Plasma Cam TD 101 Height control issues

[terryrallen]

I am running a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101 on my 4 X 4 Plasma Cam and I have never been able to rely on the digital height control to maintain
the torch as the material warps when cutting. I have been manually adjusting while cutting. My software has the arc voltage setting feature but haven't seemed to be able to correct the issue. I have seen what looks like a ground wire attached to the cup on the torch. I don't have anything like that on mine. Could this be my problem ? The place I worked at before I retired had a Plasma Cam with a Hypertherm and it worked just fine.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Terry

[adbuch]

Terry - the "ground wire attached to the torch cup" is not a ground wire, but is the wire that should connect to the ohmic cap on your torch to allow ohmic sensing - if you have Design Edge with the Advanced Height Control upgrade. Assuming you have Advanced Height Control, your settings page should look like this. When properly calibrated, your torch should maintain a constant cut height with relation to the material surface as it moves along the cut path and there should be no need to manually adjust the torch height as the torch moves along the cut path.

If you are not using an ohmic cap, then on the Height Control settings page for Pierce Height Reference select either "Stall on material to zero" or "From previous location/cut height"

Ohmic sensing and torch height control are two entirely different things. If you only had the first level of Height Control, which does not offer the option for ohmic sensing - your height control would still work fine. You would choose either "Stall on material to zero" or "From previous location/cut height".

For older DHC tables running 3.11, the ohmic sensing option was not offered.

David

height control.jpg

[Joe Jones]

The wire that dangles from the carriage motor is the height sensing wire. It MUST be attached ( read: come into contact with ) the torch shield, in order for height control to work.

Are you running DesignEdge software, or the older PlasmaCAM 3.xx software?

Joe

[Joe Jones]

That was your first post, Terry. Where are you located?

Joe

[rdj357]

To clarify - the ohmic sensing wire is not even present on DHC and older machines so to say that it MUST be connected is false.

The ohmic sensing wire that is present on DHC2 and newer machines or DHC machines that have been upgraded to DHC+ is a wire that uses continuity to sense the material surface to set the pierce height reference. In other words, to easily determine where the surface of the material is so that the torch can raise to the pierce height, pierce, then lower to the cut height and begin cutting motion. Once the torch is up to cutting speed then the voltage feedback is used to adjust the height of the torch (based on your settings).

To better answer your questions, can you confirm what model machine you are using and what version of software?

[Joe Jones]

To clarify - the ohmic sensing wire is not even present on DHC and older machines so to say that it MUST be connected is false.

Okay. I will give you this one. His claim that he COULD NEVER RELY ON height sensing told me that he HAS it in his software, and he HAS been able to get it to work SOMETIMES, but it is not consistent. He did not say he has NEVER been able to get it to work.

He did say he does not see the wire on his table, which probably means he does NOT have a DHC2 table, or height sensing, and I missed that. This means he probably has a DHC.

I have seen what looks like a ground wire attached to the cup on the torch. I don't have anything like that on mine. Could this be my problem ?

Joe

[terryrallen]

My table is a DHC 4X4 and software is 3.11
I will look in settings and make your suggested changes and give it a go.
I replied earlier today but it must not have gone through.

Terry
Sandpoint Idaho

[Joe Jones]

3.11, huh! Well, I don't have or use 3.11, so I can't be of much help in this situation.

Joe

[adbuch]

My table is a DHC 4X4 and software is 3.11
I will look in settings and make your suggested changes and give it a go.
I replied earlier today but it must not have gone through.

Terry
Sandpoint Idaho

The settings I referenced above were for Design Edge. For 3.11 the settings height control screen looks like this.
I would recommend reaching out to John Derby via PM for help as I'm pretty sure he has a table running on 3.11.

Here is his page where you can click on the button to send him a PM.

https://www.plasmaspider.com/memberlist ... ile&u=4083

David

PC5.JPG

[terryrallen]

Thank you I will do that.
Upon further checking my laptop that I do my design and cut paths on in the house is the 3.11 version.
My PC running the table has version 3.05 also my table will not recognize the EPP Optimized setting.
It will only run on the following. And now thinking this might be part of my issue.
Hex Address 378
PS/2 emulation
low voltage port
Terry

[Joe Jones]

If you have 3.11 on your home PC then you have the 3.11 install file on that computer that you can use to put 3.11 on your table PC.

Joe

[rdj357]

Thank you I will do that.
Upon further checking my laptop that I do my design and cut paths on in the house is the 3.11 version.
My PC running the table has version 3.05 also my table will not recognize the EPP Optimized setting.
It will only run on the following. And now thinking this might be part of my issue.
Hex Address 378
PS/2 emulation
low voltage port
Terry

That mode should still work fine as long as there are no communication errors. Having a good port and cable can solve a lot of things so I can’t say that’s not part of the trouble but it wouldn’t be my first conclusion.

Let’s go back to basics. Open diagnostics and use the trigger control check box to fire the torch and see what the voltage reading goes up to.

