Issue: Relay Board Unresponsive

[Centroid_Liviu]

What time did the crash happen? In your message log I see an abnormal end of job at 18:14, but see the report was created at 20:23, about 2 hours later.

[Ken Rychlik]

I don't have an answer for your issue, but can your vfd output a "spindle stopped" signal? Most of them will, and you could use that as a fault safety stop maybe. Use it with "Safety door open" or something like that to stop movement when the spindle stops.

[allmondmarine]

What time did the crash happen? In your message log I see an abnormal end of job at 18:14, but see the report was created at 20:23, about 2 hours later.

It happened within a minute before I created the report, so 20:22.

[allmondmarine]

I don't have an answer for your issue, but can your vfd output a "spindle stopped" signal? Most of them will, and you could use that as a fault safety stop maybe. Use it with "Safety door open" or something like that to stop movement when the spindle stops.

This is a good idea. My spindle motor isn't driven by a VFD, but a BLDC drive. I'll have to consult its documentation to see how I can wire in a fault safety

[Ken Rychlik]

If you can't do it that way, you can make it work by using the relay signal to the bldc. Let it hold another relay NC and send to an input. Then when the relay board gives up, you loose signal to that relay opening the input signal. I hope that made sense. Anyway, there are other options to build a safety.

A relay board is not expensive so I would get a new one coming either way. Are there no relays mounted on the acorn board? I thought at one time there were 2 of them, but I work on multiple systems.

[allmondmarine]

If you can't do it that way, you can make it work by using the relay signal to the bldc. Let it hold another relay NC and send to an input. Then when the relay board gives up, you loose signal to that relay opening the input signal. I hope that made sense. Anyway, there are other options to build a safety.

A relay board is not expensive so I would get a new one coming either way. Are there no relays mounted on the acorn board? I thought at one time there were 2 of them, but I work on multiple systems.

I think this will work, because my issue is an intermittent unanticipated loss of relay board control. The BLDC driver does what it's told without issue. It's a shame that I have to use a relay output for a diagnostic function, though. I would figure that a signal through the ribbon cable would be used to confirm that the relay board is responding to commands, and if not, a fault on the Acorn board would be triggered. Oh well.

I suspect the issue isn't my relay board, because power cycling the Acorn board resolves the issue. You're right that the boards aren't expensive, though.

[Ken Rychlik]

So if you look at the db25 pin out, there are output channels there. You might could tap into output 1 and run your spindle from there with a different relay, to not rely on the relay board. I'm not sure if it's 5v out or what, but it might allow you to bypass the relay board.

[allmondmarine]

I think this will work, because my issue is an intermittent unanticipated loss of relay board control. The BLDC driver does what it's told without issue. It's a shame that I have to use a relay output for a diagnostic function, though. I would figure that a signal through the ribbon cable would be used to confirm that the relay board is responding to commands, and if not, a fault on the Acorn board would be triggered. Oh well.

I suspect the issue isn't my relay board, because power cycling the Acorn board resolves the issue. You're right that the boards aren't expensive, though.

I got the safety workaround wired in - A relay board fault now triggers a spindle fault on input #4, which stops the machine. At least now I don't have to worry about crashing my machine when the Acorn loses control of the relay board now.

Maybe someone at Centroid can help me diagnose why the relay board loses connectivity periodically...

[cnckeith]

I think this will work, because my issue is an intermittent unanticipated loss of relay board control. The BLDC driver does what it's told without issue. It's a shame that I have to use a relay output for a diagnostic function, though. I would figure that a signal through the ribbon cable would be used to confirm that the relay board is responding to commands, and if not, a fault on the Acorn board would be triggered. Oh well.

I suspect the issue isn't my relay board, because power cycling the Acorn board resolves the issue. You're right that the boards aren't expensive, though.

I got the safety workaround wired in - A relay board fault now triggers a spindle fault on input #4, which stops the machine. At least now I don't have to worry about crashing my machine when the Acorn loses control of the relay board now.

Maybe someone at Centroid can help me diagnose why the relay board loses connectivity periodically...

never seen this and haven't heard of it. i would diagnosis buy simple component replacement. change one thing at a time time problem area is discovered.

start with the ribbon cable, then the relay board etc.

[allmondmarine]

never seen this and haven't heard of it. i would diagnosis buy simple component replacement. change one thing at a time time problem area is discovered.

start with the ribbon cable, then the relay board etc.

Thank you, cnckeith. I've reached out to the sales team and, given I purchased this less than six months before encountering this issue, they have decided to issue an RMA# for my controller kit. I'm now working on finding a gap in time when I can be without my CNC.

I appreciate your help with this matter.