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Thread: Camsoft

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2004
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    17

    Question Camsoft

    I am setting up Camsoft lite on a 3 axis router and I am having trouble getting it to stop on my home limit switch. I use the waituntil #32=0 command in my program but the machine does not stop when it hits it. I can see in the diagnostics screen when i physically hit the switch myself that its state changes but the program does not respond, any help?

  2. #2
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    Mar 2004
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    1543
    This is going to take some investigation. Until you get experience, this is where the great techs at camsoft are worth their weight in gold.

    Some comments:

    Why is your home switch on input 32? Should be on 1, 2, 3, or 4.


    Try to replace the WAITUNTIL with a loop and message to make sure where you're at in the code.

    :LOOPTRIAL
    IF #32=1 THEN MESSAGE In Loop:SLEEP 0.1:GOTO :LOOPTRIAL
    MESSAGE Just finished Loop


    Learn to read your Logfile. This takes a lot of study but once you're on to it, you can quickly diagnose most every logic error.

    Keep in mind its something simple and stupid. I know this because it always is. Actually, not always. I found one really complex problem and proved it, ONCE. That's out of 100,000s of problems.

    Karl

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    4826
    I would agree with Karl. I think I found WAITUNTIL was flakey at detecting I/O events. The only place I used it was:
    WAITUNTIL STOP
    to ensure that axis motion had stopped before logic continues.

    Do you not have any encoders on your machine? I'd be leery of using something as crude as a switch for an exact, repeatable home detection. It could be a shame to sweat writing the logic, only to never have it perform to expectations.
    First you get good, then you get fast. Then grouchiness sets in.

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  4. #4
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    May 2004
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    I have encoders on this machine and just to see if it would work I set up in my inputio file to make the machine stop if #32 was detected and the machine would stop but not when asking a program to run do I need some logic somewhere else I have even tried asking if #1 detectd to stop and that did not work either

  5. #5
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    May 2004
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    To help you understand I am using a DMC-1842 Galil motion card
    And a Contect pio 16/16T I/O board and that is where the X home limit switch is wired.
    We also have reversed the sensing to the limit switches, what is strange is that I see #32 light up in the diagnostics screen.

  6. #6
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    Dec 2003
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    Its been some years since I used Camsoft, but I use Galil all the time, and they have three dedicated commands and dedicated inputs just for homing.
    They are FE - find edge, FI - find index, or HM - home, Which encompasses them all.
    The direction it homes in depends on the logic level of the dedicated home input, i.e. 1 or 0.
    Check the 18x2 manual.
    Al.
    CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design

    “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
    Albert E.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Al_The_Man View Post
    Its been some years since I used Camsoft, but I use Galil all the time, and they have three dedicated commands and dedicated inputs just for homing.
    They are FE - find edge, FI - find index, or HM - home, Which encompasses them all.
    The direction it homes in depends on the logic level of the dedicated home input, i.e. 1 or 0.
    Check the 18x2 manual.
    Al.
    I used native galil commands for my homing routine on my CHNC lathe. here it is:

