*** RESOLVED*** Asterisk always showing

[Maint_1]

Asterisk is always showing on my 4th axis, DC1, indicating no reference signal. I moved the endoder to another encoder input, my spindle, and rotated it finding that the Asterisk only appeared once per cycle as it should. I then remapped my 4th axis encoder input to that physical input. I see my counts increment/decrement but still a solid Asterisk indicating no reference signal. System is MPU11 4 axis with DC3IOB and DC1.

Ideas?

[diycncscott]

The asterisk means that it is always seeing the index pulse. This indicates noise or a faulty encoder.

Plug one of your axes that works correctly into that encoder port - does it work correctly?

Please send in a report.zip so we can see your parameters/mappings

[Maint_1]

I moved the encoder cable from that input on the MPU11 to another and it works fine there. Asterisk appears and disappears once per cycle as it should. So I remapped it via the parameters so that it would affect my 4th or B axis. Encoder counts increment/decrement as it should but the astersiks still remains.

[AjaxTech]

When you map the scale feedback to an axis and enable the scale feedback, the DRO looks to the scale feedback for its signals. If the scale feedback doesn't have any index pulse signals, the software will show that by having the asterisks constantly being displayed.

[Maint_1]

Quoting the reply I received from Centroid regarding this issue:

"When the scale is disabled, the encoder counts and DRO position are read from the motor encoder. An m91/m92 command will home the axis to the motor index pulse. When the m26 command is issued for the axis, the scale indicator on the DRO should turn green and a message should be displayed in the status window, "B axis scale enabled"."

This does not happen. When I boot the scale indicator is red, an M91/B is commanded but the axis rotates well past one turn. Infinitely I suppose if I didn't stop it. To trouble shoot I noted that when scale for 4th axis is enabled in the scale settings menu the asterisk is always present for the fourth channel. My scale does not have an index pulse. When scale is disabled the axis references as expected to the motor encoder reference pulse.

It would appear the above quote is misleading and that the axis references to the scale index pulse or needs to see 5 volts on one index line say Z and 0 volts on Z not from the scale in order to allow the motor encoder pulse to be used. Of course what would make the most sense and result in the best possible accuracy would be to reference to the scale index pulse.

I have another machine with the exact same setup with one exception, my scale has reference. It homes as expected but it would appear that it is homing to the motor index pulse. Perhaps my solution here is to pull up or down the index pulse circuit coming from the scale and see what my result is.

[Maint_1]

This is of course not yet resolved.