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Taking the CNC Plunge
- Thread starter TomS
- Start date
I reread the UC100 installation manual and did not find any reference to configuring limit or homing switches. I did find that the I/O monitoring screen has a "home" indicator light. I'll check to see if it lights up when I home. If it doesn't then it could be a UC100 problem.
Tom S
The homing light on the UC100 screen lights up when the switch is tripped while homing. Wasn't able to make any more progress today because the UC100 errors are back. Jeez, will it ever end!
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2013
- Messages
- 1,849
If I recall you are running the UC100 through a USB hub? If so try taking the UC100 out of the hub and directly to a USB port.
Thanks for the suggestion but I was able to fix it by doing a clean boot of my computer. Evidently there was a program running in the background that was sucking up memory. Unfortunately I don't have enough computer savy to figure out what program was causing the problem.
Today was a good day. I fixed the UC100 problem and did my first CNC machining job. The mill worked flawlessly except the X and Y motors got very hot. So hot that you couldn't keep your hands on them longer than an instant. I think it may be a driver dip switch setting but will need to do more searching and reading before reaching a conclusion.
Here's my first try at CNC machining. I used a piece from my scrap bin so disregard the turned section at the top of the part. The drawing was made for a part that is twice as long as the one in the picture so that's why it looks the way it does. This is not a functional item just some g-code to see if I got the processes right.
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2014
- Messages
- 11,176
Check the idle current settings, maybe back down the operating current a bit and see what happens. Sounds like the motors are being driven over current.
Thanks for the tip. I was thinking along those lines as well. My motor voltage and current specs are 5.7V and Current 3.5A/phase. I need to check but the dip switches are supposedly set at off, off, and on for switches 1 thru 3. According to the chart on the driver these settings are for 4.9A peak and 3.5A RMS. Switch 4 is off which is the half current setting. The next lower current setting is 4.2A peak and 3.0A RMS. I'll try that and see if the motors run cooler.
Tom S
That part was cut without coolant. I've got a fog buster on my other mill that I will transfer over. Before I get too involved I've got to make an enclosure to contain the chips. Don't want any stray chips getting into the electronics.
Tom