    [[HOMEALL]] 'home routine with native Galil commands
    LOADING \55:IF \55=0 THEN EXIT
    IF#43=0THENMESSAGE Reset Estop
    IF#43=0THEN EXIT
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . start of [HOMEALL]
    WAITUNTIL STOP2
    COMMAND SH 'SH mnakes sure servos are on
    COMMAND SP5000 'set slew speed
    COMMAND CN 1,-1 'configure limit switches the -1 drives motor in reverse direction
    COMMAND FEX 'Find Edge X axis
    COMMAND BGX 'BeGin motion X axis
    SLEEP .5
    WAITUNTIL STOP1
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . FOUND ZHOME
    COMMAND SP1200 'set slew speed
    COMMAND CN 1,-1 'configure limit switches the -1 drives motor in reverse direction
    COMMAND FEX 'Find Edge X axis
    COMMAND BGX 'BeGin motion X axis
    SLEEP .5
    WAITUNTIL STOP1
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . OFF ZHOME
    COMMAND SP500 'set slew speed
    COMMAND JG-400 'JOG X axis at -400 Don't know if this is really needed
    COMMAND FIX 'Find Index mark X axis
    COMMAND BGX 'BeGin motion X axis
    SLEEP .5
    WAITUNTIL STOP1
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . FOUND Z INDEX
    COMMAND SP,2500 'set slew speed
    COMMAND CN 1,-1 'configure limit switches the -1 drives motor in reverse direction
    COMMAND FEY 'Find Edge Y axis
    COMMAND BGY 'BeGin motion Y axis
    SLEEP .5
    WAITUNTIL STOP2
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . FOUND HOMEX
    COMMAND SP,400 'set slew speed
    COMMAND CN 1,-1 'configure limit switches the -1 drives motor in reverse direction
    COMMAND FEY 'Find Edge Y axis
    COMMAND BGY 'BeGin motion Y axis
    SLEEP .5
    WAITUNTIL STOP2
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . OFF HOMEX
    COMMAND SP,400 'set slew speed
    COMMAND JG,100 'JOG X axis at 100 Don't know if this is really needed
    COMMAND FIY ''Find Index mark Y axis
    COMMAND BGY 'BeGin motion Y axis
    SLEEP .5
    WAITUNTIL STOP2
    IF \140=1 THEN MESSAGE . FOUND X INDEX
    MACHZERO 0;0
    'MACHDISP 'make axis display in machine coordinates COMMENTED OUT 12 12 06
    COMMAND CN 1,1 'configure limit switches back as needed for rest of program
    LIGHT 5;ON 'turn machine homed light on
    MESSAGE MACHINE IS HOME
    MESSAGE Push Tool Number Button
    MESSAGE to load tooloffset
    \38=1 'set flag for machine homed
    ABSDISP 'change to Absolute display changed 12 12 06

  8. #8
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    Unless it is some odd ball homing needed, I tend to use the HM as it does it all in one command, for sequential homing, the BGX,BGY,BGZ etc can be sent sequentially.
    Al.
    CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design

    “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
    Albert E.

  9. #9
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    1543
    Quote Originally Posted by Al_The_Man View Post
    Unless it is some odd ball homing needed, I tend to use the HM as it does it all in one command, for sequential homing, the BGX,BGY,BGZ etc can be sent sequentially.
    Al.
    Its only been four years sence I wrote this, so it took a while to remember why its so complex and why i went native galil. Luck of the draw had the Z index very close to the home limit switch. If the machine was close, like already at home (normal shutdown position) it would home to one spot. If it was a long ways away, the machine would get up to full speed and stop on the other side of the index pulse. This caused it to home one revolution of the screw different.

    So, this routine comes in fast, finds the home limit again at slow speed, then finds the index pulse.

    Karl

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnwaa View Post
    To help you understand I am using a DMC-1842 Galil motion card
    And a Contect pio 16/16T I/O board and that is where the X home limit switch is wired.
    We also have reversed the sensing to the limit switches, what is strange is that I see #32 light up in the diagnostics screen.
    I can't see any good reason to wire your home switches to the contec card. You're wasting your I/O plus disabling the galil homing routine. The only possible reason I see is that the home switch would need an opto isolator. the home input needs 5 volt.

    reverse sensing of limit switches is pretty standard.

    Karl

  11. #11
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    May 2004
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    We have changed our limit switches to a 24 volt system that is why they are not on the galil card.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnwaa View Post
    We have changed our limit switches to a 24 volt system that is why they are not on the galil card.
    IMHO, you're making trouble for yourself. Optos cost like $1.50 each on eBay. For myself, I just buy the Opto22 brand and put them all on Opto 22 board. then you get a nice LED to show operation and have everything mounted real neat.

    Karl

  13. #13
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    May 2005
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    109
    What break out board are you using icm-1900 or the icm-2900 and do you have the opto isolation option, because they can accept up to 24volts if you set them up right

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Karl_T View Post
    Its only been four years sence I wrote this, so it took a while to remember why its so complex and why i went native galil. Luck of the draw had the Z index very close to the home limit switch. If the machine was close, like already at home (normal shutdown position) it would home to one spot. If it was a long ways away, the machine would get up to full speed and stop on the other side of the index pulse. This caused it to home one revolution of the screw different.

    So, this routine comes in fast, finds the home limit again at slow speed, then finds the index pulse.

    Karl
    I looked at the HM command. I wasted my time four years ago. Galil HM does exactly what I programmed with one command line.

    Karl

  15. #15
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    May 2004
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    we are currently wiring the machine the way you guys have suggested. Thanks a lot for all of the help, just reading your older posts has really helped me out.

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