Arc OK intermitent issues on torch fire

QTPlasmac supports the laser but I have not played with it on real hardware. Maybe over Easter.. But I don't have enough pins on the gantry to turn it on and off from the GUI

rodw wrote: QTPlasmac supports the laser but I have not played with it on real hardware. Maybe over Easter.. But I don't have enough pins on the gantry to turn it on and off from the GUI

Rod, as your attorney I advise you to install more pins on the gantry.

snowgoer540 wrote: Most of the circuits ive seen here totally negate fuses, breakers, etc. So I would consider
everything “use at your own risk, your mileage may vary, etc.” Whatever you do, please make sure you do it safely.

That is a great point! Do you have schematics of your system that you would be willing to share?

Besides the breakers on either side of my power supplies I do not have anything fused. That would be great to see a system diagram from a pro, just to gain some insight.

thanks

rodw wrote: QTPlasmac supports the laser but I have not played with it on real hardware. Maybe over Easter.. But I don't have enough pins on the gantry to turn it on and off from the GUI

I have used it last two days, it works, but i have it on all the time, although it is wired to a pin on the 7i92 so i might change that.

txtrone wrote:

snowgoer540 wrote: Most of the circuits ive seen here totally negate fuses, breakers, etc. So I would consider
everything “use at your own risk, your mileage may vary, etc.” Whatever you do, please make sure you do it safely.

That is a great point! Do you have schematics of your system that you would be willing to share?

Besides the breakers on either side of my power supplies I do not have anything fused. That would be great to see a system diagram from a pro, just to gain some insight.

thanks

I appreciate the kind words, but I am far from a pro I am also guilty of not having things fused like they should be. In my opinion a minimum would be breakers on the mains power in, a fuse for the 24V power supply powering the field power, and probably fuses for the DC side of the power supply powering the stepper drivers. Honestly, they are cheap insurance, and I'm not really sure you could add "too many" fuses.

One suggestion I would have is to look at the wiring diagram for the Tormach 1300PL table. They sell tables commercially, and they also post wiring diagrams in their manuals to help people diagnose faults themselves. In fact, I borrowed some of the wiring on my table from their 1100S3 mill manual, (the estop contactor circuit for one) as I have one of those and I could also look at the hardware when I was confused.

Lastly, I was reminded that the diagram shows the shield wire going to ground. That is not correct per PCW:

forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/39899-doing-o...h-one-thcad10#180352
forum.linuxcnc.org/plasma-laser/40712-th...ions?start=30#197468
forum.linuxcnc.org/plasma-laser/40712-th...ions?start=30#197472

However, I am unsure what that looks like in the diagram because the posts seem to be a bit contradictory (in one post he says +in of the THCAD, and in the other he says "closest to the workpiece", and they are not the same connection...


EDIT: There is this one where PCW blessed it in the next post, but ever time I think back to all that, it still makes my head hurt. forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/40214-big-ohm...blem?start=30#184885

snowgoer540 wrote: I appreciate the kind words, but I am far from a pro

From my vantage point you are. I think if you saw my setup you would connect a few wires and start cutting.

snowgoer540 wrote: One suggestion I would have is to look at the wiring diagram for the Tormach 1300PL table. They sell tables commercially, and they also post wiring diagrams in their manuals to help people diagnose faults themselves. In fact, I borrowed some of the wiring on my table from their 1100S3 mill manual, (the estop contactor circuit for one) as I have one of those and I could also look at the hardware when I was confused.

Will do.

snowgoer540 wrote: Lastly, I was reminded that the diagram shows the shield wire going to ground. That is not correct per PCW:

forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/39899-doing-o...h-one-thcad10#180352
forum.linuxcnc.org/plasma-laser/40712-th...ions?start=30#197468
forum.linuxcnc.org/plasma-laser/40712-th...ions?start=30#197472

However, I am unsure what that looks like in the diagram because the posts seem to be a bit contradictory (in one post he says +in of the THCAD, and in the other he says "closest to the workpiece", and they are not the same connection...


EDIT: There is this one where PCW blessed it in the next post, but ever time I think back to all that, it still makes my head hurt. forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/40214-big-ohm...blem?start=30#184885

I have been taking every ground and shield back to the 'star ground' in my cabinet. With shields I never connect the end outside of the cabinet. Grounding, as it pertains to plasma tables, has been an enigma to me from the beginning. My original electronics package was from candcnc, there was lots of talk about grounding on their forum, including the need for an external/isolated ground that is not in contact with anything else except the ohmic sense/THC system. IIRC the theory behind this was the 'noise' that exists on the mains ground would interfere with the ohmic sense and/or THC electronics..,

Thanks again for the input, it gives me a lot to work with.