Homemade CNC Plasma - hypertherm, Mesa, gear drives, nema 34.

So, after the success of my first plasma CNC, I thought it time to move her on to a new home, and build a new one. Bigger, faster, more powah!!! 

Im starting with a MESA 7i96 with 2x THCAD10 for volts and ohmic sensing. Closed loop stepper motors will be Nema 34 running 60v. Reduction gearboxes onto helical gears. The z axis will bolt the hypertherm xp45 machine torch and an air scribe. I’ll use an air actuator to drive the scribe to the required height. Everything is running on aluminium extrusion and linear rails. I have prefer up a water bed that is 1500x3000. Giving me adequate space to load up a full sheet. 

I’ll get some pics and links to the parts used as I go along. 

lots of new things for me to learn with this build so no doubt I’ll be calling on the brains trust for guidance again and to help me when I get myself stuck. 

cheers

Yeah, was a bit sick at the start of the year and had 6 months off work, not much happened at this time, just me thinking about this new build.

Very busy otherwise, I work full time, and I cut steel signs, and I run a small mowing business, and I work for my brother in his fabrication workshop, AND I'm still building my own house.

New build is coming along nicely.
Machine is built, most mechanical fitout complete, and started on the wiring tonight.
Pics to follow

Nothing but errors for me.
been a long few days reading again.
Got Debian 12 Bookworm setup and running.
Loaded Linuxcnc 2.9.
Got Mesa card flashed.
Now cant get a working config.

About to try an reinstall everything as per RODW Debian 12 & Linuxcnc packadge.

Looks like you used a 7I96S configuration file  for a 7I96

sorry guys,

I'm not sure what i'm doing at the moment. Feel like a lost sheep.

Anyway.



When i get in, this is what i see, note the plank page where there should be a drawing.

I can't get the estop to unload to engage power.

Where should I start from? wipe everything and try reloading it all again?

 

OK.

Wasn't sure about a real time kernal, so check and have "6.1.0-28-rt-amd64".

Have uninstalled all traces of LinuxCNC, and now using the synaptic package manager, have loaded the latest linuxcnc versions.

Start up pnfcof with the mesa 7i96, everything worked.

Still having the same issue. estop is red, cant be unclicked.
Cant select power. left hand side of the screen is blank/glitchy.

Any ideas??