Newbie here from Mass - Precision Plasma Issues

[solarbarack]

So I took the plunge. I ordered a 6x10 Precision Plasma hdsd gantry with speed daemon rails, Nema 34 5:1 planetary gearboxes, breakaway torch mount, 15mm scribe, and rotary axis Back in January. From Candcnc I got the BladeRunner Dragon Cut 620-5 Stepper System with DTHCIV, HyT Advanced Connection Kit A (with Hub), and the pn200 controller. With a pre loaded computer in March. I have the table built everything hooked up but having a few problems... my g code is saying that the DTHCIV isn't on. I have tested it in hub utility and the only light that comes on is arc ok. It's not touching off either. The motors are tuned and the offset on the floting head is right. What might I be missing? I know everyone has been there done this. Lol. I took autocad courses this past fall. I'm hoping to have this thing running soon.

[acourtjester]

HI
Do you have power to the RS-485?

from the manual

CandCNC DTHC IV Digital Torch Height
RESET
Steps Z
ARC OK
HOLD
DTHC ONSENSOR INPUT To PWM Module
SIGNAL
NAME
COLOR FUNCTION (What it means)
ARC OK YEL
BLU
Shows the torch is on and that there is a valid arc so automated Cutting can begin. Signal comes from Plasma (PWM Module) or from
DCP-01 current reading
DTHC ON
The DTHC can be turned on and off in software and from the screen it shows when the DTHC is active
STEPS Z RED Shows Z motion activity from both
DTHC and MACH control
RESET Button
RESET button resets the DTHCIV
processor and does an initilization
Pattern for self check
HOLD RED
Indicates the DTHCIV has issued a HOLD command back to MACH to prevent motion
RJ45 RT GRN
RJ45 LFT YEL
DTHCIV POWER INDICATOR On all of the time
TORCH ON. Shows torch FIRE signal from MACH3
INSTALL DTHC IV
PRELIMINARY TESTING THE DTHC MODULE:
The only preliminary tests of the DTHC IV module are for power getting to the board and to
test the RESET button and check for the initializations sequence on the front panel LED’s
1. Power up the Bladerunner/MP3000/MP3100/Plazpak and watch the front LED’s on the
DTHC IV. They should turn on one at a time from right to left starting with the ARC OK LED,
then all LEDS should flash twice. This indicates the microprocessor in the DTHC IV is alive and working.
2. An integral part of the DTHC IV communications too and from MACH are dependant on
the C3Bus USB to RS485 4 port Hub. A lot of testing and DTHCIV settings are done via the HUB UTILITY through the C3BUS.

[solarbarack]

All that checks out. I see this pic showing theses wires going to epo on front table, but when they are hooked up I can't come out of a reset.

[solarbarack]

My pn200 works but if I unplug it it doesn't send a stop comand it is plugged into port 4 and all the settings test out via hub utility.

[solarbarack]

I also have my limit switch on themagnetic breakaway wired to the ohmic sensor but I see this snipit on here.

[tcaudle]

So how did the MANUAL cut test go? Did you get a touch off, move to pierce height , fire the torch , move down to cut height and cuts a line on flat material at the right height? If not the DTHC won't save you/

Did you do the separate DTHCIV tuning including using the Jog buttons in Hub Admin and set the DIR ?

It a LOT easier if you don't try to instal; all the bells and whistles all at once. Get it to make a cut the right size with the DTHC in MANUAL and off. All you need is the single cable in the kit to connect to the Hyperthem to get it to fire the torch, get ARC OK and get the divided voltage to display as Torch Volts

The Hand Controller will just confuse the issue more. Unplug and forget ti and learn to use the keyboard.

Al least it sounds like you have basic motion and can jog all the axis (?)

[solarbarack]

I did the tuning. dir is corect. I did make a manual cut with everything turned off but it stayed where i set the z axis manually, then cut the line. I can't get it to touch off come to peirce height, and make a cut. I think it has to do with the z axis wired to the ohmic sensor. In the one page I posted it looks as though it should be wired to home instead on the io board.I have arch ok. And voltage divided as torch volts. I can jog all motions correctly. Thanks for the help and input.

[solarbarack]

I'm going to go through the manual page by page again and see if I missed something. I've read the thing cover to cover a bunch of times but it's probably something silly I've overlooked. Here's to another late night. I think the wife is starting to get jealous. Lol. She's starting to reference the table as my other girlfriend.

[tcaudle]

Use the more obvious methods of support like the forum. I am not allowed to post any links, or product specific details here

[acourtjester]

Maybe you should post the first 50 lines of G-code
From what it sounds like you are saying is the torch goes down and touches the metal surface an does nothing else.
I don't have ohmic sensor I use a floating head switch but it seems that operate similar where the torch is told to move down until it touches the metal surface then stops and then sets Z to "0" and moves to the pierce height to start the cutting operation.

