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IndustryArena Forum > Machine Controllers Software and Solutions > Controller Cards > Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
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    0

    Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Hi all I have a common Mach3 board has four output pins and four input pins and I want to uase limit swithches and homing switches the problem is I need three free input switches and only have one of the four available free. Is there a work around please?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails MACH3 Board Pic.JPG  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    1730

    re: Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Use the first three inputs for X,Y,Z home sensors. Now put all of the LIMIT switches in series, so if anyone get bumped it stops the machine, all of these will go into the four input pin.

    Some people use the HOME switches as the limit switch as well but that only covers on end of the limit, much better to put all the limits together unless you have plenty of input pins.

    Russ

  3. #3
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    Dec 2019
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    0

    re: Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Hello Russ, what do I do about my E.Stop which already uses one input pin? Also I have a probe using another input pin what do I do with that?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    1730

    re: Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Quote Originally Posted by mcmec View Post
    Hello Russ, what do I do about my E.Stop which already uses one input pin? Also I have a probe using another input pin what do I do with that?

    If you don't have a dedicated estop input you need to use one of those input pins for that item. You can wire two home sensors to the same input, because the machine only looks at them one at a time. For example it will home Z axis first then X or Y depending on how you configured your machine. So you can use the same input for two home switches like X and Y.

    Russ

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    0

    Re: Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Hi. I connected in parallel to input 3 capacitive PNP sensors HOME XYZ , all limit switches NO are also parallel to input 2, e-stop to input 1 and Probe to input 4. Eeverything works fine. In Mach3 use the settings
    Click image for larger version. 

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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
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    3

    Re: Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Had a similar board, all limits were to be wired in parallel and all home sensors wired in parallel as well.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    4370

    Re: Mach3 Board only has 4 input pins how to connect Limit and homing when 3 used?

    Hi,
    OR buy an Ethernet Smoothstepper. Has 51 Inputs and outputs. Compatible with Mach3 and Mach4.

    Craig

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