Having difficulty setting up work piece with limit on. I am running all updated firmware/software. I homed the machine, and homes to 0,0 in the upper left of table. I set up soft limits as instructed. When I try to setup work and start a cut, it give me an error of “out of range”. Clearly the software does not realize that work 0,0 is different then table 0,0. But I can’t figure out how to tell the software where the work is. I am clearly missing something in the setup of the work in Firecontrol.
For more information, my antiquated laptop, running W10, does not have OpenGL3.0. Nor can it. I am running 21.1.5 compatibility (until I get a better PC). So I can not view the design in the viewer pane. Also, if I turn off limits, or turn on limits, Firecontrol becomes non-responsive and THC is greyed out. I have to close, unplug USB, start up software, and plug USB back in to make it work again. An issue I am still trying to solve with Langmuir. This also occurs if any error pops up, like out of range error.
So, how do I set up the work with Firecontrol and machine at 0,0 home in upper left corner. And not get the out of range error. Please keep in mind that, obviously, I and a newby, and not real clear on where and what things are. In other words, one step at a time with details would be appreciated over one word instructions.
On another note, With limits off, and setting work 0,0 manually with jog. My first two test cuts have been impressive. Not perfect, until I dial in speed and amperage, but much better and cleaner then cutting by hand. So far HAPPY.
In Firecontrol, there are tabs for “work” and “machine” home. Machine home is the table X/Y zero in the upper left. Work home can be set anywhere on the table. Jog the torch to where you want that “work” home to be and hit “zero all axis” on the “work” tab. This spot now becomes the origin point for your drawing.
The addition of limit switches has caused a lot of confusion, since the machine homes in the upper left and most design programs use the lower left as the default “origin” location. This puts the lower left corner of your design at the upper left corner of the table and the design is effectively outside of the table limits.
If you wish to work from the machine home position, you can change the origin location in your CAM setup to the upper left. You can also easily change the origin in Firecontrol by using the “set program origin” function. If you hit that button, you will see 5 green boxes on your design. Choose the one in the upper left and your design will no longer be outside the table limits.
Setting Work home in the box is how I have been currently doing the test burns. Since I have the limit switches, just trying to see if I can make them work correctly. Rather then turning them off.
Since currently my laptop does not have OpenGL3.0, I don’t have of view of anything in the viewing box. This makes picking a corner not an option.
right now the process is
place sheet in desire location on table,
jog torch to corner of sheet, usually I have about a 1/4" space around my cut area.
click on “set program origin”, since my viewing window does not work, no boxes to select.
jog torch out of the way before testing.
turn on “dry run” and “torch off” then start for a test.
if path all looks good, turn on torch and burn away.
then look back to see the mess I made.
Have to dink with Cam more with the -Y grid placement. Including doing all the design in the -Y grid area.
You don’t have to set the program origin in Firecontrol. It’s probably already in the lower left corner. Just jog your torch to the lower left corner of your metal and zero all axis on the work tab.
Seams to defeat the purpose of “starting from machine home position” as advertise from the limit switch kit…
Does anyone know if it is possible to make the machine home in the lower left? I know there is room in the cable to mount the switch in the lower left, but can the machine be told that is where home is at?
If you want to start from “machine home”, you need to change the origin in your CAM program to be the “machine home” location. In this case that is the upper left corner.
This is not directed at you specifically but, I still don’t understand the desire to start from “machine home”. That works fine when you are only cutting one thing out of a specified size of material. When you start cutting from a sheet that has already had parts cut from it, you now have to keep track of the necessary offsets from that “machine home” position to put your parts in an unused area of the sheet and input those offsets into the CAM setup. It seems much simpler to jog the torch to an available spot and zero all axis.
True True. That all does make since and I am likely just over thinking a more simple process.
In my case, I have to cut multiple big parts from the same size sheet. A 23.5"x23.5" part cut on a 24x24 sheet. So it would be nice to set up spacer so each sheet is placed in the same place on the table each time and the machine starts in the same place each time. Of course, once the first sheet is cut, it is a matter of jogging the torch out of the way, place another sheet is same location and press play.
I need a better understanding of setting up CAM to start from machine home, make the cut and return to machine home, without manual jog.