Here is what my code looks like I don't think you have a switch offset with a ohmic sensor
N0230 M00
N0240(Paused: Check the DTHC Settings Hit RUN to continue)
N0250 G00 Z1.000 Z at rapid height
N0260 X2.173 Y0.602 move to next cut operation
N0270 M900 (Check for Z active)
N0280 G28.1 Z0.02 (Start Touch-Off ) move Z down for touch
N0290 G92 Z0.0 when it touches set Z to 0.0”
N0300 G00 Z0.027 (Switch Offset Lift) move to my switch offset Floating head
N0310 G92 Z0.0 set Z to 0.0”
N0320 G00 Z0.150 move to pierce height
N0330 M03 turn on torch
N0340 G04 P0.5 pierce delay
N0350 G01 Z0.060 F60.0 drop torch to cut height start cutting

[acourtjester]

this is what my reply should look like

code.jpg

[solarbarack]

1432864794994.jpg

[solarbarack]

1432865485871.jpg

[solarbarack]

I'm not getting a z home in the diagnostics screen when I do the setup for touch off the torch goes down till it trips the stop.

[acourtjester]

You may be right about the wiring of the ohmic sensor I don't have on so I cannot say for sure.

Ok I looked at you code and you have a pierce height of 3.810mm or 0.150” that is OK
and a cut height of 1.524mm or 0.060” OK too. Line N0300 your speed is F3810.0 or 150 IPM which is ok it the motor is tuned right. Does you motor make a noise that may be too fast and it is jamming you could edit the code and make that a much smaller number to test.
Something that is real odd is the next line you are changing speed on line N0320 to F2286.0 then line N0330 you change it again to F2286.0 This line is not needed and you change the speed again on line N0350 back higher this is where it should be for cutting speed
The way Mach uses a speed command each time you change the speed it will stay at that speed until you change it again. Also the G0 command tells mach to go as fast as that motor will go no speed command needed and other G movement commands like G1 G2 G3 will look for that speed setting in the F number to very the motor speed.

z settings.jpg

Does the Z steps per in the on the DTHC Settings page match the Z steps per in Mach under the motor tune setting, They must be the same.

[solarbarack]

Yes they are both the same. I went through the tuning again tonight. Maybe my math is off. I'll post what I have in the a.m. I've been doing this at night plus trying to run a shop during the day, and this is our busy season. Thanks again for your time.

[solarbarack]

Ok so I figured part of my problem. One of the wires I had run from the ohmic sensor to Plate, and to tip had a break in it. Now if I touch the tip wire to the plate wire my sense light does come on. but when the plate one is hooked up to the gantry even if I try touching it with the tip wire I'm still not getting the sense light to come on?

[BTA Plasma]

I can tell you from hooking a bunch of these up that we end up running the feather touch sensor less than 1.5 feet from the control box. We run the plate sensor to a magnet on the bottom of the water pan. And the torch tip wire runs through all the cable carrier. Here is a slick way to take it out of reset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N0XcWGBgkI

[BTA Plasma]

And since your using a Ethercut you can utilize the G31 probe touch off for no pause touch off. Works wonders with the Ethercut system. Don't forget even if you put a zero in your custom post options for switch offset there is a default 4.00MM that will need to be changed in the post processor and saved.

[solarbarack]

Maybe that's my problem.I did another check on the rest of my wires and connections, and they are all good. I have my ohmic sensor hooked up behind my torch. I'll try rewiring it again closer to the control box and see if that helps. Thanks for the input.

[tcaudle]

Keep in mind that the two wires to TIP and PLATE from the Feather Touch CARRY HIGH VOLTAGE when the torch is cutting. That is why we suggest mounting it close to the torch. We have a 5 X 10 table and it works reliably.

[tcaudle]

Maybe that's my problem.I did another check on the rest of my wires and connections, and they are all good. I have my ohmic sensor hooked up behind my torch. I'll try rewiring it again closer to the control box and see if that helps. Thanks for the input.

That is not going to fix the issue. As i explained in an e-mail you, you are not getting conduction though either the shield (tip) wire or the frame of the table (where you have the plate wire attached) is not making good connection with the material (plate). Making those wires longer by moving the Ohmic Sensor closer tot he control and further from the points they are tied too will not make conduction better. You have proven the Ohmic sensor works when you do the test with the two wires directly to each other (TIP & PLATE) That should cause the Z home LED to light on the table I/O card AND the Z home in the diagnostics. IF the SENSE light come on so should the Z Home LEDs. IF the SENSE light does not come on then the ohmic touch is not sensing the two sides touch each other

[solarbarack]

I understand that, but if I touch the two together like you said. The sense light does in fact light up but as soon as it touches the gantry or plate it goes out. With the two touching. So it's almost as if the gantry or plate is shorting it out. I've checked the wiring over a few times. And it is wired right. I'll get some close ups in the a.m. Thank you for the help. I hope I'm explaining this right.

[tcaudle]

Pull off any connection to the gantry or the tip. Short the two wires that are on the Ohmic sensor
Touch the shield (tip ) to the plate by either lifting the material or using a wire to make the connection. If the SENSE light goes out something is connected wrong or the connector back to the Table I/O is wired wrong. That sense circuit floats with no common ground return (reason for the separate wall plug supply) and is opto isolated (twice) on the Z home input. So touching the two points on the table should have no effect on the output (sENSE)

[solarbarack]

I finally figured it out. We have 208 three phase coming into the building split down to 110v. I had everything plugged into a cleaning power supply, but for some reason as long as the ohmic sensor was plugged into the same side as the rest of the system it wouldn't work. I figured this out by complete accident trying the power supply closer to the gantry. I ran an extention cord from across the shop and bam it worked.