CandCNC Feather touch setup help required

[BensPlasmaAu]

Hi all,

i bought a a FT-01 to hook up to the machine to try and make cutting of thin material easier. Along the way i am struggling to work out the hook up for wires with the LIMITS. I do not run limit switches on the machine, just home switches on X(and A) Y and the Z touch off switch for the floating torch holder.

My Table I/O is Rev 12.2 with the ohmic sensor interface card. I have wired in the 12v to the pins on the side, and the 5 wire cable from the module is wired into the connector. I have tested it to make sure it works. All fine there. Now i want to set up the floating head switch as the E-Stop limit for just in case there is a fault if the circuit is not made due to dirt etc.

I have the factory green jumper wire connected from the EPO to Limits as per factory. The Z axis home microswitch wires have been removed from the I/O and have now been connected into the FT-01 module as per instructions.

What do i need to do with the cables to make the Z touch off switch work as a limit? According to the book "you do not need to remove the green wire from the connector. Put the green wire into position 3 (center)" I have done this and it didn't make any difference. I cut the wire up towards the FT-01 module thinking that i didn't need it connected so if i needed to rewire it, i could just solder it together instead of opening the control box.

Do i need to have the z touch off still hooked up to the home pins on the I/O board and not the FT-01? It is seriously confusing me. I don't understand the manual. Pictures of what i have at the moment.

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[sphurley]

FT01HookupInstructions-REL6.pdf

Ben is this the instructions you followed?

[acourtjester]

her is how I wired mine works great The controller in the image is the Table I/O set up the ports and pin for the Z home input.
The CAT 6 cable is for the signals from the table to the controller cabinet with home/limit switches and feather touch signal

Feather Touch Wiring.jpg

[tcaudle]

Hi all,

i bought a a FT-01 to hook up to the machine to try and make cutting of thin material easier. Along the way i am struggling to work out the hook up for wires with the LIMITS. I do not run limit switches on the machine, just home switches on X(and A) Y and the Z touch off switch for the floating torch holder.

My Table I/O is Rev 12.2 with the ohmic sensor interface card. I have wired in the 12v to the pins on the side, and the 5 wire cable from the module is wired into the connector. I have tested it to make sure it works. All fine there. Now i want to set up the floating head switch as the E-Stop limit for just in case there is a fault if the circuit is not made due to dirt etc.

I have the factory green jumper wire connected from the EPO to Limits as per factory. The Z axis home microswitch wires have been removed from the I/O and have now been connected into the FT-01 module as per instructions.

What do i need to do with the cables to make the Z touch off switch work as a limit? According to the book "you do not need to remove the green wire from the connector. Put the green wire into position 3 (center)" I have done this and it didn't make any difference. I cut the wire up towards the FT-01 module thinking that i didn't need it connected so if i needed to rewire it, i could just solder it together instead of opening the control box.

Do i need to have the z touch off still hooked up to the home pins on the I/O board and not the FT-01? It is seriously confusing me. I don't understand the manual. Pictures of what i have at the moment.

First you do not want a LIMIT. It is ignored by the software if you are doing a touch off. YOu want an EStop. That is what the green wire to the connector does . In older boards you had to pull the green wire and connect it to EPO (Estop) but on the most recent boards (last year or more) its already done on the Table I/O board. All you have to do is wire your old touch off switch as Normally closed and connect it to the FT-01 module . You leave the Limit string jumper in place on the module.

Feathertouchwiring.png

This basically puts the old Z swtich in parallel with the EPO jumper on the table board so you need to remove that jumper so the switch now is inserted in the e-stop string. to test you bring the system out of rest (if you cannot you have the Z switch wired wrong) or you don't have the green wire connected . Once you can come out of RESET then manually trip the Z switch and it should instantly put MACH into RESET. If you want a bypass switch so you can jog off the estop if it trips then put a Normally open momentary switch across the two EPO tabs (where the jumper used to be.

