joint 0 limit error - setting up debounce.

Hi All,
I have been working on my gantry router now for about 2 months and its completed except for the limit switches. I added them 2 weeks ago and have been fighting with EMC to get them to work since. I haven't work with Linux for over 8 years so I am very rusty when it comes to configuring EMC and what exactly I am supposed to be adding to the Mill files. I have 2 switches for each axis. X,y and Z. I tried some of the suggestions in the Forums with no luck. Unfortunately what I did read may as well have been written in Chinese, I didn't understand one piece of the information out there. I would suppose its fine for people who understand and work with CNC machines all day but I do not, yet. So if someone could explain in plain English what the setting actually do and the correct format and file they need to put in that would greatly appreciated. I am using the latest version of ubuntu and EMC. My x axis is on switch 1 para port 10; y axis is on sw-2 and para port 11 and z on 3 and port 12. Each time I tried to make a change EMC would fail to start claiming the port was already configured or the switch was set to something else. I have no hair left to pull out ... thanks for any help you can offer. I can't seem to get debounce to work at all, when EMC finally starts the switches are either disabled or debounce is not filtering anything

Thanks again
Joel

It would help if you posted you config files.

Hello,

I take it that the machine works O.K. without the limit switches.

Have you looked at

Machine

show Hal configuration

To see what pins are in use, which are inputs which are outputs and to check if they are working?

Check your wiring and see if signals are working or if they need to be inverted?

Rick G

Chris typed faster than me,

But I agree with him, more info better help.

Rick G

Sorry about the lack of more info we were heading out the door when I decided to send this message ....
I am attaching the my-mill2.hal , and my-mill2.ini. When I checked the switches I see the arrow when I engage the switch and no arrow when it is not engaged. I used the Hal configuration in the watch window the axis.0.positive.hard.limit and the axis.0.home.sw.in flash intermittently when no switch is being pressed. When pressing the switch the positive.lim.sw.in lights the home.sw.in lights up and pos.hard.limit lights up. Axis.0.active is constantly light. not sure if this is correct. Evidently it appears I am getting line noise ... not sure how to fix that problem at all. All the axis are the same when checked.
Yes the machine works fantastic when no switches are hooked up. I can jog all axis and make adjustments. when the switches are connected the entire screen is grayed out I cannot select anything. Every so ofter the override limits will flash as well.....

thanks
Joel

second file

Hi

A quick look at your files shows me that you appear to only have 3 'switches', as combined limit and home switches, but at no time have you mentioned they are homing switches too.

In your text you say you have 2 switches on each axis, so presumably they are chained together in axis pairs?

If you comment out the homing lines in .hal and .ini, do the limit switches work as they should?
ie.
#net max-home-x => axis.0.home-sw-in for each axis in the .hal file
and comment everything in the .ini file for each axis that starts in HOME_

If I were you, I would chain all the limits in series to one parport pin, it doesn't matter which one activates, one look at the machine will tell you what axis it was.

Then either fit 3 separate home switches or if there isn't room, don't fit any and home manually to alignment marks.

The latter is what I do on my small mill, I have a pre-set safe home position for tool changes and moving to at the end of a program, which I set at the beginning of a session by aligning marks on each axis.
Then I touch off to the actual work-piece. Simple as that.

regards

Thank you everyone for you help OI added to code that Andy suggested and everything seems to be working now..... Except its homing to the max switch and not the min/home switch ....and here is where I get thoroughly confused. I would like the machine to be about center when its done homing, right now it stays .5 off the switch which is correct and then when I try to move the x and y axis it won't go past the .5 inches from the switch. The question I have is when I want the machine to be about center. The x axis travel is 28" and y axis is 26", and its set for 0.0 to 26 and 0.0 to 28.

1) should I be using -14 to +14 in the config file with home being 0.0 of the x axis and y axis -13 to 13 with 0.0 being home ?
2) or am just not understanding the whole homing business .... I have read the info and looked at the schematic/image but it doesn't help when your not machine savvy ....

thanks again.
Joel