[Matt Clara]

Hi,
I have an FLA200 (a bolt together kit from Fine Line Automation), which I'm trying to get going here. I've got it up and running, and it can jog left right, up down, forward, back, and two days ago I had it run the roadrunner cutout G Code (with the router off and no bit in place), and it worked fine. So then I wire up some limit switches, NC, and hook them up to my control box (control box built by Dan Mausch, and all I had to do to hook up the limit switches was run my wires to pins in a 4 pin molex connector , and then plug it in to its female counterpart. The COMs all went to one pin, and then the NC running from XYZ all went to their own pins.) After playing around in the diagnostics and tripping switches, I got them to light M1, M2, M3 Home on pins 10, 11, 12, respectively. So then I went up to the upper left corner of the diagnostic page and clicked Reference X, and the danged X and A axis motors (driving X) tried to go in opposite directions. I tried going to Homing/Limits and reversing one and then the other, but they insist on going in opposite directions.

Any advice?

Thanks,
Matt

[Matt Clara]

Little more info--I have A slaved to X, and I have X, Y, and Z set to dirLowActive under Ports and Pins/Motor Output. I did that because, clicking Page Down made the Z jog up instead of down, and then X and Y were going the wrong way, too, but that's more relative to where I have the computer placed than anything else.

[GaryCorlew]

Did you slave the motors in mach? you only need to reverse one motor, do not reverse both, after you slave the motors in mach you have to restart mach

[Matt Clara]

Did you slave the motors in mach? you only need to reverse one motor, do not reverse both, after you slave the motors in mach you have to restart mach

I did slave the A to X in Mach. Once I did, I didn't need to switch motor direction, it simply worked that way. I switched motor directions for convenience, except on the Z drive, as described in my earlier post. The machine jogs fine and runs G code fine. It's only when I hit Ref X that I get the drives working in opposite directions. Actually, now that I think about it, it may be incorrect to say that the motors are working in opposite directions. It may be true that one of the motors simply isn't working at all. Since it's got power, it's "holding" its position, which would likely give an appearance similar to working in opposite directions. They are R&P drives, so they "chatter" when working against each other.

[ger21]

In the Config Homing screen, is "Home Negative" checked for the X or A?

[Matt Clara]

In the Config Homing screen, is "Home Negative" checked for the X or A?

Neither, but then, when I try any combination of those, I get different, but not better, results. I just tried disengaging my A drive pinion from the rack, and then I referenced X, and then I re-engaged the r&p, and everything's right as rain. For now.

[brtech]

I have this working, so there is some configuration problem in yours.

Can you see the A DRO? Check to see that it goes up and down the right way when you move it.

Probably, what you will need to do is set "home neg" in "Home/Softlimits" for A. I think this is a side-effect of choosing to set the active low different for A and X, rather than setting "reversed" in "Home/Softlimits".

The thing to remember is that when Mach is moving the gantry, it drives both axis exactly the same, step for step. When it homes, it homes them separately. It appears to drive them both until one hits the home switch, and continues to drive the other until it hits the home switch, then it backs them both off the switches.

[Matt Clara]

I have this working, so there is some configuration problem in yours.

Can you see the A DRO? Check to see that it goes up and down the right way when you move it.

Probably, what you will need to do is set "home neg" in "Home/Softlimits" for A. I think this is a side-effect of choosing to set the active low different for A and X, rather than setting "reversed" in "Home/Softlimits".

The thing to remember is that when Mach is moving the gantry, it drives both axis exactly the same, step for step. When it homes, it homes them separately. It appears to drive them both until one hits the home switch, and continues to drive the other until it hits the home switch, then it backs them both off the switches.

Do you have a switch on X and on A? I have just the X wired with limit switches at either end.

