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I guess that means positive and negative news for me. For the limit / home switch for Z position I use an inductive sensor and that is mounted in a way, that the tailstock would be detected. The bad news is obviously now, that the home position is dependent on the tailstock position and I will need to make sure, that the tailstock is exactly in the same position every time I perform homing.
Does that sound like a reasonable approach or should there be some absolute location to avoid that dependency ?

It's been a while. Lot's happened in the last almost 2 years. Death of our 35 year old son at the end of 2023 has kind of screwed up my world.

Going through the various postings from back in 2023 I never did see you post a copy of

measure_tool_inch.ngc

If you have the time would you post that please?

Thanks
John

Morning,

I replaced "encoder.00.position" with "stepgen.00.position-fb", which worked fine.

Then I checked the encoder and realized that it was counting in the negative direction when moving in positive coordinates. So, I added a minus sign in front of the stepper count in my .ini.
Now, the axis moves during the first part of the homing process. However, as soon as it hits the home switch for the first time which then tells it to change directions a "following Error" occurs.

Did this machine run the hob with a hydraulic motor for the hob spindle?

I have returned back to 2.9.4 but i will try again master.
In qtdragon_hd i can't find touch plate z axis probing.
This exists in qtdragon but can't find it to hd version.
Is somewhere hidden?

You should have mentioned this is a RPI.
-
When running the gcode file, set the Max Velocity slider to a lower value, till you do not get the joint following error anymore, then divide that value with 60 and set that value as the MAX_VELOCITY in the ini file.
-
Also noted the scaling, if you have direct drive belts with GT2 20 tooth belts, the scaling should be 40 or 80 depending on drive microstepping.

No spindle there at all.
Make a new config, choose a spinlde, choose some rough values for spindle PWM, save, start the config see if it shows the spindle.

one more question before i forget: what issue could be encountered by having a different model of servo driver? Given that you are driving both the spindle and c-axis both with step/dir signals, you just need a driver that can output step/dir, right?

Thank you very much! I successfully solved the problem.

Sorry, the error picture of yzEllipse_50.ngc is IMG_6981.JPG not IMG_7058.JPG.

My machine uses a CoreXY system for the XY axis and a linear system for the Z axis.
When I run yzEllipse_60.ngc, the machine stops and reports an error when returning to the home position.(IMG_7058.JPG)
The same issue occurs when running yzEllipse_50.ngc (IMG_7058.JPG).

cofhal - I will look at your files now, I did have another idea as well - could i simply use two stepgens? one for step.dir for spindle and another one for the "C" axis? and have a mesa output pin switch a dpdr relay to simply alter where the same motor gets the input?

Hey - yes I do have the servo manual, however, it is not letting me attach it to the email as it says the attachment size exceeds the result.... Is there any other way I can send it? I would also love to ask you a couple more question on your setup if possible to learn more about how you went about making it incase I need to modify things. Do you have a discord account or something?

I'm not in front of the LinuxCNC machine as I enter this - but I'm not sure I noticed any where I can change the LOCALE? Could you perhaps provide a bit more detail? I'm heading out to the shop right after I press 'Submit' to see if I can find something. Meanwhile - here are the INI and HAL files.

INI:
There was no [SPINDLE] section when I finished with the StepConf. I added the entire '[SPINDLE]' section from a response from Google Gemini.

# Generated by stepconf 1.1 at Thu Apr  3 15:12:55 2025
# If you make changes to this file, they will be
# overwritten when you run stepconf again

[EMC]
MACHINE = X90
DEBUG = 0
VERSION = 1.1

[DISPLAY]
DISPLAY = axis
EDITOR = gedit
POSITION_OFFSET = RELATIVE
POSITION_FEEDBACK = ACTUAL
ARCDIVISION = 64
GRIDS = 10mm 20mm 50mm 100mm 1in 2in 5in 10in
MAX_FEED_OVERRIDE = 1.2
MIN_SPINDLE_OVERRIDE = 0.5
MAX_SPINDLE_OVERRIDE = 1.2
DEFAULT_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 0.10
MIN_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 0
MAX_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 1.00
CYCLE_TIME = 0.100
INTRO_GRAPHIC = linuxcnc.gif
INTRO_TIME = 5
PROGRAM_PREFIX = /home/awalde/linuxcnc/nc_files
INCREMENTS = .1in .05in .01in .005in .001in .0005in .0001in

