HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

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cpstang1967
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HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

My 4 axis board went out and I purchased a replacement. I found one that looked identical to mine, but when it arrived I realized that the torch remote relay is built in to the board rather than being an external relay like my last board was. I am unable to get the torch to fire whether running a file or manually. I've looked at the output signals and found out that "enable 2" is the torch signal. When I click "active low", the relay opens and closes, but it will not open or close when using F5. I have tried all the pins, but that doesn't seem to work either.

Has anyone come across this issue?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)



Thanks in advance.
Cody
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Last edited by cpstang1967 on Sat Apr 13, 2019 1:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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acourtjester
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get toch relay to work

Post by acourtjester »

It would help a bunch if you said what brand of BOB you are using. Here is a Google search but none of them look like yours :(
https://www.google.com/search?q=4+axis+ ... hz8qKLJTWM:

The top image looks like you are using Mach 3 to run the card, if so you need to tell the configure file what output pin is used to fire the torch. See attached image of the location in the configure file to tell it what pin is used. In the docs it should say what pin is used, in may be called relay output. On my board it uses output #1 to fire the relay and that is pin 9, buy yours may be wired differently. Have you looked at the old configure file
pin.JPG
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cpstang1967
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get toch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

I suppose that would have been good information share...my bad haha

I bought it off of eBay and all I can see for a brand IS “HY”

I’ll take a look at my configuration right now and post what I have. As far as the old configure file, do you mean how the old board was configured? I’ve changed everything back to the way it was with the old board just so I don’t lose track of my changes.

The new board didn't come with any documents or wiring diagram so I'm shooting from the hip and most of this is over my head. I'm just a metal grinder :?

Everything else seems to work fine as far as the torch movement. Just the torch fire signal is messing with me.

Thanks so much for the help
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acourtjester
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get toch relay to work

Post by acourtjester »

Ok that help I found a manual for the board
https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/downl ... 6560V4.pdf
on page 2 it shows the board that seems to be the one you have with the relay in the lower right and the output is shown as relay output on right edge of board. I would assume that the output would be 2 for the relay contacts for you torch trigger, or maybe one and board ground??
and on page 5 it says the relay out signal is pin 17 again I assume that this is like the pin 9 on the board I use and that is the pin info for the configure file. Now this manual shows a different layout for the Mach 3 pages so it may be an older version of Mach (may be for a Mill not Plasma). This manual is not much help but does have some info for you.
https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/4-axi ... 560v4.html
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tcaudle
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by tcaudle »

Its going to be a crap shoot with no docs. You at least need to know what parallel port pin is connected to which output and input. You cant have ouput 1 assigned to more than one M code trigger and you have to know which MACH port and pin is connected to which physical output in that controller/BoB Don't expect a lot out of the TBA6560 based units. They don't cost much and they deliver that much value. Most of the online sellers have documsnts or at least a simple wiring diagram and if they offer a "Demo" version of MACH they should provide you with a Profile that matches their hardware. You are limited to 500 lines of code an no THC option in the Demo version
cpstang1967
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

UPDATE:

Thanks for those documents acourtjester.

I did confirm that pin 17 is used for the relay. Also, tcaudle you are correct about the demo version and documentation, but I'm sure it's a different version of what I currently have installed. I often run files with much more than 500 lines of code so I'd like to be able to use my full version if at all possible.

Does it make sense why my relay will open and close as many times as I want when I click "Active low" for Enable 2 in the output signals? And for it not to open or close when I hit F5 at the main screen?

The Yellow torch light on Mach 3 blinks like normal, but it doesn't seem to be sensing a signal to the board. Or the board isn't sending the signal to switch the relay.

Thanks for the help so far.
cpstang1967
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

Thoughts on trying to load the new demo version of Mach 3 while keeping my current version and manually transfer over all the settings?
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by acourtjester »

If you had a fun version of Mach 3 before and your system blew up you should be able to move that licence from the old to the new, you are still only using it on one system. When you change the "Active" status is should trigger the relay, that acts like an internal switch within Mach. It is the same as you told Mach to use the Emulate function and assigned a HotKey on a keyboard key, then any time you pushed that key it would trigger the relay.
Be aware if you do the Emulate to test you will need to remove it before Mach will go back to normal operations for that signal.

moree info found
http://www.hobbycncaustralia.com/Instru ... dPorts.htm
If you scroll down to "enabling the relay circuit if seems to say pin 9 will operate the relay. Check the spindle setup shown above and enable output #1 like in the new info and try to see if the relay triggers with the F5 or M3 in g-code.
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cpstang1967
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

When you say "active status" do you mean the toggle button/F5 for the torch? If so, that's where my problem is. It acts like I'm not getting a signal from the computer to the board or from the board to the relay.

The only time I'm able get the relay to change state is when I click "active low" on enable 2 manually. From what I understand, "active low" is basically reversing the call? Just like my Y axis motors. One runs one direction and the other the exact opposite because the motors for Y axis are faced different directions.
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by acourtjester »

cpstang1967 wrote: Sat Apr 13, 2019 8:56 pm The only time I'm able get the relay to change state is when I click "active low" on enable 2 manually. From what I understand, "active low" is basically reversing the call? Just like my Y axis motors. One runs one direction and the other the exact opposite because the motors for Y axis are faced different directions.
That is correct but also Mach will react to just changing the active status for other things. If you change a limit switch status and look on the diagnostic page you will see it appears tripped even though there is no signal to make the change. That is the reason you hear the relay click when you change its status, no other reason. It is not connected to the F5 key yet, you need to establish a path and signal source. If you hook a switch to an input and tell Mach this is the Z++ limit pin, you activate the switch and you will see the Z++ limit led light on the diagnostic page.
Signal source is the switch and the path is Z++ input pin.
Until you find the path you will not be able to manually make the relay behave under the G-code or F5 key
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cpstang1967
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

I think that makes sense. I'll have some time this weekend to dig more into it.

Thank you guys again for your help. Greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Cody
cpstang1967
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by cpstang1967 »

*UPDATE*

It’s alive!! Thank you so much for everyone’s help. It’s greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend!
Cody
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Re: HELP NEEDED...Cannot get torch relay to work

Post by acourtjester »

Great Job how about a short description of what fixed it, to help those that come along later.
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