UGS Platform doesn't home.

As a result of the USB errors I get using Estlcam (mentioned in my previous thread), I am attempting to use UGS Platform. For some reason, when I try to home the machine, it moves right through the end switches and doesn't stop. I can home just fine using Estlcam. I know Estlcam makes changes to the firmware, but I don't know what it does. I do have to restore the old firmware to get UGS to communicate with the controller. I am using GRBL 1.1F.

 

It is enabled. Along with hard limits. UGS will throw an error if you try to home without it enables.

 

I did restore. UGS won't connect with Estlcam firmware.

**** Connected to COM4 @ 115200 baud ****
Grbl 1.1e ['$' for help]
>>> $$
$0 = 5 (Step pulse time, microseconds)
$1 = 25 (Step idle delay, milliseconds)
$2 = 0 (Step pulse invert, mask)
$3 = 0 (Step direction invert, mask)
$4 = 0 (Invert step enable pin, boolean)
$5 = 0 (Invert limit pins, boolean)
$6 = 1 (Invert probe pin, boolean)
$10 = 1 (Status report options, mask)
$11 = 0.010 (Junction deviation, millimeters)
$12 = 0.002 (Arc tolerance, millimeters)
$13 = 1 (Report in inches, boolean)
$20 = 0 (Soft limits enable, boolean)
$21 = 1 (Hard limits enable, boolean)
$22 = 1 (Homing cycle enable, boolean)
$23 = 4 (Homing direction invert, mask)
$24 = 500.000 (Homing locate feed rate, mm/min)
$25 = 8000.000 (Homing search seek rate, mm/min)
$26 = 5 (Homing switch debounce delay, milliseconds)
$27 = 500.000 (Homing switch pull-off distance, millimeters)
$30 = 10000 (Maximum spindle speed, RPM)
$31 = 0 (Minimum spindle speed, RPM)
$32 = 0 (Laser-mode enable, boolean)
$100 = 80.000 (X-axis travel resolution, step/mm)
$101 = 80.000 (Y-axis travel resolution, step/mm)
$102 = 250.000 (Z-axis travel resolution, step/mm)
$110 = 500.000 (X-axis maximum rate, mm/min)
$111 = 500.000 (Y-axis maximum rate, mm/min)
$112 = 500.000 (Z-axis maximum rate, mm/min)
$120 = 800.000 (X-axis acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$121 = 800.000 (Y-axis acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$122 = 82.550 (Z-axis acceleration, mm/sec^2)
$130 = 307.975 (X-axis maximum travel, millimeters)
$131 = 630.377 (Y-axis maximum travel, millimeters)
$132 = 82.500 (Z-axis maximum travel, millimeters)
ok

Using a Windows 10 PC. AMD Athlon 5350 with 2 GB Ram.

USB suspend was enabled. I have disabled it and will test the change.

Baud 115200.

I will reinstall drivers and report back.

What exactly am I following in the instructions you linked?

 

Ok. I have reinstalled the USB drivers, disabled USB suspend, and rebooted. UGS still doesn't react to the end switches.

 

Ok. I'll try the new settings for seek speed and pull off when I get home.

I don't remember if I ever set the steps after I installed the latest grbl firmware. I'll dig I to that some more tonight.

My x and y are belts and my z is a screw.

 

My microsteps are 1/8. I am trying to calibrate the steps using the wizard. I'm not quite sure I understand it. Is the wizard trying to move the axis in 1mm increments and I adjust the steps until that occurs?

 

Ok. So the first thing I did was to change the seek and pull off settings. That seemed to work at first. But when I went to change the homing direction invert setting to the machine homed in the correct direction, it stopped working. After that is when I went through the setup wizard. I think I have the steps set correctly. When at the screen to home, the Z axis would move in the opposite direction it should and would stop after about 1 cm of movement. If I kept at it until it made it to the endstop, the endstop would not react.

 

I have optocouplers on the way. I have my Z home set to positive. I verified this by jogging the machine and it travels the correct direction that way.

 

Tonight, I tried a GRBL controller on my phone. When attempting to home, the Z traveled in the wrong direction and I received an error stating that it was unable to clear the end switch. So it sounds like the controller believes the end switch is still engaged. I suppose that is a noise issue and I'll have to wait until my optocouplers arrive for that. It's strange that Estlcam doesn't have this issue though.

 

I think I figured it out. The Z limit switch pin on the arduino is not operational. I checked the Z limit switch plugged into other locations and it works. I tried other limit switches plugged into the Z pins on the shield and they dont work. I did the same directly to the arduino with the same behavior.

 

I just installed optocouplers for the limit switches.

 

It's an old PC and it doesn't need any more RAM than what it has.

 

I tested the pinout on the arduino itself. No voltage. Currently have a Keyestudio CNC shield plugged in.

 

‍♂️ I think you are correct here. The new shields use D12, right? This Keyestudio and this other Chinese shield are marked as using D11 for the Z end switch. I have a feeling that the Estlecam firmware was accounting for this and that is why it worked.

 

Ok. I was able to get the original firmware onto the controller. Even though it is GRBL 1.1, I think they modified it to work with the old pin layout. I'm going to look for a real version 3 CNC shield. The good news here is that I am able to get the machine to home in UGS. I appreciate the help in getting this sorted out. I'm certainl;y learning the ins and outs of everything through this process.

 

Yeah, I don't have those kinds of plans for this CNC right now. Should I advance to that kind of thing, I'll make the necessary upgrades.

 

BTW, any advice on where to find a legit GRBL .9+ compatible shield?