[KINS]
JOINTS = 3
KINEMATICS = trivkins coordinates=XYZ

[FILTER]
PROGRAM_EXTENSION = .png,.gif,.jpg Greyscale Depth Image
PROGRAM_EXTENSION = .py Python Script
PROGRAM_EXTENSION = .nc,.tap G-Code File
png = image-to-gcode
gif = image-to-gcode
jpg = image-to-gcode
py = python

[TASK]
TASK = milltask
CYCLE_TIME = 0.010

[RS274NGC]
PARAMETER_FILE = linuxcnc.var

[EMCMOT]
EMCMOT = motmod
COMM_TIMEOUT = 1.0
BASE_PERIOD = 100000
SERVO_PERIOD = 1000000

[HAL]
HALFILE = X90.hal
HALFILE = custom.hal
POSTGUI_HALFILE = postgui_call_list.hal

[EMCIO]
EMCIO = io
CYCLE_TIME = 0.100
TOOL_TABLE = tool.tbl

[SPINDLE]
P=1.0
I=0.0
D=0.0
ENCODER_SCALE=0.0
MAX_RPM=1
MIN_RPM=0
ORIENT_PIN=
ORIENT_SPEED=0

[TRAJ]
COORDINATES =  X Y Z
LINEAR_UNITS = inch
ANGULAR_UNITS = degree
DEFAULT_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 0.10
MAX_LINEAR_VELOCITY = 1.00

#*** AXIS_X *******************************
[AXIS_X]
MAX_VELOCITY = 1.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
MIN_LIMIT = -0.01
MAX_LIMIT = 8.0

[JOINT_0]
TYPE = LINEAR
HOME = 0.0
MIN_LIMIT = -0.01
MAX_LIMIT = 8.0
MAX_VELOCITY = 1.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
STEPGEN_MAXACCEL = 37.5
SCALE = 8000.0
FERROR = 0.05
MIN_FERROR = 0.01
HOME_OFFSET = 0.000000
HOME_SEARCH_VEL = 0.050000
HOME_LATCH_VEL = 0.050000
HOME_IGNORE_LIMITS = YES
#******************************************

#*** AXIS_Y *******************************
[AXIS_Y]
MAX_VELOCITY = 1.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
MIN_LIMIT = -0.01
MAX_LIMIT = 8.0

[JOINT_1]
TYPE = LINEAR
HOME = 0.0
MIN_LIMIT = -0.01
MAX_LIMIT = 8.0
MAX_VELOCITY = 1.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
STEPGEN_MAXACCEL = 37.5
SCALE = 8000.0
FERROR = 0.05
MIN_FERROR = 0.01
HOME_OFFSET = 0.000000
HOME_SEARCH_VEL = 0.050000
HOME_LATCH_VEL = 0.050000
HOME_IGNORE_LIMITS = YES
#******************************************

#*** AXIS_Z *******************************
[AXIS_Z]
MAX_VELOCITY = 1.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
MIN_LIMIT = -4.0
MAX_LIMIT = 0.01

[JOINT_2]
TYPE = LINEAR
HOME = 0.0
MIN_LIMIT = -4.0
MAX_LIMIT = 0.01
MAX_VELOCITY = 1.0
MAX_ACCELERATION = 30.0
STEPGEN_MAXACCEL = 37.5
SCALE = 8000.0
FERROR = 0.05
MIN_FERROR = 0.01
HOME_OFFSET = 0.0
#******************************************

HAL: (initially generated from StepConf - but significantly edited as I tested the hardware)

