My Newb Plasma Table Attempted Build

I'm in a terminal and can't even pull up the linuxcnc tree (command not found)...so apparently my install isn't right to begin with. Gonna work on fixing that and I'll be back, this stuff has me pretty overwhelmed.

Pat

I started from scratch on the computer and resinstalled linuxcnc, updated to the master branch. The first go I had followed someone else's instructions. As I said before, the movement would get choppy or sputter as it would wait to change directions. After the reinstall following the plasmac guide, the movement is now smooth as silk...and no sputtering (I don't know the technical jargon).

Now I'm just trying to get the X-axis to move the correct distance. I'm confused, as although I selected 'inches', in the pncconf it asks for thread pitch in mm/rev (I have a 20 tooth pulley, 3mm pitch). I'm assuming that in the block titled "Leadscrew Metric Pitch ... " this is where you tell it how far it should move with my pulley and belt?

Pat

Ok, I'll try that. I'm fumbling around (completely iliterate on this). I have to finish pncconf first then open the machine, correct? Not even sure how to home the machine yet lol. I only have one proximity sensor per axis (with a trigger at each end), as well as the Z float microswitch.

Pat

I think my trouble (due to being unfamiliar with this at all) is that no reference material actually shows how to do this on a Mesa card in master branch, for example most things I see are stepconf instructionals running on 2.7.14, which is very different than what I'm seeing.

Anyway, here is the info:

1/8 microstepping
Motion...do you mean belt drive and using belt as rack? If so, yes that's it. 20T pulley, GT3 belt 3mm pitch on X and Y1/Y2, and leadscrew on Z (8mm leadscrew, 2mm pitch Tr8*8-2p)

Pat

Between the time I last responded and you posted again, I was tinkering around with it in pncconf. Looks like it needs the pully teeth count entered in a field at the top (in the calculator). I entered some raw math numbers I came up with earlier, and it was actually moving within about .25in of where it should have been. So close!

I went back and entered the scaling you came up with and tested it. It was way out for some reason. I went back and tweaked the pitch numbers and now it's right on the money (2in test movements in pncconf). I absolutely don't understand how it got there, but it falls in with what you told me before...make it work!

Pat

Here is the screenshot of the calculator and what I had to enter to get it there...