Hey Guys, We are running a LEAD 1010 machine and recently added the Openbuilds XYZ probe. We are getting errant Z behavior when we use it with Easel software. I realize Easel is not OpenBuilds product but. Hope someone else may have slain this Dragon. Thanks
Sure, so when I installed the probe I opened Openbuilds (control?) Positioned the probe,attached the magnetic clip to the collet,touched the probe to the bit and got green light. I launched probe and it gave me XY and Z. I thought this meant I had installed properly. Next I closed Openbuilds and launched Easel. There software apparently only proves for Z. So I took what I could get, it seemed to properly probe Z and I stated a job. The simple job was a circle in practice mdf. When the job launched the spindle moved about 2 inches And then stopped momentarily. Came back on and started to cut. However it cut at roughly twice the programmed depth for the first pass. I thought it corrected on the next few passes but found it actually cut completely thru and into the spoil board. So I am proceeding on the premise that I got the hardware installed properly and now have a software issue with Easel. Make sense? Thanks
You need to set the dimensions of the probe somewhere in Easel. In OB Control software, they already define the dimensions of the probe.
Alternatively, do the probing, zeroing and running of the Job in CONTROL, after exporting your gcode to file, using Easel only as a CAM.
Ok, let me look around a bit. We are talking width, length and depth right? And the probe is inset to rest on the workpiece so depth would be from top of probe to top of workpiece?
I went through the config options for the free version of easel, and could not find any settings to set the dimensions of the probe.. may be limited to the pro version. But yes, you need to set the thickness of the probe so the easel software knows the offset to set. It would be easier to use the OB control software, just export the gcode from easel (probably the better option). I use the Control software as well, although mine yells at me about some errors (which does not stop it from working) because I am using a different version of grbl with custom code
Thanks. I am back at the machine but have new gremlins. Now the router stopped. I have it plugged thru the digital logger. If I plug it directly to power it runs fine? Any ideas what that suggest?
Does Easel include the correct spindle commands. M3S1000 Router plugged into correct port on the IoT relay (Normally Off)
Hummm, so it is normally plugged into the normally on plug (don't really know why. Someone else set this up. I am trying to get up to speed.) I tried the plug you suggested (normally off). Got nothing and went back to the first plug. Now it seems to be working?
So I rebooted it all. But now it seems if I press down harder on the rocker switch on the digital logger I can get it to power on. I feel like I have to many variables to troubleshoot. Could some kind of short in the logger have introduced the z height and power issues intermittently....should I try and take it out of the loop?
Update, we pulled the IOT relay out of the loop and changed the brushes in the router for good measure. That seems to have stopped the intermittent stuff. Will get back to the probe issue tomorrow.!
Note Normally ON, turns OFF when it gets the signal. If you want it to be under manual control, plug it into the Wall If you want it to start automatically, plug it into NORMALLY OFF (Turns ON when it gets the signal) and keep the router power switch on so the Relay can do the switching Seems Easel only allows their probe, not 3rd party. So do the probing in CONTROL.
FYI, I just got this reply back from the inventables folks: "An issue you might come up against is a z-axis inaccuracy. Easel requires you to go through a setup walkthrough to configure the firmware, but the only z-axis options when configuring are those we have on our machines. That may change your $102 steps/mm setting which controls the accuracy of your z-axis. For safety concerns, Easel requires you to select a z-axis setting, so, unfortunately, there's no way around this. However, you would simply need to take note of the $102 setting in your current communication/control program by sending the $$ command, and then once you've completed the Easel setup walkthrough you'll change that back. You can send commands directly to your controller using the console in Easel's Machine Inspector (Machine Menu > Advanced > Machine Inspector)." Not to belabor the point, but just to make sure I understand their response . Is the $102 setting what is generated after I probe in Control. If so it would seem that they are saying use our probe and cut and paste in the resulting setting following their machine setup. Did I get that right?
No, that is Steps per MM in Grbl Settings, set by machine profile and fine tuned from Wizards and Tools > Calibration. Read the following gnea/grbl (Actually the whole Grbl wiki is a good read to help with the learning curve) Their answer looks like a canned response assuming you have their machines and their probe. Our ecosystem is more open to 3rd party parts, we allow custom probes, not just ours (;
Just do what most do.. design in Easel or whatever tool you want to use.. export the gcode and use control. works really well for quick connect to my laptop and run a small job. At times I use my RPI with cncjs, but my rpi has been flakey lately (I think the POE hat decided it did not want to live anymore.. intermittently...)
So I gave up on the Z Probe in Easel but I seem to still have issues with my Z height. I decided to delete and restore the machine settings in Easel configuration. They ask about my "Motion Controller" and offer two choices: Arduino & GShield or X-Controller In that I am using the Openbuilds BlackBox which is the correct option? Thanks
Arduino and gshield... Since I do believe the blackbox is basically an Arduino. I'm not sure what the x controller is (maybe the legacy Xpro v4??)
Use CONTROL to setup Grbl Settings. Use Easel ONLY as a CAM. Never even let it dare connect to your controller
Will do. Hopefully I can get back to working with the CNC rather than working on it! Just to check my thought process: After trying to integrate the Z probe in Easel I gave up and went back to manually setting XYZ. After that I ran a job on a plywood price with a depth of .457. I set the cut full depth but it only cut about 2/3's of the way thru. I thought I was off on the Z zero so I rechecked it and ran again. Still short. So I faked it out by setting the depth of the material to .5 and it cut thru. Does this suggest that my Z height was somehow corrupted and needs to be recalibrated? Just want to make sure I am heading the right way before I start digging in...... Thanks
