Mach3 plasma Floating head problems

[plasmatic]

I have an issue that I cannot seem to get past with my floating head switch in Mach3. I've been lurking and searching for answers to no avail..

I have a home built table with microswitches for home, z probe(floating head), limits. I am using Mach3, ESS board, Sheetcam Mach3THC with scriber post.I do have a miniTHC, but its inputs are not enabled and I am not using it until I get the probing issue figured out.

My problem is that when I use the sheetcam post and it runs the G31 command, Mach3 will either stop/pause the program once the floating head switch is triggered, or ignore the input and keep driving the z axis down. It will typically resume when stopped if I manually hold the program and restart from the same line. I have tried enabling the THC, and it makes the Z axis continue past the switch being triggered every time.

On a possibly related note, the z axis will sometimes continue to travel up or down when manually commanded until I E-stop. I have nothing else to note with that as there is no rhyme or reason to when it will do this.

Lastly, if I watch the diagnostics page, when this happens I get no Z down input from the THC, and the "Digitize" indicator shows green/yellow each time the floating head switch is triggered.


TIA for any input.

[nick7251]

I don't know if you have resolved this issue yet? And I also don't use the ESS board. I am setting up with the pokeys57CNC board and in order to get the digitized limit switch to work in Mach 3 I had to go into pokeys firmware setup application and assign it to the proper action. Then flash the firmware. Then it worked in Mach 3. It was very confusing and took me a long time to figure that out. And I still don't know if it's totally right. But it is working. Maybe the same thing with ESS.

[acourtjester]

How do you have the home and ohmic sensor wired, they need to be separate. the g28 command is if you are using a floating head switch to find the metal surface. and the g31 is for the digitizer Mach looks at these signal as to which command you use. The floating head switch is a safety when using the G31 (digitizer). Use the keyboard page up and down keys to move the Z manually to be sure your directions are correct and also the setting in the home/limit menu.

[plasmatic]

I got this resolved. I had to adjust the time the ESS looked at an input signal before triggering the signal's appropriate function. I assume it was getting feedback or noise from running the wires for the steppers and switch through the cable chain.

[nick7251]

Glad you got it resolved.