I have been trying to get my black box setup with my millennium milo machine. I have watched numerous videos that show the xyz should be in the negative when homed. if i do this and run a program than it throws an error of out of bounds (maybe no the correct term but i don't remember what it is). I got the x and y to work but my zed goes in a different direction. I have tried changing all of the inverts to the the homing max and min. I really want to get this working but i have tried numerous ways to no avail. I have tried to research but i cannot find any info. I am sure this has popped up before but i looked before i started to type. Now i am getting a differnt problem with when i home it says that they are all to zero! I think this controller is really buggy. i have had instances where it will not save certain values to my machine profile as if it wouldn't take it (to save). PLEASE HELP BEFORE I GO INSANE lol
First you need to understand the difference between MACHINE co-ordinate system (set by homing) and WORKPLACE coordinates system (XYZ zero set in the same place on your workpiece as you set the origin in your cam software). The machine coordinates system (MCS) is the main reference point that tells the controller where the corners and edge of the machine's workspace are. The workplace coordinate system (wcs - you actually have six of them but most people only use the first one) tells the controller where you put the workpiece in the machine's workspace. MCS - back, right, up corner is set as zero (regardless of where homing switches are) and coordinates become more negative as you move away from that corner. WCS - the point you set as zero is stored in the controller (even if you power off) as an offset from the MACHINE co-ordinates system. Your job is run in the workplace coordinate system and coordinate can be positive or negative relative to the zero point you set. Alex.
Also, first priority is getting movements in the correct direction. X +ve moves the tool to the right Y +ve moves the tool to the back Z +ve moves the tool up. If you use Openbuilds Control it makes it really easy to change the settings if an axis moves in the wrong direction. Alex. PS - thousands of satisfied users of the blackbox - it's not buggy or this forum would be inundated .
Thank you for your response. I understand how it works but my problem is that the controller will not work that way. its like it has a bug and will not do what it is suppose to. I have tried every which way to fool it to think that way. The zed will not comply at all. I wish I could send what my parameters are but it will not copy and paste. I have tried inverting the motors opposed to the max min and the zed just wants to go in the opposite direction. And i always get a machine out of travel error. I know its user error but I have watched others in videos doing the same but my controller will not do it. Is there another setting I need to fix? I really need to to see what others have their settings at so i can at least try from there.
we need to do this step by step (remember to reset the controller after changing and saving settings) 0 - at this point you probably need to make a backup of the settings ('grbl settings' tab, then 'backup settings' button) 1 - load a machine profile for whatever OB machine is similar to yours 2 - make sure that jogging makes each axis go in the correct direction. Z+ is up, X+ is right, Y+ is away ($3 mask setting) 3 - make sure the homing goes in the correct direction ($23 mask setting) - use this to make each axis go toward its switch when homing. in your case invert X and Y but not Z and then test. 4 - homing should work now, but max travel ie actual 0,0,0 point will be wrong, so.... 5 - adjust 'max travel' settings to suite your machine, get it close now with a tape measure then fine adjust after calibration 6 - use the calibration wizard to ensure accurate movement. Now you can test from power off: power on, home and jog should all behave correctly and then run the hello world project to test.
I have already done this. Nothing works. I have been sitting here for 3 hours changing the parameters and i keep getting an error on the zed. It says max travel but i have my travel set at 119mm. i think its the software. something is wrong. I kinda got it work earlier but now it is throwing errors. and it will not save some of my changes. i have to redo it over and over again till it does save. I am always hitting the save button. I have changed homing direction and inverted the motor over and over again but keep getting the same error.
I don't know how to do this without showing pictures of my setup. it is a normal milling machine. Idk why it will not work. i change the step invert and change the homing to max, doesn't work. i change the max to min, doesn't work. i change the invert and don't change max homing, doesn't work. there is a problem with the software nd.
the zeroing is not working too. doest go back to normal numbers when i home. just says zero on all axis
exact and complete error message please and a backup of your current settings (stop changing stuff till we figure this out).
ok so i stopped changing things. I don't know where to start from here. I know the zed isn't working correctly and i need to fix this asap.
Just scroll back up a few posts and ***CAREFULLY*** follow the advice of @David the swarfer It's not the software.
In general, Soft Limits = Disabled - best option for beginners But follow Davids post above (Post #7) step by step to check each step of commissioning a custom profile (or if its not a custom machine, but one of our kits stick to our proven profiles along with our wiring videos)
So let me get this straight. When I home the dro should read 0,0,0? I have everything going in the right direction but I was told to turn off soft limits. the machine will do an air run but the zed is still going to deep, past the machine limits. I am being conservable and adjusted the max limit to be shorter than what it will do.
Rather unlikely (almost never) Firstly DROs show WORK coordinates. (you can view work coordinates by hovering over DROs) but Homing sets MACHINE coordinates. MACHINE 0,0,0 are at Axis Maximas - regardless of where switches are. Read this WORK 0,0,0 is whereever you jog to and set them (location of stock origin, changes for every piece of stock you load on the bed after all) - and thats what the DRO shows 1) Make sure machine JOGS right - if not correct in $3 Direction Invert 2) In $23 tell grbl WHERE ARE THE SWITCHES (front left is minX, minY) (rear right is maxX, maxY) (Z should always be at Max - just stupid to home down toward the bed and guarantee to crash) Note not "where to move to" - its "where are the switches!" - Where did you put them on the machine... 3) Then Home 3) then jog to stock origin (same point you used in CAM, some cams use top of stock, front left corner, but can be bottom of stock, some other corner, center of sheet, whatever) then setzero there / use probe to setzero there
No. The DRO reads WORK coordinates - it can read pretty much anything after homing. If you hover the mouse cursor over the DRO numbers (in OpenBuilds Control), a bubble appears with the MACHINE coordinate in it - After the machine has homed, the machine will be at the pull-off distance set for the homing switches. The MACHINE coordinates will typically be something like X= -5, Y= -5, Z= -5 (for 5mm pull-off distance). Have you checked the axis calibration (steps / mm)? (Item 6 on David's list). Make sure that you have absolutely / certainly / without doubt done item 2 in David's list. (Post crossed with Peter's)
Should thus be PS: Are you also on ticket 74632 with store support? Seems very similar? If so a) lets not mix multiple communication channels - half your conversation lies over there out of view of the people trying to help you and b) per that post you have some wrongly wired switches or broken switches, fix that first before trying to get homing to work. Use the troubleshooting tab!
peter, I did the calibration when I first installed the box. I have it down to .01 tolerance. I am going to try a n air run again but this time setting my zero. fingers crossed.
ok so i ran an air run and the zed is acting fine now. But the x and y are running backwards. I told it to start in the lower left x and y but when it runs the program it goes to the opposite side. I am running the hello world gcode. In the simulation, the start of the job is upper right and mine is starting lower right.
ah yes, I see you figured it out but it is the one thing I did not mention explicitly in my list, so for completeness when some future searcher comes here: the jog directions refer to TOOL MOVEMENT relative to the work, and on a mill where the table moves it appears backwards until you think like the tool. for X+ the tool must move 'right' relative to the table, so the table goes left for Y+ the tool must move 'away', so the table comes toward you.