[tcaudle]

Feathertouchwiring.png

[tcaudle]

The wires labeled LIMITs are now ESTOP

[BensPlasmaAu]

Thanks to all, I have figured it all out. Followed your steps Tom and all OK. I did have to remove the pins on the FT-01 module and solder in the wires directly to the PCB. The connector supplied was a "Scotch lock" style and basically failed multiple times. Teh wires kept getting cut in the connector and falling out and causing the power to open circuit etc. All good now though.

[djreiswig]

Is there any way to connect the FT-01 and keep the option of the floating head for when the material being cut isn't ohmic friendly? Could be selectable with a manual toggle switch.

[BTA Plasma]

Only in linux is it automatic.

[djreiswig]

Yeah, I read that. Just wondering if it can be wired to be manually switchable for Mach3. Guess I'll just have to look over the connections and see what would need to be connected in each setup.

[BTA Plasma]

If you take the green wire out of the equation you should be able to use your floating switch but the ohmic will have to be powered off for it to work properly with a switch offset.

[djreiswig]

Add wire from NC side of Z switch to FT
Switch green wire between limits input on I/O board & FT connector on I/O board with toggle switch
Make/Break Tip wire from FT with toggle switch should disable FT

Would that work?

[tcaudle]

Is there any way to connect the FT-01 and keep the option of the floating head for when the material being cut isn't ohmic friendly? Could be selectable with a manual toggle switch.

If you want to forgo the ESTOP function of the swtich then you can simply wire the green wire (swtich ) to the Z home wire so either one that trips causes the same . The switch needs to be wired NO (normally open ). Then all you have to do is deal with the fact that if the ohmic misses the touch off will be wrong because of the switch offset .

Though the magic of macros in MACH you could tire the switch to another input and have it run a macro that stops the Z, Zeros it and then puts in the switch offset as a negative number into he Z DRO. In MACRO you can read and set DRO's actually run a G-code clip and trigger buttons all based on the state of an input.

We are no l;longer doing any development on MACH3 (nor is the MACH guys)
but maybe someone can help you out.

[djreiswig]

Okay, I think I need to get this FT-01 hooked up soon. I was cutting some sheet last night and it was a little bowed. The touchoffs weren't working great.

Has anybody figured out a good way to connect the ohmic and still be able to switch back to the touchoff switch if needed? I've read through the manual again and am still a little confused on what exactly needs to be switched to go from ohmic back to the way I have it now.

I think this is what I need to do:
I know I need to add a wire from the NC terminal on the switch to the FT-01 green plug terminal 4. This connects the EPO to common when the Z is off of the switch. This would need to be disconnected for the old touchoff setup. I also have a manual e-stop button so I would need to run the green wire in series with that button.

The green plug terminal #3 should go to a common since it is the common terminal of the touchoff switch (should already be common at the switch).
The NO terminal on the switch that now goes to Z-home would need to be hooked to a toggle switch as well as the orange wire from the FT-01. These would be toggled between the Z-home input.

Need to hook the power supply up to the I/O board for the ohmic.

Should add a momentary switch to override the EPO if the tip overshoots and hits the touchoff switch in ohmic mode.

Need to set the switch offset to zero in the post if using ohmic.

Would I need to change my post to use G31 Probe instead of G28.1? Is one more appropriate than the other? I thought I read that the G31 will stop if it overshoots the material by a certain amount (plunge safety maybe). Not sure how that would work.

Sorry for the long post, just thinking it through. Does this sound like it would work?

[BTA Plasma]

Yes G31

[djreiswig]

I thought that might be the case, but why? Does it have to do with the offset?

Also, as a side note, Matt, why do I have a second switch under the A-home that is hooked up to the limits input? I didn't think we needed limits on a stepper system. I'm not sure what port/pin that terminal is in Mach, and I didn't have time to see what it could be mapped to. If I could reclaim that input pin, it would be great.

[BTA Plasma]

To use G31.2 for touchoff you need to have it set in the post and have your switch offset to zero in the custom post options AND in the post. Then you need to go to config/ports and pins and input signals...then enable probe and map to port 1 pin 13.


The second switch was a limit test on several model of Star Lab machines. They are to be considered extra switches. The limit IS needed in ANY system even with a stepper because eventually you will tear up the precision timing belts just ramming it into a stop. That is one reason we limit gear rack but extend rail.

