire ... I notice it says a Home Position for Z = 20.

If you change the probe direction again, then nothing else should change at all, I think the reason that the Z axis went the wrong way is because it wasnt setup properly from the factory.

If you cant get the Z to go low enough then the limits for the Z axis will need to be changed to let it go lower.

Shannon.

[RCaffin]

It quite often happens that
XHome will be at the far left and all (most) X values will be +ve
YHome will be at the front and all (most) Y values will be +ve
but
ZHome will be at the top and all (most) Z values will be -ve.

Once you have got the basic motions correct, do NOT alter them when trying to get the Probe working.
It would however be reasonable to set program Z=0 about 20 mm up from the top of the MDF (ie up safely), and the to probe to Z=-5.

Cheers
Roger

[Big S]

When I set the limits on my machine I set the home position as zero for each axis and then slowly jogged each axis so it was almost as far as it would go to the opposite side of the machine (I think I left a few mm just in case), then using the distance shown on the display, I used that distance to set my soft limits. This might help?

Shannon.

[mactec54]

Yes Roger, that was the Key :-)

At the rear of the machine I have 2 connectors, the Alligator Clamp I don't have a clue what its for while the other one is what I guess the Probe Sensor connect so ( It fits )

Attachment 324080

You clamp it to the tool the alligator clamp that is

[KenR60]

OK I had a good run with cutting out a few things. Now I have turned it on today and the X and Z axis trip the Reset when I try and jog in either way, I have checked the Limit Switches and they aren't stuck and click freely. The Limit Switch underneath the machine for Y isn't connected as the connections came off so I haven't re-connected this, its fine because I have the SoftLimits on. I have tried to turn SoftLimits off on the X and Y but they still don't move and trip the Reset. Y works perfectly. Any Thoughts?

[KenR60]

OK narrowed down the problem. When I turn the machine On everything works fine, I load a file, do a Dry/Air Run and then when I press RUN on the Controller so that the Spindle starts to Run thats when I loose control of the X and Z , Y jogs fine but both X and Y keep tripping the Reset

[RCaffin]

Dunno what the insides of that box are like, but maybe the power supply is failing andf the X & Z drives fault out thru lack of power?

Alternately, there is so much noise from the spindle that the interface is having the equivalent of the eStop line tripped.

Cheers
Roger

[aarggh]

Dunno what the insides of that box are like, but maybe the power supply is failing andf the X & Z drives fault out thru lack of power?

Alternately, there is so much noise from the spindle that the interface is having the equivalent of the eStop line tripped.

Cheers
Roger

I'd be betting the latter.

cheers, Ian