[Glidergider]

Lee,
Your add-in Parallel port should work OK. It sure would be good to see an schematic of your circuit. The words, so many words, I get confused so easy.

However, if you figured out your problem and it's a ground fault, then never mind, glad it's fixed.
Dave

[Greolt]

EDIT: I had a post here but on second thought I think it was answering the wrong questions. So I pulled it.

Leeway I see in the pic you are not using a buffered or isolated BOB.

The following is lifted directly from cnc4pc website re basic LPT conection board. So authorship and ownership is theirs and so acknowledged.

Do not use this board for wiring Geckodrvies, these drives require 16
milliamps signals, the parallel port can only deliver 10 milliamps.
Using this board for these drives can cause lose of steps and unreliable operation.

Further to this I believe that direct connection to the LPT will mean that your estop can not be wired as per the circuit posted earlier.

Inputs on a LPT are (I believe) high when at rest so need to be bought low with a switch (wired to ground or 0 volts) to change state.

Greg

[Glidergider]

Greg,
I'd like to see that modified circuit. Can you post it anyway.
Dave

Put the 0.01 capacitor from the input (which is the emergency stop line) to
ground *RIGHT AT THE PCB*
---End Quote---
Leeway do what Neil said. If this does not fix your problems I'd reckon you
have other issues and it's not noise on your estop.

Below is a *modified* version of the circuit pic that was posted before.
Greg

[bigbigjimb]

Hi
I am no expert at this Electronics but i need some help on this Tool Zeroing.
I am using a CNC4PC Noard (C11G)I have connected the 2 wires one to pin 12 and the other to the 5V beside it and the pins are set to Active Low the two wires are linKed together.Bear in mind this is just a test setup.
When i start the tool Zero the Z axis comes down as it should and when I touch the spindle with the wires it stops and the machine needs a reset surely this is not what should happen and what am i doing wrong.
Jim

[Greolt]

Jim

Not sure whats going on there with the resets. Maybe you have something set wrong in "Ports and Pins". Perhaps two inputs sharing one pin number.

However the main problem will be that the BOB you are using has on board circuitry that pulls the inputs low.

The BOB makers are very fond of doing this. It is fine if you are connecting a limit, home or estop switch.

However this Auto Zero system as I am using requires that the input is high when at rest and bought low by touching the plate to machine ground (tool)

Greg

[LeeWay]

Thanks Greg. I saw your edited post. The 203V Gecko's are able to use low voltage inputs from 2.5 to 5 volts, so these have no trouble using a direct connection. Not really direct either because these are optically isolated in the drive, rather than they would be on a higher quality BOB.

I am now unsure just how to test voltage on say pin 10. When should it read any voltage? I am not supplying any, so does pin 10 supply the voltage to go high on it's own, or will I need to provide it? I think that is how the previous drawing was labeled. If so, I ain't doing it right.

I will have to test it some more when I get a chance. It continues to faulty stop about every third job I run. Not that big a deal, but now it's set @ 25,000 debounce, so it's really kinda slow.


bigbigjimb, it sounds like it thinks your zero tester is a limit or an estop rather than what you want it to do. It does sound like pin settings or conflicts on that.

[Greolt]

The 203V Gecko's are able to use low voltage inputs from 2.5 to 5 volts, so these have no trouble using a direct connection.

LeeWay it is not the voltage that matters but the current that the LPT is capable of handling.

However I just posted that for your info. If your setup is working that's good.

I am now unsure just how to test voltage on say pin 10. When should it read any voltage? I am not supplying any, so does pin 10 supply the voltage to go high on it's own, or will I need to provide it?

Pin 10 should be at 5v when nothing is connected. That 5v is coming from the computer (LPT)

If I was using your setup I would make a two wire touch plate. One wire to the plate and one to a alligator clip.

Plate to pin 10. alligator clip to any pin 18 to 25

It continues to faulty stop about every third job I run.

Probe input will not trip an estop. It must be coming from somewhere else.

If you are using a fairly up to date version of Mach then debounce setting does not affect probe input.

Do you have an estop switch connected? Do you have limit or home switches?

Greg

[bigbigjimb]

Hi
From the response I gather that the wiring is correct?. If so then i probibly need a 3K resistor and i presume that goes between the 2 linked wires and the copper board?
would anybody have any suggestions with the pin settings.?
I have notices that If i leave the head to do its own thing once the button is activated It moves 1mm i think and then stops and returns to zero is this correct/
Jim

[Greolt]

Jim I'm sorry but I don't follow very well what you are asking.

The best thing I find when trying to help people get this running is to forget about the zero script and buttons etc. for now.

Just concentrate on getting the "Digital" LED on the diagnostics page to change state when touching the plate to the tool.

When that happens then the rest will fall into place.

Greg

[bigbigjimb]

Greg
OK, I have the light on MACH3 going on no problems there.

It is when i activate the Auto Zero and earth to the Machine Body that it just emergency stops the machine just like I pressing the E-stop.
So I am asking if I need a Resistor and is it 3K that is used.
And what else might be causing the machine to go into emergency Stop Mode.
Jim

[Greolt]

OK you better zip up your XML and post it so I can have a look at it.

Greg

[bigbigjimb]

Greg
For Some reason i cannot attach the file here. How can i get it to you
Jim

[Greolt]

Jim if you zip it you will be able to post it

Greg

[bigbigjimb]

Managed to do that at last
Jim

[Greolt]

Jim you have no port and pin set to probe.

You mentioned you want to use pin 12 so it needs to be set like in the pic.

Greg

[bigbigjimb]

Ahhh, Its Probe I had used Input#1
Thanks for that
Jim

[bigbigjimb]

Greg
I set up the probe as in your screen Print and It still triggers an emergency stop.
Jim

[Greolt]

Jim send me a PM.

Inputs are pins 10 to 13 and 15. Make a list of all the connections you have to each of those inputs.

Estop, limit switches etc. and whether NC or NO. Mechanical or otherwise.

If they are hooked to 5v-input or ground-input. Any pullup or pulldown resistors or filter caps.

What BOB if any you are using.

And your email address.

Greg

[neilw20]

I have trraced and drawn the X3 BOB if you need it.

[edmond]

Hi Guys

I finally made one of these auto tool setters following Greolts excellent instructions. I have set the Z retract at 6.35mm in the VB Script Editor as well as setting the plate thickness as 1.5mm in the plate thickness DRO but it seems to add the plate thickness and Z retract distance together resulting in the cutter not plunging in the workpiece ie the Z is set to high.The LED comes on when I touch the plate on the cutter, and the probe does work it just seems the Z lifts up to much.Pls Help

Thanks
Edmond