Arc timeout issue

Ok I think I figured out what was throwing me off. I attached a hal scope reading and it looks like the voltage dips at the start of the pierce. Do I need to figure out how to clean up my signal or is this something the software can ignore?

With those spikes you are probably getting a arc ok and then losing it just as quickly. Are you getting a lost arc error message?

You could try the arc lost pin I posted earlier or better solution may be to use a reed relay for arc ok and change to mode 1.

linuxcnc.org/docs/2.8/html/plasma/plasma...ide.html#reed-arc-ok

Yeah I'm getting arc lost errors every time.

Reed relay it is. Thanks a million phil!

Fingers crossed I don't have to run any new wires down the gantry. That game is getting old

Foldaround wrote: Fingers crossed I don't have to run any new wires down the gantry. That game is getting old

Haha, I think we have all been there.

Don't forget another solution is to buy the Thermal Dynamics Automation interface so the plasma cutter is telling you it really has an ArcOK. Costs a bit more than a Reed switch. The 30:1 divider works well with a THCAD-10 but there is also a raw arc voltage output (but you need to account for the resistance on those wires (2 x 100k) as part of your THCAD scaling resistance.

Thanks rodw,

I guess I will start with the 5$ Reed switch fix and move on to the $200 Thermal Dynamics Automation interface if its unreliable.

This community is amazing. Thanks again Everyone.

Foldaround wrote:
I guess I will start with the 5$ Reed switch fix and move on to the $200 Thermal Dynamics Automation interface if its unreliable.

Not a fix, and definitely very reliable. I literally have over 10 plasma cutters using a reed switch, none of them fail, ever.
Now, i do not know what is the MTBF for a reed switch .....

Ok as Tommy called it the reed switch works great.

Simple 24v amazon reed switch, three lead wire loops around a pvc pipe, connect it into an open input on the mesa control board and run the plasmac configure to setup that input for arc ok with mode 1.

Thanks again everyone.