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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    19

    using a relay to activate a plasma torch (mach3)

    I have a relay BOB that i bought off of ebay. i wanna use this board to turn my plasma torch on and off. So far I have enabled 1 output under pin 17 (the pin which controls this relay). How do i get mach3 to know that this pin should be controlled every time my G-code tells it plasma on/ off. I made my G-code using lazycam.... If anyone can help me out thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    44
    You have to assign this output pin 17 to output #1 for example and then assigned to M3/M4 output. Config->Port & pins->Spindle setup.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    53
    I dunno if you solved this but the main thing (after of course enabling the pin in ports and pins) is going into the spindle setup and making sure that pwm base freq is low, i use like 7 -9 and that minimum pwm is also low, 0 - 5%.
    I've had my relays not enable correctly without setting these right... i think its actually only the minimum PWM that matters but I could be wrong.
    Check out my plasma build @ http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=673170

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    26

    Cool Same Problem

    I am have the same problem. I have done everything previously listed and still not receiveing any output on my G540 driver. Could there be anything that I am overlooking?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    53
    Well.. did you goto ports and pins and set the relays to the same output your trying to drive?
    Check out my plasma build @ http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=673170

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    53
    Another thing is what is he relay your trying to drive and whats your power supply?
    You need to roughly match your power supply voltage to your relay, in my case i have a 48v power supply and managed to find a 48v relay.. ake sure its a DC relay for a DC power supply..
    I would suggest first checking to make sure the G540 is or isnt doing the right thing.. take a multimeter and put the negative lead to the negative of the power supply and then the positive to position 5 on the G540 (look at the schematc to make sure you have this right).
    Check out my plasma build @ http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=673170

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    3

    Re: using a relay to activate a plasma torch (mach3)

    did you ever get help, regarding the BoB and controlling your plasma torch on/off. I too have a BoB which I purchased from ebay and it has a relay. I have 2 wires for the Hypertherm plasma switch. connect the two and torch turns on, but I can's figure out what pins to connect the 2 wires to.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    53

    Re: using a relay to activate a plasma torch (mach3)

    What do you mean by BoB? You have to look at the hypertherm manual for the torch fire pins, and as long as you are using a machine torch you can short those pins together to fire.
    Check out my plasma build @ http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=673170

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