geneb's build (finally!)

That’s a horrifying process. :frowning:

 

g.

It’s actually pretty easy. The blocks can manually be moved in increments of 2mm, then you can offset it with gcode (or firmware) at any resolution you want. The only hitch is the X or Y 2 stepper can only be offset positive. As odd as it is the last two times I think I was dead on just measuring the block placement from the corner block. If you built it square it should easily be within 2mm (a belt notch).

I’ll have to fiddle with the block placement and see how that goes.

g.

I’m hugely disappointed right now. I had expected “auto square” to actually BE “auto”. There’s nothing automatic about any of this. :frowning:

I had expected that M666 would actually take some action, but after looking into it, it will allow you to specify the offset for ONE motor on each axis.

Doing a G28 X0 results in one side hitting a switch before the other - and it just grinds away until it times out. The opposite motor never moves to touch the switch. Whatever switch it hits first stops the side that hasn’t hit a switch and the side that has just grinds away.

G28 Y0 hits both switches at the same time, so I’m not sure if it would exhibit the same behavior that the X axis does.

I’ve verified that the x/y “min” switches trigger properly - they’re located at what I consider to be the 0,0 point of the machine. x2/y2 “min” switches also trigger properly.

Am I missing something here?

g.

Are the end stops connected to the “right” motor? Should the X endstop be swapped with the X2 endstop? The motor that hits the endstop first should stop while the other motor continues. You should be able to verify endstop status by triggering one endstop and using M119 to check which one triggered and make sure that the X endstop is the one on the side with the X motor in lieu of the X2 motor.

So swapping the switch inputs gained me nothing but a broken switch arm. Sheared the arm pins off, so I get to replace the switch. Same behavior. It was my own damn fault - I flipped the switches incorrectly.

G28 X0 Y0 now works.

G28 aborts if it travels too long - it shouldn’t abort until it hits a switch.

My 0,0 point (lower right corner as you look down) has motors Y0 and X1 in that corner. Is that correct?

I get ONE day a week to work on this thing. I don’t have time for this nonsense. :frowning:

g.

G28 uses the bed size you have set in your firmware to stop in case a limit switch has failed. By default I believe it’s something like 200x200 mm. Just configure yours to use the actual size and it’ll work as expected.

You can use either motor, you just need to make sure the endstop switch matches. If X2 is the lower left corner, then make sure that the X2 endstop is also in the lower left corner (the one connected to the Xmax limit switch on the Rambo).

There are thousands of machines without dual endstops making great stuff. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

We can help you through some of these problems, but it sounds to me like maybe you should take a breath and find the next steps that make you happy.

Your CAD and CAM are going to have 0,0 in the lower left corner and Xmax is to the right and Y max is up. If you just need to stand on the right side of the table to fix that, then you’re fine :).

Sorry about the hissy fit yesterday. It was one of those disaster days when everything I touched turned to crap. :slight_smile:

From the standpoint of my CAM software, the 0,0 point is ok. It’s the same location on my ShopBot. If you rotate both machines 90 degrees clockwise, the X axis is along the bottom of the screen. (At least in Aspire - I haven’t tried EstlCAM yet)

I’ve got new switches on order, but I’ve got a Rostock MAX v2 rebuild to do (a local college really screwed up their machine) next weekend, The Vintage Computer Festival PNW is the next weekend (It’s at Living Computer Museum +Labs in Seattle), followed by MRRF. We’ll see what April brings. :wink:

g.

Well if I actually make it to MRRF please don't strangle me Gene!

I am sorry I have not been around to help but it is absolute disaster on my side as well.

No internet at the old place anymore, installed my equipment over at the new place and everything worked fine all day. Cancel the old account, and all of the sudden they can not use my modem or their modem anymore. Two different techs tell me the wiring to the house is bad and I have to wait 4 days for a tech to come out. 3rd tech understands all of it and realizes I actually have a connection but they just can not activate my account for some reason. His solution, wait, try again in a few days…WTF!?

 

So that is my excuse for typing on my phone and not helping enough. Soon, I will be back, promise.

I totally get it. It is important to keep it in perspective. Your day in the shop is a reward. It shouldn’t feel like a punishment.

Sometimes there are walls that keep us from progress, but you’re not likely to get through it if it’s not fun. If you take the pressure off and just put a half hour (or however long you can do it while still smiling) on the tough problem per week, you might actually solve it faster. Problem solving is a creative skill, not just a hard working one. In the meantime, you can make a bunch of sawdust while keeping it square the old manual way.

Dam Heffe, I needed to here that as well. Thanks for the zen perspective. I am going to get a good ol fashioned greezy breakfast, and start over with a deep breath and a smile.

Having a nation’s breakfast. I logged into my internet billing site. It says thank you for activating your account, which modem are you using…select mine. It says connected. I tried a reboot, took about 5 minutes, says all good, for the first time. Wtf. How could 3 tech support agents not think to activate me. Omg, I think I have internet when I get back over there.

Sorry Gene, you can have your thread back now. I am sure your fix is something simple we are overlooking. I should be online Monday if you need me.

I’ve actually already got it sorted out for the most part - I just have to replace the one end stop switch and I’ll be good. I was improperly swapping the end stop switch inputs. Once the switch is replaced I can start drawing square-ish things on paper.

Ryan, I’ll definitely be at MRRF! We’ll have a beer and a laugh. :slight_smile:

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After replacing the switch and doing some test drawing, I’ve got a 100% square machine. \o/

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Okay, no I feel safe trying to get to MRRF…

J/K

Congrats.

Sorry to stomp on your thread Gene, I just saw SeeMeCNC is having an open house Friday at 6. Are you going to be at MRRF that evening or SeeMeCNC?

I get in Wednesday evening, so yeah - I’ll be there. :slight_smile:

 

g.

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