[djreiswig]

I assume the G31.2 is a typo. I don't see that referenced anywhere in the mach3 info I have. You must mean G31.
Port 1 pin 13 is the same as Z home. I know that the ohmic doesn't need an offset since it stops on the top of the material versus when the switch triggers. I've seen some setups still use G28.1 with ohmic. It appears that they work similarly.

clip from Mach3 site
----------------------------
G28.1 Reference Axis

Program G28.1 X~ Y~ Z~ A~ B~ C~ to reference the given axes. The axes will move at the current feed rate towards the home switch(es), as defined by the Configuration. When the absolute machine coordinate reaches the value given by an axis word then the feed rate is set to that defined by Configure>Config Referencing. Provided the current absolute position is approximately correct, then this will give a soft stop onto the reference switch(es).

G31 Straight Probe

Program G31 X~ Y~ Z~ A~ B~ C~ to perform a straight probe operation. The rotational axis words are allowed, but it is better to omit them. If rotational axis words are used, the numbers must be the same as the current position numbers so that the rotational axes do not move. The linear axis words are optional, except that at least one of them must be used. The tool in the spindle must be a probe.

In response to this command, the machine moves the controlled point (which should be at the end of the probe tip) in a straight line at the current feed rate toward the programmed point. If the probe trips, the probe is retracted slightly from the trip point at the end of command execution. If the probe does not trip even after overshooting the programmed point slightly, an error is signalled.
----------------------------

The only difference I can see is that with G31 the probe retracts slightly and if it overshoots it triggers an error. I know the post is written differently for either. I can modify that accordingly.

Any thoughts on my wiring to make both options available?

Thanks for the info on the switch. I should be able to remap that input for my B-home for my rotary.

Oh, and I try to avoid crashing any of my axes. And I think a limit would only help if it happened while cutting. If I have that happen, then I probably have other problems.

[BTA Plasma]

Use G31

[tcaudle]

If you use G31 you have to make sure you setup the Probe Input in MACH to the same input Port and Pin as Z home

[djreiswig]

Tom, I was hoping you would chime in.
Is there any benefit to use G31 over G28.1?
What do you think of my wiring ideas?
Also, can you tell me what the correct port/pin is for the limits terminal on the i/o board? I want to map it to my rotary B-home since I found out it isn't used. I think I saw somewhere that it was 2,2. Is this correct?

[djreiswig]

Okay, figured out the port/pin. It is 2,2. Now to get the wiring plan finalized.

[djreiswig]

Tom, is there a need to run the old touchoff switch through the FT-01? Looking at the board, it appears that there may be some connections between it and the other circuitry. I can't see under the black goo to see where the traces go. It also looks like there are provisions for another connector on the board and the pins seem to mirror the ones on that stick out the side of the plastic box. Was this for plugging the FT-01 board directly onto the I/O board?

[BTA Plasma]

You can and it will act as a stop if ohmic fails. There is a blue cable that you use for linking the FT-01 to the table I/O. G31 is a faster sequence (Probe reacts faster than G28.1)

[tcaudle]

G28.1 has a "from" value meaning the statement G28.1 Z .5 means to go at normal feedrates until you hit .5 above where the last zero was set then proceed at the Homing Speed for that axis (as set in the menu Homing & Limits). It moves until the assigned input goes active Or forever if it the input fails.

G31 (or G38.2 in LINUXCNC) starts a move at homing speed (no matter where it is) and goes until it hits the "limit" set in the Z value. Normally that is a negative number (below o) . If it reaches that point and has not hit the sensor it stops and sends an error code that it could not find a switch. In the POST we have put in code that rapids the Z down to the "Plunge Safety Clearance point (set in SheetCAM) and THEN starts at the homing speeds or the "F" command on the G31 line. If you plumb in the Z switch as Z home also (take it directly down to another input and assign it to Z home then if your code calls a G28.1 if will use the Z home with the offset. So a probe call would use the probe device and a G28 would use the Z home device but you would have to have two different POSTS and use one or the other by changing the setting in the POST options