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Hello all. I have been trying to get this setup running forever. I'm embarrassed so say how many hours I've spent googling, typing in terminal commands, letting Chatgpt hallucinate answers, and reading 'official' web pages. The official page for PnCConf shows me completely different screens than the ones I see, with the latest version installed. 

Is ANYONE using this configuration? If not, what would you recommend that actually works? I went from Mach3 on an ancient XP machine with a DB25 serial port. I was told this would be the upgrade solution that just works. It's done anything but. 

I have the proper firmware flashed to the 7i92TF for the G540. The computer is able to ping the Mesa card. 

I cannot figure out how to configure PnCConf for this setup. I cannot find any directions that show me the screens I actually see. 

Any help would be immensely appreciated. I am ready to give up and walk away from 2 years worth of design work done during the pandemic, because I cannot get some seemingly simple hardware to talk to each other. 

Scott Jennings
Route 66 Guitars 

Solved: MAX X/Y value of 110 was too high for my small machine.

I was able to do probe calibration by significantly increasing my axis min/max values for X and Y

However, this doesn't solve the issue as I cannot do any regular probing of parts anywhere on my travels without these artificially increased values. Does anyone have any ideas on what offsets might be causing this? My probing was working previously.

I am reclaibrating my probe due to issues I was having in a separate thread, this time using a gauge block. Previously I calibrated it using a 5mm gauge ring and the calibration cycle worked fine. However, every time I try to calibrate on this gauge block I get an error saying I am exceeding either X or Y's negative limit and I can't seem to figure out why this is happening. I am not anywhere close to my axis travel limits. I am attaching pictures of my tool and probe settings. They seem fine to me? I have tried varying the stepoff and nothing changes it. It seems like there is an offset / ini issue that is colliding with the way the probe cal works but I can't figure it out. I currently have my X min limit set to -8 but I tried adjusting it to -16 and I am still getting the same error.  


The picture shows a step off of 20 but I tried reducing it all the way down to 6 incase my min axis values of 16 were somehow messing with it and it did not fix the issue

EDIT I just realized..even if I go back to my old probe_cal value and try to probe a boss, I am getting the axis limit issues as well so it seems like something strange has happened

I was using a mix of ChatGPT as well as YouTube and this forum, ChatGPT works well for more specific but simple issues but as you said, it’s often not 100% correct but for a novice like myself, it gets close enough.

I was using the XYZ congfig as I thought I was the most similar to what I wanted as I will eventually have a third axis. My main issue is I can’t work out how to make it use scara kinematics as I don’t think it’s an option PNCconfig so I think I’ll have to manually edit the files. I am also using the Axis GUI but I’m not sure if I maybe am running into issues with joint vs world mode. My current setup is a 1:2 scale 3d printed model with no homing or anything so I’m really just trying to have a proof of concept. I can make my motors spin. Scara exists in linuxcnc, now I just need to combine them together.

Alright I think that puts us on the right track.

I wasnt really too attached to QtPlasmaC, I just saw the word "plasma" and selected it. Also thought it looked nice.

I did previously create a config with Axis GUI as well but it was more so for testing the motors out, so I will switch back to that and see what I can do.

Thanks! Hopefully my next post is of a finished machine.

OK, then why use QtPlasmaC?
Not helping, here is some help
-Make a normal config for QtPlasmaC
-Do not use input pin for Z home
-Probably edit the ini file and set everything with Home_xxxxxx to 0 <<<this should do immediate homing with no regard to position or switch
-use normally
BUT, this will still try to probe the material and error out...pretty sure something can be done in HAL to wire probe in to probe out, that might just work.
Yeah, still not usable, sorry, typing before thinking, so the simple solution is use Axis GUI.

We just didn't think it was necessary for a tube cutter, and at the start of this whole process we thought we were making it easier on ourselves by omitting it entirely. Also to save some money on all the electronics that go along with an additional axis, as we are working with a tight-ish budget.

Its pretty much only designed to do 1in OD because its for our universities FSAE team, to make the chassis in house, but should be capable of 0.75" - 3" tubing.

There is a Z axis technically but its manually adjustable just to set torch height for different size tubes. Also there is a front chuck of sorts that holds the tube about 2inches from the torch so the material is well supported up to the torch.

Is there any way you can think of to take out the Z-axis related ops? I was trying to figure out how to contact you directly actually because you are the one person I have seen do tube cutters in this forum.

Let me know if you have any advice for us...

Thanks.

Forgot to add, tubes are 76mm and 193mm in diameter, if the scale is not apparent from pictures.

Nkbhvid wrote:

Welectron do not sell mesa products any longer

They do sell Mesa stuff, just type Mesa in the searchbox on their website.

Make 2 configs, one with 4th axis and one without.
Do not ever connect or disconnect motors while machine is powered on.
Does the spindle have an encoder?

unknown wrote:

Try the wheezy ISO from the downloads page,

This is very good advice.
And never mind the 2 core comment, not important in your case.

Pictures of what thing actually cut :

I have to ask, WHY ???
You can not use a plasma without Z axis, except very close to the chuck and with good quality tubes.
I have built 3 by now, all have Z axis and THC, one of them built a huge construction, see here:
forum.linuxcnc.org/show-your-stuff/35306-cnc-plasma-tube-cutter