Independent home/gantry squaring switch kit now available

jeepsr4ever

ATTENTION 2012HD AND STAR-LAB OWNERS (full table and gantry kit users)

[url]http://www.plasmaland.com/product_info.php?products_id=49[/URL]

This kit allows users from our late 2011 to 2014 (4 motor systems) and Star-Lab owners the ability to auto square the gantry and auto home Both X and Y axis. The auto-square function will independently move X and A axis after one hits a switch. This superb functionality will give you a home/square ability on your gantry kit or full table. Y axis home included. This kit also fits all Star-Lab tables in ANY axis and configuration. Kit includes, 2 brackets with 2 switches for X and A, Y axis bracket with 1 switch, 3 long wires with spade terminal ends and 2 rail end caps with setscrew and lock adjustability

[ATTACH=CONFIG]434[/ATTACH]

jeepsr4ever

nurbie

Hey Matt,
My gantry is out of square square(Y-drifting on X-cuts)(straight Y-cuts)
I do not have this switch set-up on my 2014 4x8 Star-Lab/Bladerunner kit.
The kit is not available @Plasmaland/link.
Can I get some help with this?

My motor #s are matched in CommandCNC config.

nurbie

Method to square is:
power down Bladerunner
measure Y:ends
move gantry manually until measurements look good
power up
measure
if holding square then:
cross fingers/hit run for cuts
typically holds stepper position until next power-up.
Repeat.
My motor #s are matched in CommandCNC config.

nurbie

also,
(as from working X-Y position with 0,0 at bottom left)
stepper on left side of table is looser/easier to move when not energized than right side; is this normal, or do I need to tighten the belt?
It's working so I don't want to... no belt/tooth skipping present.
Only sad 'groans' come from +Z movements.

Regardless,
I'm fudge-adjusting the gantry to correct for what all subsequent models had auto-square switching installed.
I will be screwed if the gantry gets twisted torsional members. Hopefully the gussets will keep forces down until we get switches installed.
Can we please work on getting the parts kit out to my shop?

PM me if this is a problem, but please give me a heads-up as to status on this

I'm running the latest 32bit CommandCNC and the upgraded Bladerunner EBOB/UBOB kit.

nurbie

PM me if this is a problem, but please give me a heads-up as to status on this

I'm running the latest 32bit CommandCNC and the upgraded Bladerunner EBOB/UBOB kit.

djreiswig

If your gantry goes out of square after powering down, it probably has a twist in it. I've run into this before. To fix it, get the gantry square and with the motors locked loosen the 3 bolts on each end that hold the cross tube to the carriages. Then retighten the bolts. This will release the twist, and should make the gantry stay square.

nurbie

Yes, thanks for that note! I got the twist out and took it to the next level with an auto-square kit. Does anyone have a link as to how we do the REF_X or whatever in CommandCNC interface? All I can find is MACH3 references. Not sure what the procedure is for setting the gantry off the switches now that I have it all installed and signaling and running the latest CommandCNC-ware(LINUX)...

nurbie

Okay.
After going through all the config settings and setting up X so it rebounds off the switch 2x and then semi-rapid offset .15 units off the switch to reset it/give me a start/Home0 for X.
Does that sound right? It does a double bounce off the switch before the offset?
It's working so I'm fine with that, I just don't see where I told it to do the double trigger move.

Now Y is, well, a whole nutha level...
I must need to load in an offset or something to get the gantry to travel back to the far end of the table?
Is that how you're doing it?
I have the switches set to Y Home switch in the config INPUTS and that's causing all kinds of direction/soft limit issues where the machine thinks my Y auto-square is @ Y0,0 'home' at the other end of the table, know what I mean?

C&CNC guys are telling me I need to remount my switches to the front of the gantry to properly use the Home feature, but I mounted them to the back of the uprights like I saw in the Bulltear videos/other.
Pretty sure this is the way you intended to have things mounted, but I'm missing the CommandCNC config info.
Also, on the C&CNC site there's discussion about disabling the A-axis? why would you do that?

nurbie

this is what I posted on C&CNC forum: [ATTACH=CONFIG]664[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]665[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]666[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]667[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]668[/ATTACH] THe return value off the home is just to get the gantry off the switches and its more than needed, but more importantly, once this home is effected the gantry is at the wrong end of the table, right? Then I have to override limits and manually jog the gantry back to actual 0,0 lower left. Am I just missing the gorilla in the picture?

nurbie

this is what I posted on C&CNC forum: [ATTACH=CONFIG]664[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]665[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]666[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]667[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]668[/ATTACH] The return value off the Y axis 'home' is just to get the gantry off the switches and understandably more than needed, but more importantly, once this home is effected the gantry is at the wrong end of the table, right? Then I have to override limits and manually jog the gantry back to actual 0,0 lower left. Am I just missing the gorilla in the picture? Matt, you mentioned a preset of some sort on the C&CNC forum?