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My machine is self designed/built, 3 axis wood router. 2.2kW spindle, conventional steppers, LinuxCNC 2.9something, LMDE6.
G540 motor driver at 48V, software stepping with parallel port(s).

My estop circuit is really simple, there is a NC emergency stop switch with a 5k pullup. For the past couple of months, estop has been randomly triggered with no cause I've been able to find. It could happen in 10 seconds after motion enable, it could run for an hour before being triggered. I can enable LinuxCNC and watch it, 10 seconds to 10 minutes (i.e. random) and it will go into estop, with the motors powered (locked) but not moving.

Estop randomly triggering will only happen when either at least one motor is connected to the g540, or a heavy resistive load (15 Ohms, 2x across where the stepper coils would be). With no load on the g540 estop will stay off. I have looked at the power supply voltages, they are fine during an estop event (using a DVM, not looking for a transient with a scope).

The machine has been working fine before this. The only things I can think of that I've done to the setup:
1. Fried one of the outputs on the motherboard parallel port. Now I have 3 parallel ports, two PCI cards and the motherboard. I'm only using the two PCI cards, but the motherboard parallel is still visible to the system.
2. Replaced the estop cable (!) with nicer wire.

What I've tried:
1. Replaced the estop cable again. I realized that the first replacement was no longer twisted pair. I replaced it again with shielded cable, shield connected at the box containing the g540 and power supplies. Interference seems unlikely since the switch is a short.
2. Cleaned the switch contacts, which didn't help. Jumpered the switch, which didn't help.
3. Removed the C10 breakout board. One parallel port goes directly to the g540, the other went to the C10. There were only two switches connected to the C10, the estop (!) and the electrical touch probe, I just hardwired them to the parallel port. Appeared to greatly improve the problem (a lot longer between estops), but now it's back to 10 sec - 10 min.
4. Greatly improved cooling on the g540.

I don't really see how the g540 can be causing this estop problem. The only estop connection to the g540 is estop OUT from the computer. Symptoms, however, seem like the g540 has something to do with it. I did check the 48V is rock steady through an estop. Note that the g540 stays powered up (motors still powered) when an estop happens. I can reset the estop and it will be fine again for 10 sec 10 min. This doesn't sound like a thermal problem.

Any advice?
Thanks, Steve

 

Looking at a mazak integrex 200y:
 
I just realized that your machine is actually more setup as a lathe so the above will not be much help.
The best way forward would likely be to build a new custom kinematic for your type of machine. I have a series of documentations (including the jupyter notebooks for sagemath) if you want to have a go at it:
github.com/Sigma1912/LinuxCNC_Demo_Confi...tating/Documentation

[edit]
If you attach your vismach model I'll see if I can find some time to help you.

I have a sim config for a b-axis head / c axis table in my suite of twp-configs on my github site:
github.com/Sigma1912/LinuxCNC_Demo_Configs/tree/main

 

to test this you need to:

1. download and unpack the folder 'LinuxCNC_Demo_Configs-main'
2. from the unpacked folder copy the folder '5axis-twp' and paste it into your 'configs/sim' folder
3. right click->Properties->mark as executable the following files (otherwise you get the permission error you got):
- '5axis-twp/twp-helper-comp.py'
- '5axis-twp/vismach/xyzbc-trsr-gui.py'
 

 
 
 
 

I tried to figure out if I see something with pyOCD but I don't understand if I'm using jlink/stlink or links wrong....

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Patreon link ( #)
 

Thanks for taking the interest.

Just realized that T1 at 0.000 is sensible.
It is the datum point against which the other tool offset heights are measured.
My previous post used the wrong terminology, not 'cutting length' but 'tip offset'.

I have an edge finder permanently mounted in a NT30 chuck.
I could set all my tool height offsets reference that.
Could be an ideal time to start using my table mounted tool height setter.

I never tripped over this in years of Axis use.
Always just touched-off the actual tool when it was mounted, never used the tool table.
When the mill is next in use, I will check how Axis handles this.

Hi Aciera,

thank for the input. Today I started to configure vismach, when i realized that my TCP moves seem off by quite a bit. Which leads me to the following questions:

With the Mazak Z axis is lying horizontal and X standing vertically. -> So i switched X and Z in my vismach model and everything's fine. But in TCP i realized that if i switch between normal and TCP my Z axis was moving left and right. Which had to do with the X/Y offsets for TCP. Witch made me lead to the conclusion, that in the TCP calculation the tool-offset need to be applied to X and not Z. Which than begs the question if the formulas for X and Z need to be switched completely.

So i started doubting everything and searched the forum. I found your XYZBC-TNR example which sadly i can't run right now because of some permission problems:

But I'm still not quite sold if i can copy the the TCP math from this example. With the Mazak the head is swiveling around Y (B-axis) in your example it's a dual table config.

I would be real glad if you could give me some input on:

- 5 - axis Kinematic with swiveling B axis head
- The X and Z axis switch debacle
 

Hi,

Using the linuxcnc iso & ethercat my jog speed is max 5000 mm/min. and apptime 50000.
This is tested on a laptop. Very bad performance.

I used to have apptime 15000 and jog speed around 19000 mm/min using a desktop pc.
 

It's the same screen. Jim's original name was silverdragon. When I incorporated it into linuxcnc, I renamed it in the code. We just got used to calling it qtdragon so in 2.9 I went with it.

Jim also has a newer version in github.

notJamesLee wrote:

Friends,

from what I can only assume is inconsistencies in diameter or something but 533.33 is the number.

with 533 after 20+ revolutions you can see the starting point creep earlier -- indicating its just short of the number of steps to complete a full circle.

with 534 after 20+ it goes the opposite way.

I have a few follow up questions:

- what should i have the dip switches set to? Now that we've figured out they don't do anything to effect the steps per revolution is there an optimal value for this? I dont need insane amounts of torque or rpms

- is this something i can easily fix with the encoder once i do move to LCNC and tune in the encoder error?

thanks all for sanity checking me thus far, nice to know im not 100% crazy.

Sounds like you're still struggling with the driver, yes?

Maybe I missed it, but what brand/model driver do you have?  Asking because some drivers can be tuned via software (in addition to dip switches), and there may be a setting (or another dip) that disables the external dip switches.

No need to apologize, war is hell.

If I see it correctly it has a LPT port?
There are different version I see now. So it has 7 input pins (GPI) and 7 output pins (GPO).
With a XYZ machine you'll have just enough output pins to control the steppers, but like PCW said you'll need to create a driver for it.
If you could still return it, the one with a LPT port might be a better choice. If you want to be more sure that it will work reliable with a fast rate a hardware controller will be a better choice.