I have black connected on the top and red in the middle.

 

Thanks, what did you do with the blue wire? Not needed?

 

Thanks for that ^^^!.

Do the OB switches run NO or NC? Which would you recommend? I have seen positives and negatives to both.

 

Unfortunately I don't see any printed labels next to the pins on the cnc4newbies z axis limit switch. I tried following the same connection as mentioned for the limited switches in the LEAD 1010 assembly video.

I don't have a blue wire for the limit switch. I used the same wire that would have been used for the original LEAD Z axis limit switch which was just a black and red wire.

 

If you really can't find the markings it's very easy to identify them with a meter set to continuity/resistance - continuity/low resistance =NC pair, same when switch pressed = NO.
Alex.

 

Yes I believe this looks like the same type however they attached it upside down compared to your diagram so the COM is on top and NC on the bottom. So I have black connected to the COM and red to NO.

 

I'm having a weird homing problem on my LEAD 1010 w BlackBox, and am looking for some troubleshooting tips.

Here's the sequence of events:

1. Click home (or $h)
2. Move machine to 0.5" x 0.5"x0.3" in WCS 54
3. Position is perfectly centered to a pin there
4. Move up in the Y, move back in the Y, machine no longer centered (off about +1-2 mm or so in the Y)

The really weird part (to me) is that once I do #4, it STAYS correct.

In fact, the super-kludgey workaround I am using is for all of my programs, I added a header that homes, then moves up in the Y a couple inches, then moves back, then does whatever it is going to do, and I set my WCS origin with that in mind. ie. - if I home it, and then immediately move somewhere and set an origin, then move away and come back, it will be off, but it i move it in the Y before setting the origin and make sure to always move it in the Y before running a program, the origin will remain true. The problem doesn't happen in the X or Z.

Next on my list to try is running the above cycle with OpenBuilds control instead of bCNC and trying it in mm as well as in (bCNC, grbl, the macros, and the programs are in inches now due to the procedures in our shop). After I try those, however, I am pretty stumped for what else to even look at.

Has anyone seen something like this before? Is there another forum I should post this on?

-Brady

 

Thats strange. Mine had 3 wires and uses the 3 pin connectors on all my limit switches

 

I think I got some of the last of the older limit switches with the 1010. They only had two pin connectors.

 

Yeah i guess thats what is throwing me off. I know what to do with the red and black, but not a clue where the blue singal wire is supposed to go

 

Click on the build tab above, scroll down to the videos, select the wiring one - 42' in it tells you how to connect the limit switch wiring to the blackbox - black = ground, red = positive, blue = signal.
Alex.

 

correct. I have no issues with connecting to the blackbox or knowing which color is what, but on the cnc4newbies limit switch, I don't know what to do with the blue wire. Those are always wired up with just a red and a black. Not sure if I need to tie in the signal wire with the red or black, or just stick it on the unused pin that the red and black arent connected to. So, if I am using the COM pin and the NO pin, does the blue go to NC, or does it tie in with the wire that is on NO or COM? Maybe the disconnect is that I don't know what the signal wire does?

 

The blue is the signal (NO if you are configuring the blackbox for normally open limit switches I believe - not an expert on the blackbox) red is positive. If you use a switch to connect red to black you will be connecting positive to ground.
Perhaps @Peter Van Der Walt will chip in here (he is an expert on the blackbox) and correct me if I'm wrong.
Alex.

 

perfect, exactly what I was looking for! My knowledge on limit switches/controllers and cncs is pretty limited as this is my first cnc build, so I am learning on the fly. Sorry for all the questions, but the customer support and community here is one of the main reasons I went with OB.

 

I have CNC XPro V3, external stepper motor drivers, and 24V PSU inside a plastic box with 24V fan and E-Stop switch mounted on top. I put the box at the front of my LEAD Machine. The wiring video shows the BlackBox at rear of LEAD machine. How should I mount the cable chain along Y-Axis so that the wires come out of cable chain at front of my machine?

 

Can it not just be spun around and anchored to the front instead of the rear? ie - The chain would be fully extended with the gantry at the back instead of at the front, but it should work in either direction. Then, you'd need to run the wires for the Y steppers to the front, but they don't need to be in the chain. The front Y limit switch would also not need to be run to the back. With the chain terminating in the front, the rest of the wires such as the X and Z steppers and limits, ring light, and any other attachments you have would be at the front once the chain is reversed.

 

I would agree with this. no reason you shouldnt be able to reverse it. Just double check your drag chain links to make sure the joints are bending the right way

 

Well I finally got my build almost done and was able to fire it up and run the hello world test program!

z limit switch is working great, appreciate all the help with that!

@jamin35008 did you change any steps or anything else in grbl settings for the cnc4newbie z axis?

How would one wire in a e stop button to the back box? The stop program button has a delay for me, which I think is due to my tablet just lagging.

 

That is a very good point! I also am not a fan of the E stop being only on software based. That being the case, I basically just flip the switch on my power strip that is mounted on my workbench that has all the psu plugged into it. I havent mounted it yet, so I need to make sure it is in a spot that is quickly accessible.

 

Nope. I didn't change anything and its working great.

I have been using the on/off switch on the IOT relay. The switch is located right next to the machine and my laptop. Is that okay to use as an estop or should I consider getting a big red button and place it between the power outlet and the IOT?


Also, the other day I was surfacing three boards I laminated together for an upcoming project and noticed that my 1" surfacing bit was leaving step marks. I did surface my wasteboard several months ago with no issues so I know its square to the machine so I'm thinking my router needed tramming. I found the method in the attached photos of using a board with a bolt in one end and a router bit in the other. The distance the bolt is from the surface will show how the router is sitting and whether its level or not by swinging the board around in a circle. Where the bolt is hitting the surface or low spot will indicate which way the top if the router is leaning.

It was eye opening of how far out of alignment my router was!

I adjusted the router by loosening the two screws on the front of the router mount, moving and leveling the router by eye and trying the tramming test again. This took several attempts before getting the bolt to within about 1mm deviation from the high and low spots which would mean its even less at the router bit.

Is there an easier/better way to tram the router without having to mess with the screws on the router mount and moving the router by hand? Its hard to get very fine adjustments doing it this way. Every time I want make a fine adjustment I end up moving it way to much and having to start all over again. Thanks!

 

Good to hear about the Z axis working with no changes!

As far as tramming I am curious about this as well. I am using the Makita router with a 3D printed spacer, so I assume I will be going through the same process you are.

 

I'm working on a gadget that might help with this - I couldn't work out how you could hold the router mount still to tighten screws after adjustment. Gadget is printing at the moment, so will be a day or two before I know whether it's any use. Will post in resources if it works.
Alex.