After a cut, we are losing z axis control. I have to unplug usb to electronics box and plug back in. Any suggestions?
I was having the same problem earlier today- no control of the Z but it would move up with each jog of the Y axis.
Both issues only after the cut completes…
The only time that you wouldn’t get direct Z-axis control is when THC is taking over the Z-axis moves. This will happen during a cut and THC is activated between H1 (turns on) and H0 (turns off) snippets in the code. Next time this happens, can you physically lift up on your torch to trip the IHS switch; If the torch does a move upward by 0.060" it means that THC still has control of the Z-axis. Also, it might be worth looking at your g-code just to make sure that your H0’s and H1’s are configured properly.
The other manifestation of this issue could be the noise issue that so many others are seeing. Fortunately we are mailing out snap-on ferrite chokes to everyone this week that will solve any of these noise related issues and make it easier for us to troubleshoot any acutally issues with the machine functionality.
That is interesting! Mine isn’t doing that.
I have THC off right now. We don’t even have the plasma cutter on.
THC would not have to be on for the Motion Controller to see that THC should be on (with an H1 code) for it to have control. Are you able to post your g-code here?
Here it is:
G90 G94
G17
G20 (Units: Inches)
H0
G0 X1.016 Y0.4864
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5.0 F100.0
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5.0 F14.286
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.02 (IHS Backlash)
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P1.25
G1 Z0.08 F3.837 (Cut Height)
H1
G3 X1.176 Y0.3264 I0.16 J-0.0 F65.0
G3 X1.6674 Y0.8252 I-0.0015 J0.4929
G1 Y1.1876
G3 X1.176 Y1.6736 I-0.4928 J-0.0068
G1 X0.3326
G1 Y0.3264
G1 X1.176
G3 X1.196 Y0.3268 I-0.0015 J0.4929
G3 X1.2572 Y0.3936 I-0.0028 J0.0639
H0
M5
G0 Z1.0
G0 X2.0275 Y2.25
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5.0 F100.0
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5.0 F14.286
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.02 (IHS Backlash)
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P1.5
G1 Z0.08 F3.837 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 Y2.0 F85.0
G1 Y0.0
G2 X2.0 Y-0.0275 I-0.0275 J0.0
G1 X0.0
G2 X-0.0275 Y0.0 I0.0 J0.0275
G1 Y2.0
G2 X0.0 Y2.0275 I0.0275 J0.0
G1 X2.0
G1 X2.1
M5 M30
(PS85)
It looks like you are missing an H0 after the final cut. Can you copy and paste the code below and save in a notepad and try running it with the plasma cutter off?
G90 G94
G17
G20 (Units: Inches)
H0
G0 X1.016 Y0.4864
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5.0 F100.0
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5.0 F14.286
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.02 (IHS Backlash)
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P1.25
G1 Z0.08 F3.837 (Cut Height)
H1
G3 X1.176 Y0.3264 I0.16 J-0.0 F65.0
G3 X1.6674 Y0.8252 I-0.0015 J0.4929
G1 Y1.1876
G3 X1.176 Y1.6736 I-0.4928 J-0.0068
G1 X0.3326
G1 Y0.3264
G1 X1.176
G3 X1.196 Y0.3268 I-0.0015 J0.4929
G3 X1.2572 Y0.3936 I-0.0028 J0.0639
H0
M5
G0 Z1.0
G0 X2.0275 Y2.25
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5.0 F100.0
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5.0 F14.286
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.02 (IHS Backlash)
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P1.5
G1 Z0.08 F3.837 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 Y2.0 F85.0
G1 Y0.0
G2 X2.0 Y-0.0275 I-0.0275 J0.0
G1 X0.0
G2 X-0.0275 Y0.0 I0.0 J0.0275
G1 Y2.0
G2 X0.0 Y2.0275 I0.0275 J0.0
G1 X2.0
G1 X2.1
M5
H0
M30
(PS85)
Yes, I just ran it and it worked. I am using Sheetcam. Am I missing a setting somewhere?
Not sure why this happened to you but we will do some more testing on our post processor for SheetCAM early next week. It would be helpful if you could email us your dxf file to support@langmuirsystems.com so that we can try and replicate the issue.
In the meantime, the easiest fix would be to add the H0 manually at the end of your programs like I did in the above example. Hope this helps!
Ok! I will email it here shortly. Thank you!
Same issue here (I think). No HO after final cut. I’m using Fusion 360.
After the cut completes, the Z axis DRO shows a change with each input, but the machine doesn’t move. I blame the Wuhan virus…
(Cut)
G90 G94
G17
G20
H0
(2D Profile1)
G0 X0.6558 Y1.3765
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5. F5.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.04 (IHS Springback + Backlash)
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P0.5
G0 Z0.063 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 X0.852 Y1.3928 F150.
G3 X0.228 Y1.6872 I-0.312 J0.1472
G3 X0.852 Y1.3928 I0.312 J-0.1472
H0
M5
G0 Z1.
G0 X1.4725 Y0.7336
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5. F5.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.04 (IHS Springback + Backlash)
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P0.5
G0 Z0.063 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 X1.643 Y0.8321 F150.
G1 Y0.9727
G1 X1.24 Y1.2054
G1 X0.837 Y0.9727
G1 Y0.5073
G1 X1.24 Y0.2746
G1 X1.643 Y0.5073
G1 Y0.8321
H0
M5
G0 Z1.