[terryrallen]

Robert
I do have the Design & Control software version 3.11 disk. I also have the video Manual version 1.21 that has the update DesignEdge version
4.57 dated 2/15/23 I didn't install it because I am not licensed for DesignEdge. When that part of the installation came up I exited out. Been a while now. As for improving connection I have changed the parallel cable with no improvement. Still will not run EPP optimized. What can I do to fix that.
In firing the torch in diagnostics will it show me on the screen or will I need a volt meter attached. My PC running the table has windows XP Pro.
Is there a USB to parallel cable that would improve connection ?
I bought my table new and am the original owner.
Again thank you for your help
Terry

[adbuch]

Robert
I do have the Design & Control software version 3.11 disk. I also have the video Manual version 1.21 that has the update DesignEdge version
4.57 dated 2/15/23 I didn't install it because I am not licensed for DesignEdge. When that part of the installation came up I exited out. Been a while now. As for improving connection I have changed the parallel cable with no improvement. Still will not run EPP optimized. What can I do to fix that.
In firing the torch in diagnostics will it show me on the screen or will I need a volt meter attached. My PC running the table has windows XP Pro.
Is there a USB to parallel cable that would improve connection ?
I bought my table new and am the original owner.
Again thank you for your help
Terry

Terry - a USB to parallel cable will not work to run a Plasmacam table. You will need an actual parallel port card installed along with a quality parallel cable connecting the port to the controller.

David

[terryrallen]

Ok
So what you are saying I need to change or install a better parallel port card in my PC that I am running my table ?
As for the DesignEdge software license can you tell me how to do that ? PlasmaCam sends me these updates.
I need to let them know I have changed my email add not long ago.

Terry

[adbuch]

Terry - I don't know that upgrading from 3.xx to Design Edge will necessarily solve your problem. If you are the legal registered owner of your Plasmacam table, you are eligible to purchase the upgrade. It is available for purchase directly from the Plasmacam Owner's Community site. Cost is $1995.

https://www.owners-community.com/order_parts.php?sid=

DesignEdge upgrade.jpg

[rdj357]

The voltage reading is shown on the right side of the diagnostics screen. Open it, use the checkbox to fire the torch and let us know what the voltage goes to. This will help us understand the condition of the connection as well as the torch cable.

The parallel mode is unimportant at this time unless it won’t connect at all.

[adbuch]

Terry - I am personally using the Startech parallel port card in both of my Plasmacam control computers along with the double shielded parallel port cables I purchased directly from Plasmacam. I purchased the Startech cards on Amazon, and have been using them for over 6 years now and never had a communication error or problem. Robert also sells the Axxon parallel port card as well as high quality parallel port cables. Here it the one I am using.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q ... UTF8&psc=1

startech card.jpg

Here is the newer version of the same card which sells for around $32.

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-1-P ... b_title_ce

David

[terryrallen]

I just tried 5 different parallel cables and all 5 will only run the table on the PS/2 low voltage setting. I ordered the parallel port and see if that works. I did the voltage test. I moved the table on to a 14 ga piece of material and set the torch to pierce height and tested. Highest was 5.0 volts.
with torch up off the material it was like .05 volts. I also loaded the 3.11 version and lost total connectivity. Did a system restore back to 3.05 and is working again. When I get the port I will try this again. That $1995 is why I didn't upgrade for sure.

[adbuch]

I just tried 5 different parallel cables and all 5 will only run the table on the PS/2 low voltage setting. I ordered the parallel port and see if that works. I did the voltage test.

Are you using an onboard parallel port(ie. built into motherboard) or a stand-alone parallel port card that plugs into your motherboard slot? I don't think the particular parallel port cable will have anything to do with it, but I don't understand what the PS/2 low voltage setting is or how it would affect your situation. As far as I know, PS2 is the round connector for connecting keyboard and mouse (one for each). I'm not sure how PS/2 setting relates to communication. Perhaps Robert will know more.

David

[adbuch]

Here is the arc voltage test procedure from the Video Manual. I would expect that it would be the same regardless of 3.xx vs. Design Edge.
David

test arc voltage.jpg

[adbuch]

That $1995 is why I didn't upgrade for sure.

Many are still using the older software (pre-DesignEdge) with great results and they are quite happy with both their software and cutting capabilities.
I personally have never used the older (3.xx or older) software so I have no first hand experience, although I do wish I had 3.11 just to try it out and for comparison to Design Edge.

David

[rdj357]

If you have 5 volts then the torch cable is working. You've never said what your specific problem is and I don't understand all the card and cable switching. If the machine is connecting and firing and jogging and cutting then the cable is not the problem. Maybe you could post a screenshot of all your settings so we can see if there is something off there?

[terryrallen]

When cutting a large project as the machine moves from cut to cut with height control on the torch starts to climb. Will not maintain the distance when the material warps up and down. I have tried the stall on material with no success either. The place I worked at had the same table with a Hypertherm cutter and their setting was the EPP optimized. Their height control worked just fine. My parallel port now is the standard one that came on the Dell PC.I haven't opened it up to see how it is configured inside. I will screenshot my settings. The cables I switched back and forth were some I already have trying to match the EPP optimized setting.

[adbuch]

If the parallel port on your Dell is integrated to the motherboard, and not a stand-alone card, I would recommend installing an actual parallel port card as has been mentioned previously. However - if you are able to jog the table around, cut parts, etc. then your controller is communicating with the pc and I would expect your height control should work fine. Sense material to zero is not height control, it simply zeros the torch to the material at the beginning of every pierce operation. Then as the torch moves along the cut path, your torch height control operates by monitoring the divided arc voltage and adjusting the z-height up or down (continuous feedback loop) in an effort to maintain a constant arc voltage - and thus a constant cut height. It sounds to me like you have not calibrated your height control.

As I said previously, I would recommend reaching out to John Derby as I'm pretty sure he has a table running 3.11 or equivalent pre-DesignEdge software. What thickness and material are you cutting, and how bad is it warping? Also - I would recommend joining the Plasmacam Owner's Community forum and ask some questions there. Someone may have a copy of the original Plasmacam instruction sheet describing the process for calibrating height control for the pre-DesignEdge software.

David