Controller build for Plasma

I noticed that the LED's on the THCAD-5s blink at different frequencies. The are both set to f/32. Not sure if that is significant?

xnaron wrote: @snowgoer540. I removed 2.9 and installed 2.8. Do you recommend using the mesa config tool and starting clean or modifying a community configuration?

Sorry been a busy night here. The dpl file is correct.

I would use pncconf to get a working config personally. You’ll want everything to work before you do the configurator. Limit switches, etc. some of it you won’t be able to do anything with (float switch, torch on, arc ok, etc), but just keep a list of where you hooked everything.

xnaron wrote: I noticed that the LED's on the THCAD-5s blink at different frequencies. The are both set to f/32. Not sure if that is significant?

From the THCAD manual:

“The THCAD has a yellow LED (CR2) that monitors the output frequency and a green LED (CR5) that monitors isolated input side 5V power, These LEDS can be used a a crude indication of THCAD operation. In normal operation, the green LED should glow steadily, while the yellow LED should blink. The blink rate is output frequency/262144, or roughly 0.5 Hz at 0 input and 3.3 Hz at full scale input.”

It will vary slightly due to your calibrations I think if I read that right. The big takeaway is they’re blinking, seems good to go.

removed. duplicate

I have created a config with pncconf but as you mention above I was unable to map some of the inputs and all of the outputs as the config tool has no plasma options.

It might be helpful for me if I could see someones configuration files as I could compare those to mine and see what is missing.

I believe I need to do the following:

- add ARC OK, Float Switch, and Breakaway inputs
- add torch on/off output
- add debounce for limits, float and breakaway
- how do I configure the thcad-5 for ohmic and thc voltage. I did install the ohmic3.comp but not sure where in the config I set this up.

once I have a working config I should run the plasmac config tool. Will the tool change my screen to reflect the plasma specific items and pop up the plasmac window?

Does this sound right? Missing anything?

On my UCCNC/Mach3 setups with my plasma I did not home the axis. I would move the x/y/z to the origin manually and then zero all. Playing with LinuxCNC it seems to want me to have the axis lengths specified. Do I need to change my workflow or can I still follow the same process and zero all?

xnaron wrote: I have created a config with pncconf but as you mention above I was unable to map some of the inputs and all of the outputs as the config tool has no plasma options.

It might be helpful for me if I could see someones configuration files as I could compare those to mine and see what is missing.

I attached a zip of my entire config directory.

I believe I need to do the following:

- add ARC OK, Float Switch, and Breakaway inputs
- add torch on/off output
- add debounce for limits, float and breakaway

You'll do all of that when you run configurator

- how do I configure the thcad-5 for ohmic and thc voltage. I did install the ohmic3.comp but not sure where in the config I set this up.

Theres an example for the THC in the user guide: linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/plasma/plasmac-user-guide.html
You'll have to use the link on there to help you calculate your offset and scale.

For the ohmic, you can see how I did mine in the plasma_connections.hal file, but here is the long of the short of what you need to add (note that you need set your own thresholds based on testing, and add your frequencies from the ohmic THCAD):

once I have a working config I should run the plasmac config tool. Will the tool change my screen to reflect the plasma specific items and pop up the plasmac window?

Yes, and that's when you add all of the arc-ok, float, breakaway, etc information

Does this sound right? Missing anything?

Maybe, but you're on the right track. I highly recommend reading the user guide, and then reading it again.

On my UCCNC/Mach3 setups with my plasma I did not home the axis. I would move the x/y/z to the origin manually and then zero all. Playing with LinuxCNC it seems to want me to have the axis lengths specified. Do I need to change my workflow or can I still follow the same process and zero all?

You'll find it easiest to add a home switch and home the axis' each time, but you don't HAVE to. you could park Z at the top, X, Y whatever corner you determine to be "home" at the end of each session. One advantage of home switches is squaring up the Y axis, and the home switches will re-square the axis each time you home, and they stay locked together. It wants to know the lengths of travel to set soft limits. At any rate if you don't use switches, when you shut down the machine, if you forget to park it, or are unable, you'll have to manually move the axis' to their home spots each time.

You wont be able to move the axis' easily before you home. And the 2 Y joints wont move without being homed. So hopefully that gives you insight.

Awesome! Thank you.

I do have the limit switches on x and y (min/max) but not on z. This machine only has one stepper on Y but I am building another machine that will have 2.

On another note I am using xrdp with linux mint 19.3 on my m93-p lenovo tiny pc. I reserved the onboard ethernet for the communication to the 7i96. So that left me with wifi for internet and xrdp. I found the intel wifi card inside causing me grief when it was loaded. I would get these pauses in the rdp connection where noting updated. It also manifested itself in triggering the red watchdog led on the 7i96. I read PCW said that can be triggered when there is a latency issue and it doesn't respond in a specified time. I disabled the wifi and used a usb3 to ethernet adapter. I have linuxcnc loaded and have been running youtube videos in firefox over xrdp. No pauses and no red light (cr11) on the 7i96. I guess I am ditching the wireless.

If you prefer WIFI, external USB-WIFI adapters are usually OK
The built-in minPCIE cards are the usual culprit with latency issues.

Just about ready to put the new controller into service. Finishing up some final configuration details before I hook it up to the test machine.