# Generated by stepconf 1.1 at Thu Apr  3 15:12:55 2025
# If you make changes to this file, they will be
# overwritten when you run stepconf again
loadrt [KINS]KINEMATICS
loadrt [EMCMOT]EMCMOT base_period_nsec=[EMCMOT]BASE_PERIOD servo_period_nsec=[EMCMOT]SERVO_PERIOD num_joints=[KINS]JOINTS
loadrt hal_parport cfg="0 out"
setp parport.0.reset-time 5000
loadrt stepgen step_type=0,0,0

addf parport.0.read base-thread
addf stepgen.make-pulses base-thread
addf parport.0.write base-thread
addf parport.0.reset base-thread

addf stepgen.capture-position servo-thread
addf motion-command-handler servo-thread
addf motion-controller servo-thread
addf stepgen.update-freq servo-thread

net xstep           => parport.0.pin-01-out
setp parport.0.pin-01-out-reset 1
net yenable         => parport.0.pin-02-out
setp parport.0.pin-03-out-invert 1
net zdir            => parport.0.pin-03-out
net ydir            => parport.0.pin-04-out
net ystep           => parport.0.pin-05-out
setp parport.0.pin-05-out-reset 1
net zenable         => parport.0.pin-06-out
net xdir            => parport.0.pin-07-out
net zstep           => parport.0.pin-08-out
setp parport.0.pin-08-out-reset 1
net spindle-on      => parport.0.pin-09-out
net estop-ext       <= parport.0.pin-10-in
net min-home-z      <= parport.0.pin-11-in
net min-home-y      <= parport.0.pin-12-in
net min-home-x      <= parport.0.pin-13-in
net xenable         => parport.0.pin-14-out

setp stepgen.0.position-scale [JOINT_0]SCALE
setp stepgen.0.steplen 1
setp stepgen.0.stepspace 0
setp stepgen.0.dirhold 70000
setp stepgen.0.dirsetup 70000
setp stepgen.0.maxaccel [JOINT_0]STEPGEN_MAXACCEL
net xpos-cmd joint.0.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.0.position-cmd
net xpos-fb stepgen.0.position-fb => joint.0.motor-pos-fb
net xstep <= stepgen.0.step
net xdir <= stepgen.0.dir
net xenable joint.0.amp-enable-out => stepgen.0.enable
net min-home-x => joint.0.home-sw-in
net min-home-x => joint.0.neg-lim-sw-in

setp stepgen.1.position-scale [JOINT_1]SCALE
setp stepgen.1.steplen 1
setp stepgen.1.stepspace 0
setp stepgen.1.dirhold 70000
setp stepgen.1.dirsetup 70000
setp stepgen.1.maxaccel [JOINT_1]STEPGEN_MAXACCEL
net ypos-cmd joint.1.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.1.position-cmd
net ypos-fb stepgen.1.position-fb => joint.1.motor-pos-fb
net ystep <= stepgen.1.step
net ydir <= stepgen.1.dir
net yenable joint.1.amp-enable-out => stepgen.1.enable
net min-home-y => joint.1.home-sw-in
net min-home-y => joint.1.neg-lim-sw-in

setp stepgen.2.position-scale [JOINT_2]SCALE
setp stepgen.2.steplen 1
setp stepgen.2.stepspace 0
setp stepgen.2.dirhold 70000
setp stepgen.2.dirsetup 70000
setp stepgen.2.maxaccel [JOINT_2]STEPGEN_MAXACCEL
net zpos-cmd joint.2.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.2.position-cmd
net zpos-fb stepgen.2.position-fb => joint.2.motor-pos-fb
net zstep <= stepgen.2.step
net zdir <= stepgen.2.dir
net zenable joint.2.amp-enable-out => stepgen.2.enable

net estop-out <= iocontrol.0.user-enable-out
net estop-ext => iocontrol.0.emc-enable-in

loadusr -W hal_manualtoolchange
net tool-change iocontrol.0.tool-change => hal_manualtoolchange.change
net tool-changed iocontrol.0.tool-changed <= hal_manualtoolchange.changed
net tool-number iocontrol.0.tool-prep-number => hal_manualtoolchange.number
net tool-prepare-loopback iocontrol.0.tool-prepare => iocontrol.0.tool-prepared

 

Upload the hal and ini files here so we can have a look.
In the meantime a stab in the dark would be to change LOCALE to UTF.8 and try making a new config, you can have multiple configs for the same machine.