New build with recycled parts on a ridiculous budget 120cm*60cm work area

[Clive S]

I would like to get a controller that does step generation on board so PC specs are irrelevant, linuxcnc compatible and of course Ethernet is there such a controller?

Yes Mesa 7i76e

I think you should take a step back and start with baby steps with Lcnc. Start by getting the homing sorted etc.
I have read your posts on the Linuxcnc forum and seen your ini and hal files they are different to the ones you have posted here try and be consistent with what you are asking.

I think your limits problem is that the machine does not know where it is, so get it homing first. I know where there is a working config for the 7i76e but it is for a plasma but is near enough.

edit : And just to keep you sane https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=bAdqazixuRY

[Desertboy]

Yes Mesa 7i76e

I think you should take a step back and start with baby steps with Lcnc. Start by getting the homing sorted etc.
I have read your posts on the Linuxcnc forum and seen your ini and hal files they are different to the ones you have posted here try and be consistent with what you are asking.

I think your limits problem is that the machine does not know where it is, so get it homing first. I know where there is a working config for the 7i76e but it is for a plasma but is near enough.

edit : And just to keep you sane https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=bAdqazixuRY

The first ini I posted on linuxcnc didn't work I had set up A axis, the one I posted in the quote should have been the same one as I posted here but too early to check lol.

I've been looking at 7i76 for a little while but was confused on if 7i76 did step generation or you needed the 5i25 combo for step generation.

https://mesaus.com/index.php?route=p...&product_id=78

I guess what I'm asking is can I get away with buying the Ethernet version of 7i76 on it's own?

I'll get the switches on today hopefully my M3's have been shipped so should be today they come but I did try no forced homing as well as manual homing which I read should have made this go away but it did not lol.

When I press - on the manual move buttons for the Z axis should it move up or down? I'm guessing down at the moment mine moves up lol.

My friend keeps telling me to just use Mach 3 but if I do then I'd set up a pirate see if it works ok do some cuts then buy it and the inner tight guy inside me says just learn linuxcnc you idle twat lol and then the £200 you were going to use for Mach 3 will buy a 5i25 and 7i76 with the saved money ;)

[Clive S]

I guess what I'm asking is can I get away with buying the Ethernet version of 7i76 on it's own?

Yes as I said just the 7i76e.

When I press - on the manual move buttons for the Z axis should it move up or down? I'm guessing down at the moment mine moves up lol.

What do you mean by this it depends if you press on up or down keys

Also on the Z axis it should show -ve when going down. But in the the homing routine you can make it go either way it depends where the switch is ie you can change the travel to seek the switch out.

You are wasting your time playing without the homing switches on. As I said baby steps

[Desertboy]

Yes as I said just the 7i76e.

What do you mean by this it depends if you press on up or down keys

Also on the Z axis it should show -ve when going down. But in the the homing routine you can make it go either way it depends where the switch is ie you can change the travel to seek the switch out.

You are wasting your time playing without the homing switches on. As I said baby steps

-ve right I have it +ve at moment, and I have the router on the X axis going left -ve, right +ve and the Y axis -ve away from the front and +ve towards the front where I load.

As long as the M3's come today they're on ;) the wiring is already in place and connected to the BOB and spade terminal the other ends.
Stuck at home for an hour so can't play waiting for the guy to come see why my boiler stopped working it's going to be the thermocouple it always is. The house I live in was built in the 1920's and it's bloody freezing without heating lol.

The other error I kept getting was joint following error which I traced to the PC isn't fast enough really played with different latencies and ferror settings to no avail but I do know this PC is utter crap so will swap a different one in.

[Neale]

If you are standing at the machine with X going from left to right (- to +) then Y should be set with - at the front and increasing as it goes away. Convention says that X=0, Y=0 is the LH corner nearest you, although that's not essential. However, the relationship between X and Y is very important because your machine needs to be set up the same way as your CAM software. Z usually is zero at the top of travel and - at the bottom (so Z machine coordinates are always negative, except at the very top of travel).

If you are using F360, look at the little RGB axes that come up on the drawing screen, and imagine those transplanted on to your machine bed. Orientation of X, Y, and Z absolutely must match.

[Clive S]

I agree with Neale but I have to admit my X and Y 0 are at the top left of my router looking from the end so that the gantry is furthest away from me, this is so I can use the bed as a dumping ground when not in use.

[Neale]

In fact, on my machine, home and zero positions are bottom right-hand corner. Historical accident - I set up the machine with X along long axis, Y on gantry, intending to stand at the side for loading/operating. In practice, I stand at the end but haven't got round to resetting everything. I just have to remember when I set up a new piece of work. However, the really important point is relationship between axes. For example, it doesn't matter if you choose to home at max travel or min - just a simple setup matter. Just get those XY directions right!