Denford Triac VMC with ATC Conversion / Fix

[Chaz]

So, had movement last night. Now I have a machine determined to go max X Y Z + in all directions and I cant get it to come back from that. I cant engage soft limits on Mach 3, says I am no longer able to use that as I have gone past the extreme limits. If I hold in the axis override button on the Denford, it just keeps going more + in all directions. When I try and jog to -, eventually I get a ePid fault.

Argh.

[JAZZCNC]

So, had movement last night. Now I have a machine determined to go max X Y Z + in all directions and I cant get it to come back from that. I cant engage soft limits on Mach 3, says I am no longer able to use that as I have gone past the extreme limits. If I hold in the axis override button on the Denford, it just keeps going more + in all directions. When I try and jog to -, eventually I get a ePid fault.

This is why you should just concentrate on one area at a time and not try to get everything working in one go. E-stop is all you need at first for safety until you have the machine moving correctly and under full control.
Then you can start introducing Limits, Homes etc.

Turn off Mach softlimits for now until you have it working correctly. The messages will be because you probably haven't homed but you have enabled the Home inputs so Mach doesn't reset Machine coordinates to Zero when you push Ref all like it does when they are Not enabled.
Now The Machine coordinates will only be reset to Zero when mach see's the input assigned to that Axis change. With you jogging around etc you will now be well outside Soft limits hence the message.

[Chaz]

This is why you should just concentrate on one area at a time and not try to get everything working in one go. E-stop is all you need at first for safety until you have the machine moving correctly and under full control.
Then you can start introducing Limits, Homes etc.

Turn off Mach softlimits for now until you have it working correctly. The messages will be because you probably haven't homed but you have enabled the Home inputs so Mach doesn't reset Machine coordinates to Zero when you push Ref all like it does when they are Not enabled.
Now The Machine coordinates will only be reset to Zero when mach see's the input assigned to that Axis change. With you jogging around etc you will now be well outside Soft limits hence the message.

Thanks. I had X and Y working ok last night. Not sure what I did since but double checking all again.

[JAZZCNC]

Did you use the PID tuner.? If not then chances are your EPid fault is because of following error.!

[Chaz]

Did you use the PID tuner.? If not then chances are your EPid fault is because of following error.!

Nope, not done that yet.

So the problem seems to be that it tried to home and went past the limits. I cant get it back from that now cos it thinks its hitting them on the way back. Ideally I can move the servos manually by hand to reset but difficult to get to them.

I also need to check the steps. I believe its on 1024 ppr but difficult to confirm this as I need a tool to login on the drive to check. Its a 5mm leadscrew all round from what I can tell. The ratio amount and the quadrature value, how would I know these?

Also, what's the easiest way to reverse the direction of the motors?

[Chaz]

OK, X and Y are working, inverse direction but I can do basic G Code. The measurement however is 3 times too much. Have changed the steps / mm value in Mach3 but no difference. Its doing a 60mm square instead of a 20mm.

Something not right with Z when I connected it back up.

[Chaz]

OK, I hadnt saved the steps setting. Sorted now, very close to spot on but still having issues when I connect Z. Without Z, the machine will work fine even though + - are reversed (according to the stickers on the mill). I tried to get Z to PID tune but its not happy and the mill starts to move the other axis without me asking. Odd. Not sure if I am getting some cross talk on the wires, ive checked all the wires a few times.

So, this might not look like much, but i can draw with some gcode.

[JAZZCNC]

I also need to check the steps. I believe its on 1024 ppr but difficult to confirm this as I need a tool to login on the drive to check. Its a 5mm leadscrew all round from what I can tell. The ratio amount and the quadrature value, how would I know these?

Sorry wasn't ignoring you I went out last night.!
Ok well looking at the manual the Motors use Resolvers rather than Encoders and the Drives simulate encoder output so resolution will depend on how the drives are set.
The Ratio is simply if there are any pulleys or gearbox's involved. If not then ignore.

Also, what's the easiest way to reverse the direction of the motors?

Goto Homing and Limits and Click reversed.

[Chaz]

Sorry wasn't ignoring you I went out last night.!
Ok well looking at the manual the Motors use Resolvers rather than Encoders and the Drives simulate encoder output so resolution will depend on how the drives are set.
The Ratio is simply if there are any pulleys or gearbox's involved. If not then ignore.




Goto Homing and Limits and Click reversed.

Thanks, appreciate you have more to do than just to help me (and others) ;p