Quick Tip: IF you have Home/Limit Switches, here is an example and description on setting them up

[cnckeith]

fyi... Acorn schematic # S14945 (rev3) and S14955 (rev4) shows typical prox connections.
http://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_diy ... matics.zip

and here are other examples.

[Devlin]

Looking at the schematic for the homing switches I don't see how each servo gets a command to stop at home until all are homed. Why don't you put each separate on 1,2,3,4.... And these 3 wire NPN sensors... Are they normally open and send a signal when tripped. Not sure how they work. I kind of understand that they need 3 wire because the sensor is powered by + and - and the signal is transmitted along the gnd. I am building an Acorn with ClearPaths on a cncrp with a slave Y axis.

[Gary Campbell]

When using one of the two "Home All" configurations the system gets the signal to stop the motor, not the motor itself.

For the most part, I always use sensors, often normally open and always on individual inputs.

Acorn is flexible enough to accommodate most configurations, you just may have to do a bit of work yourself. That said, the Wizard will support a limited number of options that are there mostly for those that dont wish to do it themselves. The more advanced options will always be done by those that choose to learn more than "the average bear"

[Devlin]

OK, I have done some thinking on these sensors and how those schematics work. You command Z to home first and when it hits the sensor it triggers the Acorn either opening or closing the circuit. the Acorn then commands the Z to move off the sensor and the sensor resets... So now the circuit is back to what is shown waiting for the commanded home on x and y.... The Y slave is separate because both are commanded to home at the same time and need separate triggers.

Now critique my minds thought process.....

[Dan M]

The slave doesn't work with a sensor FYI. The way the software currently works you can't run a sensor on the slave side. Technically you can but doesn't do anything, the new firmware 4.14 is supposed to support it but obviously I haven't been able to confirm this.

Dan

[Devlin]

This is the one I like.

[Dan M]

That's how I have mine wired up plus the slave sensor, it's not doing anything yet since we don't have auto square. I'm hoping that once 4.14 comes out that auto square works with 4 inputs. I'm not concerned with trying to save inputs since I'm not using all of them as it stands. I would prefer to have each sensor on a separate input. I guess some day I will know if it will work this way since obviously right now it doesn't support a slave sensor. This is the main update that I'm looking forward to one day. And I know that I can manually square since it's how I'm currently doing it, but it will be nice for the software to do it for me. Honestly the only thing you really even need sensors for is homing any way since the soft limit works so well.

Dan

[slodat]

Dan,

Can you share how you square the gantry now? This is something I need to sort out, I think.

[Dan M]

Dan,

Can you share how you square the gantry now? This is something I need to sort out, I think.

I initially used my laser level to get it close, I lined it up with the master y rail and marked both sides.

Then I drew a large square with the spindle to get it perfectly square. Here's a diagram of how to do it, a guy from the other forum helped me out with it.

Once I ran the test I had to make the fine adjustment to the gantry, I was out of square by 0.03" using the laser. Once I squared it up I remarked the rails, now I just manually line up the gantry to the marks on the y axis rails. Works perfect and I don't have to wonder if anything got bumped out of alignment when the machine is powered down. Here's a couple pictures showing the test you need to run. If you don't understand how to do it, let me know and I will copy the instructions he gave me from the other forum.

One more thing, when you make the adjustments to square it up adjust the slave side. You want the slave to square up with the master side. Basically once you draw the square chances are the slave side of the gantry will need to move in either the +or- direction. When you adjust it try to lock down the master side loosen up the gantry adjust the slave side as needed tighten everything up and run the square again. I was lucky enough to to get it right the first time. Then like I said earlier mark the rails, I used a framing square butted it up to the ganty and marked each side. I also adjusted my hard stops so I can just push the gantry up to the rubber stops and I know it's squared up that way too. I still use the marks and the t square though since I have a bit of a OCD problem lol.

[tblough]

Just be glad you don't have a CDO problem. It's like OCD, but the letters are in the correct order like they should be.