Also, after Gerry mentioned Home Neg, I did some research and see that I do need those homing towards zero to have home neg ticked (as I understand it, anyway), so now my X and Y have home neg zero enabled. Finally, taking your advice, I've changed all my dir low active settings to disable them, and then went into Homing/Limits and set the ones that were low dir active to reversed. When I went to reference X I got the same results as before.

When you say DRO, do you mean digital read out? On the diagnostics page I can see a reading of the A drive's position. According to it, the A drive doesn't change position--it is working in tandem with the X most of the time, though, just not when I click ref x.

[ger21]

In General Config, check "Home Slave with Master Axis".

You didn't say you only had one home witch.

[ghostlx]

Do you have a switch on X and on A? I have just the X wired with limit switches at either end.

Also, after Gerry mentioned Home Neg, I did some research and see that I do need those homing towards zero to have home neg ticked (as I understand it, anyway), so now my X and Y have home neg zero enabled. Finally, taking your advice, I've changed all my dir low active settings to disable them, and then went into Homing/Limits and set the ones that were low dir active to reversed. When I went to reference X I got the same results as before.

When you say DRO, do you mean digital read out? On the diagnostics page I can see a reading of the A drive's position. According to it, the A drive doesn't change position--it is working in tandem with the X most of the time, though, just not when I click ref x.

mat doo you want me to post you some screeen shots of my settings for you to look at?
ghostlx

[Matt Clara]

In General Config, check "Home Slave with Master Axis".

You didn't say you only had one home witch.

Well, I don't usually call her that...

Thanks, Gerry. That solved the problem.

[Matt Clara]

mat doo you want me to post you some screeen shots of my settings for you to look at?
ghostlx

That would be great, ghost, or even the actual XML file (might have to zip it), if that would be easier. I doubt our machines are 100% the same, but I could use it as a reference.

Meanwhile, I'm working my way through the Mach3 training videos. I wish they had a wiki up, too, as that's easier to look through than a forum, and videos are probably the worst for finding some reference you half remember hearing...

[ghostlx]

That would be great, ghost, or even the actual XML file (might have to zip it), if that would be easier. I doubt our machines are 100% the same, but I could use it as a reference.

Meanwhile, I'm working my way through the Mach3 training videos. I wish they had a wiki up, too, as that's easier to look through than a forum, and videos are probably the worst for finding some reference you half remember hearing...

here is the g540 xml file i used for the gecko nate sells.
will attach screen shots after breakfast
ghost

[ghostlx]

That would be great, ghost, or even the actual XML file (might have to zip it), if that would be easier. I doubt our machines are 100% the same, but I could use it as a reference.

Meanwhile, I'm working my way through the Mach3 training videos. I wish they had a wiki up, too, as that's easier to look through than a forum, and videos are probably the worst for finding some reference you half remember hearing...

Matt
Here are some screen shots of what i am use ing. this is how i worked it out.
it may not be totoly right so if it can be made better please let me know. by all of us sharing it makes it better for all. post your settings so we can compare .
any input from outher's is welcome also.
thanks
ghostlx

[Matt Clara]

Thanks for the data! Hey, all the tutorials I've seen, and now your screen shots show, a red line indicating what appears to be your cutting area. Mine shows up as a gray dashed line, and I have no red boundary. Any ideas what might be going on there?

[ger21]

Config>Toolpath let's you change what's displayed in the toolpath window. Try turning on some of the other options.

[ghostlx]

Thanks for the data! Hey, all the tutorials I've seen, and now your screen shots show, a red line indicating what appears to be your cutting area. Mine shows up as a gray dashed line, and I have no red boundary. Any ideas what might be going on there?

the red line if I understand the tutorials is my table boundary .
ghostlx

[Matt Clara]

Here's what I see.

[Matt Clara]

Funny, I just did a Google search for "no red boundary line mach3," and this thread was the #1 return. That's efficient of google, but not entirely helpful!

[ger21]

You may need to have Softlimits set up for that. They are the only way that Mach3 knows where your machine boundaries are. You may also need to reference the machine first.