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Easy CNC board limit switches

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting and Build Support' started by mkloppen, Mar 29, 2012.

  1. mkloppen

    mkloppen New Member

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    Hello all,
    I hope someone can help me out with my Easy CNC board limit switch problem. I have e-mailed Easy-cnc directly but have not heard an answer from them.

    I have a 4 axis Easy-cnc board that is running my steppers for a 4 axis cnc foam cutter. Now that it is all adjusted and running smoothly I wanted to use the 4 limit switch inputs on the board for a home (0,0) fuction. I have a button in the software that will drive both the horizontal and vertical motors one way untill they reach home.
    According to the Easy-cnc instructions a closure between a limit switch input and the common terminal will stop the motors via HARDWARE. This is perfect for my application, except that it does not work! The motor keeps on driving and I have to stop them manually via software.
    Has anyone else encoutered this problem? Have I missed something in the instructions? If anyone can help me out with this I would be very gratefull. :D

    Thanks Mike
     
  2. TigerPilot

    TigerPilot Well-Known Member

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    Mike, I had tried the Easy-CNC board limit switch connection and it worked for me. If I remember correctly triggering one switch stopped all the motors. I ended up not using it because I preferred to use the limit control option in the software, Mach3 in my case. If you didn't get it to work it may be that you connected the wire incorrect.

    BTW, if the board triggers the stop the software still continuous to run since it doesn't know that a stop was triggered, one of the reason I ended up not using the board limit switches. The motors, though, should not run.
     
  3. mkloppen

    mkloppen New Member

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    Thanks Yoram for the reply. I was hoping you would reply since you have the same board.
    I don't think I have wired it up incorrectly, pretty simple a normally open switch between the limit input and common. Hopefully when I get it to work it will only stop the one motor that gets a stop signal. If not then these limit switch input are useless to me.
    Unfortunately my software (CeNeCe Pro) does not have software limit switch inputs like Mach3.
    Thanks again for your help.
    Mike
     
  4. TigerPilot

    TigerPilot Well-Known Member

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    Triggering a limit switch, even in the software, has to stop all motors or either the cutting tool may break or the material damaged or both. The advantage of doing it through the software is that the program stops the g-code too and you can use the limit switches as homing switches.

    BTW, I'm not familiar with this software so I looked it up on their site. I think there is a place to put in input parameters for the individual pins in the parameter box. http://www.cenece.com/cenecepro/images/pro_003.jpg

    I don't know if that can be used for the limit switches though.

    BTW Mach3 would have cost you half of what his program cost. Is there anything special, or a special feature, about this program that made you choose it?
     
  5. mkloppen

    mkloppen New Member

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    What I am trying to do with the limit switches is drive them all at the same time back to a home position. It would be ideal if once a axis hits the switch that it only stops that one axis and the other axises continue to drive to their zero. CeNeCe has a button that drives all axises one way untill you tell it to stop. You would then "open" the input signal to the cnc board via another switch to fool the board into thinking there are no switches tripped.

    I understand how the switches work via software in Mach3 but how do you "reset" that axis without physically moving the axis away from the switch?

    I just wish easy-cnc would reply to my e-mail so I can clear this whole thing up.

    I bought this software because it has a lot of designing and cutting features all built into one program. I have Mach3 with a 4 axis foam cutting screen set but I need one program to design the shape, another to convert it into g-code, then Mach3 to drive the axis.

    Off to play some more. I will keep everyone updated.

    Mike
     
  6. matt_o_70

    matt_o_70 Member

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    Woops- my bad - you can ignore my posting... wrong controller board

    I have Y axis limit switches and they work as you want... I will have to take a look to recall but I do believe that you have to tick the check box to enable them. Have you verified the check boxes?

    you may need a little patience on the email reply - I think it is a one man operation. I have had email correspondence with Andrej, but there may also be a time differential I get the impression he is in Europe.
     
  7. TigerPilot

    TigerPilot Well-Known Member

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    Matt, I don't think that Mike has the USB CNC board. And yes, you are right, Andrej is in Europe and a one man op. :)
     

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