G0 X2.2405 Y0.9305
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5. F5.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.04 (IHS Springback + Backlash)
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P0.5
G0 Z0.063 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 X2.07 Y0.8321 F150.
G1 Y0.04
G2 X2.04 Y0.01 I-0.03 J0.
G1 X0.54
G2 X0.01 Y0.54 I0. J0.53
G1 Y2.04
G2 X0.04 Y2.07 I0.03 J0.
G1 X1.54
G2 X2.07 Y1.54 I0. J-0.53
G1 Y0.8321
M30
(PS150)
Adding the code fixes that.
But also notice the torch is not lifting up after the torch turns off.
Mike-- Along this line what happens if your g-code is built with H1 commands but you turn it off in Firecontrol? Does it just ignore them? Also, the second G38.2 touchoff slows the Z axis feed to 14.286ipm. Is this optimum for all X & Y feedrates?
In what program do I add the code? Fusion 360? FireControl? NotePad?
I’m assuming this is something that will be fixed in either a post processor or FireControl update and hopefully soon as tonight, I created an additional setup/ cut for a tiny loop in a monogram name sign and when the first setup completed, the torch stayed down and on and sliced it’s way to the start of the loop in the second setup.
You can edit GCode in any text editor of your choosing. I don’t have my machine yet so Firecontrol won’t load a GCode file, however from reading the documentation it does not look like you can use Firecontrol to edit GCode. So use Nodepad or any other text editor to place H0 code.
Alternatively IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE editing posts you can try these modifications:
for SheetCAM users you could edit the post and add this to line 33
post.Text (“H0\n”) – thc OFF, Machine in control of Z
so the OnFinish() method looks like
function OnFinish()
post.Text ("H0\n") -- thc OFF, Machine in control of Z
post.Text ("M5 M30\n")
post.Text ("(PS" .. programSpeed .. ")\n")
end
For Fusion edit line 592 of the post so the onClose method looks like:
function onClose() {
// Force THC OFF
writeln("H0");
writeBlock(mFormat.format(30));
writeComment("PS" + Math.floor(maxCuttingFeedRate));
}
In both cases all I did was add the H0 to the end to force the THC off, since it appears that a final PenUp event is not being done by the CAM processor for some reason. Again wait for official new post if you are not comfortable doing these edits.
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Greg9504,
I’m probably not comfortable editing the post processor but okay with editing the GCode. I figured out Fusion uses Note Pad as the editor and saves any changes to the created .nc file.
One more question. What code should I add after the first proflie cut and before the second so I don’t have the same problem? H0 M5 G0 Z1.?
(heres’s the last four lines of 1st profile cut and the whole profile 2)…
G1 X18.1936 Y4.7348
G1 X18.1849 Y4.7347
G1 X18.2601 Y4.558
G1 X18.3562 Y4.5462
(2D Profile2)
G0 X19.1899 Y7.2088
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5. F5.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.04 (IHS Springback + Backlash)
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P0.5
G0 Z0.063 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 X19.1979 Y7.2377
G3 X19.0343 Y7.2788 I-0.9031 J-3.2501
G3 X18.9147 Y7.3007 I-0.5855 J-2.856
G3 X18.8366 Y7.2825 I-0.005 J-0.1554
G3 X18.801 Y7.2365 I0.0461 J-0.0724
G3 X18.7829 Y7.1787 I0.2983 J-0.1253
G1 X19.3896
G2 X19.2624 Y7.2187 I0.6706 J2.3557
G3 X19.1979 Y7.2378 I-0.6926 J-2.224
H0
M5
G0 Z1.
G0 X20.2608 Y10.1531
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.3
G38.2 Z-5. F5.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.04 (IHS Springback + Backlash)
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P0.5
G0 Z0.063 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 X20.2507 Y10.1248 F125.
G3 X20.3664 Y10.0931 I0.2209 J0.5781
G3 X20.4597 Y10.1065 I0.0215 J0.1812
G3 X20.5098 Y10.1598 I-0.0483 J0.0954
G3 X20.5285 Y10.2047 I-0.263 J0.1363
G1 X20.017
G2 X20.239 Y10.1289 I-0.5334 J-1.9246
G1 X20.249 Y10.1254
G1 X20.2507 Y10.1248
M30
(PS125)
Greg9504, You must be a software guy. Thanks for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it.
Mike, uh I mean Blue_Steel 
I’m starting to miss my original CrossFire…
Sorry, was outside cleaning my garage all day trying to make room for the table…
Can you attach the complete gcode file? Are the 2 ‘profiles’ in one drawing that you posted?
FWIW this is a minor issue with the gcode gen, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. A working THC will make you forget the original in short amount of time.
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I’ll attach the file. Ahrens Monogram Final.nc (54.1 KB)
Yes, both profiles are in the one drawing. I create the second with a different small kerf tool to be able to cut the small loops in the design. Not sure if there is a better way to do it but it has always worked for me before.
Again, I appreciate you looking at this for me and taking the time.
At the end of profile one add:
G1 X18.3562 Y4.5462 (existing line)
H0
M5
G0 Z1.
(2D Profile2) (existing line)
H0 returns control of Z to controller (turns off THC)
M5 turns off Torch
G0 Z1. does rapid move of Z up 1"
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