Teknic Clearpath Hard Stop Homing Setup

[IPGregory]

Thx Keith. I don't have the drives yet and wont for a while. Just doing the preliminary research to see what/how I might want to use them. The hard stop homing interests me as I mentioned. I haven't contacted Teknic yet, just read their manual at this point. If you guys have tested it and run it with SDSKs, then I am going to assume it's available for those.

[cnckeith]

Thx Keith. I don't have the drives yet and wont for a while. Just doing the preliminary research to see what/how I might want to use them. The hard stop homing interests me as I mentioned. I haven't contacted Teknic yet, just read their manual at this point. If you guys have tested it and run it with SDSKs, then I am going to assume it's available for those.

yep they are running on our in house lathe.

[IPGregory]

Thats good enough for me. Hard Stop Homing works with SDSKs...

[Joey]

Here is the manual for SDSK ClearPath's. Hardstop Homing is towards the end of the PDF
https://www.teknic.com/files/downloads/ ... manual.pdf

Hardstop homing is currently being used on a AcornSIX controlled lathe with SDSK ClearPath servos.
Heres a picture of one of the Clearpath SDSK servos on the Lathe.

[IPGregory]

Thx Joey.

That's the manual that threw me off. It specifically lists Hard Stop Homing as a function within the MCxx section and shows it as an operation mode only available on the MCPV series. See page 90 and again starting on page 125 for example. The SDSK section doesn't list HSH in its section at all or note it as a function on its operational modes. The manual in other words is confusing.

All moot anyway as you and Keith have both confirmed it works with SDSK and are using it. As I said above, I am now confident it will work and will plan accordingly.

[Richards]

Clearpath motors can be configured to home each time they are enabled or only one time per power on. If the second option is selected and all motors are powered on at the same time, you could sequence the enabling so that the Z drive was enabled first to move the cutter up and away from the table, and then enable X and Y drives after the Z is out of the way.

I'm still using steppers on my little Taig mill. If I ever get around to connecting the Clearpath servos to that mill, I'll configure the motors and the wiring to use hard-stop homing with the Z-axis set to home first and then the X and Y axes later.

[bleiler60]

Hello,

Thinking about using this method on my Avid Pro Router and have a couple of questions.
In the Homing Setup screen in the Clearpath software it asks if the Homing direction is CCW or CW.
On the paired Axis, does the direction have to be changed in Clearpath for one of the motors or does the setting in the Acorn Wizard/ Axes Pairing take care of it?

Any suggestions on what to set the Homing Torque limit at, specifically for the Z Axis. The way the motor mounting plate is attached to the Z-Axis with two socket head bolts is not very robust. I learned that the hard way

Thanks
Bill

[cnckeith]

Hello,

Thinking about using this method on my Avid Pro Router and have a couple of questions.
In the Homing Setup screen in the Clearpath software it asks if the Homing direction is CCW or CW.
On the paired Axis, does the direction have to be changed in Clearpath for one of the motors or does the setting in the Acorn Wizard/ Axes Pairing take care of it?

Any suggestions on what to set the Homing Torque limit at, specifically for the Z Axis. The way the motor mounting plate is attached to the Z-Axis with two socket head bolts is not very robust. I learned that the hard way

Thanks
Bill

Bill. Clearpath hard stop homing is its own beast. Acorn has nothing to do with it. so yes you have to flip the direction of the hardware paired axis in the MSP software. All the Acorn does is turn on the enables and the Clearpath takes it from there. Acorn has no idea what the clearpaths are doing at this point! it is completely up to the clearpaths for homing.. only when done do you set machine home and Acorn and then it 'takes over'.

the last Avid i did i set threshold to 20% on Z and 25% on X and Y. I also installed longer screws in the Z axis motor mount plate.

i highly recommend the clearpath power hub to keep logic power on the axis motors during an estop event if you have the estop contactor breaking the clearpath DC supply voltage. if you don't have it wire that way you don't need it. otherwise everytime you hit estop the machine will start rehoming itself after you release estop. (and you have to remember to reset the machine home position when it is done!!! or else the travel limits will be messed up.

[bleiler60]

Thanks Keith

Just to be clear, on page 6 in TB319 under Axes Pairing, it shows in the reverse direction box of the 4th axis as as yes. Should I set it up this way?

Thanks
Bill

[Joey]

Thanks Keith

Just to be clear, on page 6 in TB319 under Axes Pairing, it shows in the reverse direction box of the 4th axis as as yes. Should I set it up this way?

Thanks
Bill

If the Slaved Gantry motor rotates in the opposite direction of the Master gantry motor to move the gantry in the same direction then Yes the 4th Axis Motor will home in the reverse direction compared to the Master.

Note: Anything done in the MSP software is directly related to the motors. There is No Centroid Software in between the MSP software and the Clearpath motor.