Z Minus = Quill Up ???

[JimDawson]

I am installing a couple of used 5' x 10' MultiCam routers for a customer. I got one of them running today. Tried some air cutting just to test the system and found the Z axis was moving up on a Z minus move. I went back through and double checked everything, then read through the documentation. That's the way it's supposed to be according to MultiCam. No way to change it that I can see.

It turns out that in MultiCam's world, a Z minus move is away from the work (up in this case). Every other CNC system on the planet has Z minus moving towards the work. Took me awhile to get my head around that one. The X & Y moves are in the expected directions. Gonna have to be really careful developing the G-code to run these machines.

 

[Karl_T]

MAN, there's GOT to be a way to change that. You know CNCs as well as myself so I won't bother to list the methods. I would not leave a machine bass ackwards.

My two cents.

Karl

 

[JimDawson]

I know, it's the craziest thing I've seen in awhile. Short of rewiring the servo and inverting the encoder feedback, there is no way to change it. Even this might be a problem if the the motors have Hall sensors in them, not sure about that. There is no way I can get in and change the firmware in the controller. Why MultiCam did it this way is beyond me.

I posted this problem on the CamBam forum, and it turns out that you can modify the post processor to invert the move directions. {$_zneg} vs {$_z} so life is good.