VistaCNC P4-SE pendant stopped working

So... Got my grounded RJ45 plug but it didn't make a difference. Tried adding some ceramic caps to ground, ditto... I even jerry rigged a brand new, isolated 24VDC power supply, and I've got the same behavior.

I finally took that new supply and wired up a 24VDC relay so that the pole of the estop switch was switching that relay on and off and nothing else. So, supply pos to estop, other side of estop to relay positive, relay negative to supply negative..... Yep, switching that relay on/off bricks the pendant.

Adding a diode improves things, a bit, which is interesting.... But it doesn't eliminate the problem. I'm using a giant rectifier diode though. I'm wondering if maybe a signal switching diode might be faster? Interesting thing is that there is a diode in the relay (although maybe it isn't working). Second, The problem can occur even when there is no relay in the circuit at all (essentially no load), which is really strange.

UPDATE:
I tried using a 30V zener diode too, because it was easily available. Really no difference in behavior than with the rectifier diode. Better than before, but still not great.

OK, that is really strange and gives me the impression that I would open the pendant. Unplug the cable and measure it completely. Resistance of each wire and between wires. Have also a look if the estop cirutrie completely from the rest of the electronic, or better, cable direct.

One completely different thoughts: Is in the original VistaCNC mode the estop eventually read by the pendant controller to show estop. That way the button need some hw connection inside and that would explain some side effects when you use other supply source. So forget warranty and look the cabling.
Mike

Here is a picture of the inside from when I had mine open. It looks like the E-Stop switch has two contacts. One for the external E-Stop and the other to tell the software that the E-Stop has been activated.

I would have a look to the two wires into the board and either short or cut that signal (I think if I see right it is pluggable).

Good luck

I've kept Lee@Vista up to date on some of the more meaningful steps I've undertaken (also pointed him to this thread if he wanted to follow, although I don't know that he has). He requested that I send the pendant back to him for review/analysis. I think I'll probably send the whole setup (relay, wiring, even the power supply). At this point, I think I've conclusively proven that there is something wrong there (simulator mode with only modification being the addition of the pendant, separate power supply and relay setup that uses the EStop switch's second pole as a simple '(de)energize the relay' mode). It doesn't get simpler than that, and I still have a problem. So, I really think that this is distilled down to a legitimate support/service from the manufacturer.

This, by the way, is one of the reasons why I'm presently happy I purchased the pendant from Vista. I know that it is more expensive. But, in addition to the fact that I like the design and estop implementation better than other offerings, I think the fact that there is *real* US based (in my case) support is a big plus. Yes, all of this is predicated on a successful outcome, but I'm hopeful there. I think I've gotten far more out of the relationship with Vista than I would have if I had had to deal with a factory someplace in China.

So, although I'm still crossing my fingers, I choose to be optimistic that everything will work out. I'll post the results of what Vista says once he has a chance to look at everything. Until then.... happy machining everyone, and a heartfelt thank you for your ideas and thoughts!

Mike_Eitel wrote: I would have a look to the two wires into the board and either short or cut that signal (I think if I see right it is pluggable).
Good luck

If you are talking about inside heat shrink tubing.... Yes, I agree that it would be the most logical place to look. However, I've been reticent to get into that area because I'd have to cut the heat shrink tubing off. Once I do that, I have to solder the wires all again to replace the tubing. I didn't want to go too far because I kind of feel that this is beyond what Vista wants me to do. If I saw a broken wire, I'd repair it in a heartbeat. It isn't that I'm afraid to resolder, etc, but if Vista is willing to solve the problem then I would rather they do so. It has the added benefit of them understanding the failure too. In the end, I'm sure they want to improve the product and understand where problems may lie. Forensic analysis is the best way for them to gain that knowledge.

I'll be sending them the pendant tomorrow. Hopefully they'll give me the reason why things are not working. If nothing else, this thread (if read, ad nauseam, by another person) should help someone else who has similar issues. The (albeit slow) whittling down of where the failure occurred and how to test for it, will be of benefit to them. And, of course, I'm a big believer is passing it forward. You guys have helped me, and I'll do my best to help someone else where I can.

Johnny:
Yes, the estop switch has two poles.... One side is devoted to the microcontroller so that it can interpret the estop state... The other is the one that is causing me problems. It is just two wires that come out at the other end of the cable. It is what I'm using in my estop chain to concretely shut down power to the servo and spindle VFD. That way, if my computer were hung, or otherwise unable to understand the estop state sent through USB, the system would still shut down power (no logic or computer involved... just removal of power to the relay coil that gives power to the axis/VFD).

Mike:
One of the tests that I performed sometime in the past was to remove the HAL 'binding' between the pendant Estop signal and the rest of LinuxCNC's EStop signal. That (albeit through software) severed the link between the pendant and LinuxCNC EStop. You are correct that electrically the pendant's MCU was still interpreting the switch... But if that is a problem, it would squarely be in Vista's software area and only they could fix that. FWIW, I don't think that is the case, but who knows right now....