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needleworks
10-05-2020, 10:15 PM
Hi guys, looking for a little advice regarding a Mach3 problem.

Today I was machining a part that was very close to being max size for my work envelope, the fact that I had clamped the workpiece slightly in the wrong place, meant that I had reached the limit of travel in the Y direction, and subsequently crashed the machine into my limit switch. Odd thing is that the machine didn't stop, it just kept going susequently ruining the part. After stopping the machine, I checked the switch by manually pressing the switch down, and --- nothing ! I then tried all the rest of the switches and found that none of them were working.

Now before I started this job, I did as I usually do, and hit "ref all home" which resulted in the machine going to the home positions, activating the switches and stopping. To me, this proves that all switches are working as home switches, but none are working as limit switches ?
As a rule, I never tend to hit limit switches so I have no idea how long the machine has been like this. I have never changed any settings in over a year, and everything else is running great.

Also, after this happened I tried the machine running UCCNC, and for some bizarre reason everything works perfect there, machine stops as soon as any limit switch is actvated, and this was set up using the Mach3 xml file. Am I missing a setting in Mach3, or have I unknowingly changed something that I am unaware of ?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Clive S
10-05-2020, 10:20 PM
I noticed that you did not mention soft limits, do you have them set up as that alone would have not allowed you to hit a limit switch

needleworks
10-05-2020, 10:28 PM
I noticed that you did not mention soft limits, do you have them set up as that alone would have not allowed you to hit a limit switch

I have never physically set them up Clive, at least not that I know of ! is there a way to disable them if they are set up ?

JAZZCNC
10-05-2020, 10:34 PM
Just because the switches work as homes doesn't mean they are set to work as limits. To work and share limits with the home switch then you will need to enable and set the limits to the same pin numbers as home switches.

If they are all ready enabled and set then would need to see the XML file.

Clive S
10-05-2020, 10:36 PM
I have never physically set them up Clive, at least not that I know of ! is there a way to disable them if they are set up ?

Have you seen this https://www.google.com/search?q=setting+up+soft+limits+mach3&rlz=1C1WPZC_enGB842GB842&oq=setting+up+soft+limits+mach3&aqs=chrome..69i57.9239j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_uXO4XvehLfHA8gKHrZiAAQ23

needleworks
11-05-2020, 10:31 AM
Just because the switches work as homes doesn't mean they are set to work as limits. To work and share limits with the home switch then you will need to enable and set the limits to the same pin numbers as home switches.

If they are all ready enabled and set then would need to see the XML file.

The thing that puzzles me Dean is that it has worked flawlessly for years, and still continues to work perfectly with UCCNC. I have tried to include a copy of my xml file but it says "invalid document" can I just copy it as text and paste it in here?

needleworks
11-05-2020, 10:32 AM
Have you seen this https://www.google.com/search?q=setting+up+soft+limits+mach3&rlz=1C1WPZC_enGB842GB842&oq=setting+up+soft+limits+mach3&aqs=chrome..69i57.9239j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_uXO4XvehLfHA8gKHrZiAAQ23

Yes Clive, I had looked at that but couldn't find anything that told me if they were active, and if so how to disable soft limits. To be honest I have never even been in that section of Mach3.

Clive S
11-05-2020, 10:41 AM
The thing that puzzles me Dean is that it has worked flawlessly for years, and still continues to work perfectly with UCCNC. I have tried to include a copy of my xml file but it says "invalid document" can I just copy it as text and paste it in here?

Just add .txt to the end of the file name

needleworks
11-05-2020, 10:46 AM
Just add .txt to the end of the file name

Ahhhh, thanks mate.

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