Woodturn, If your screws are like mine and are origional then they should be a 2.5mm pitch that is .098425197 per revolution. With the way they have the end bearing mounts setup and how the backlash nuts are mounted I would be supprised if they were binding but you never know. I would try to see if this was the issue by loosening up the gibb adjustments and also the anit-backlash nut and reomove the stepper you have mounted. Then try turning the coupler you have installed by and to each end of the travel of the table. Does it seem like it is binding? THen slowly start to tighten everything back down in small incriments while turning the coupler from one end of the travel to the other. I know this will get old but it is the best way I figure to track down if you have a binding issue in your setup or not. If you removed anything just make sure you get all peices back where they were when you re-assemble.
As for the limit switches. If you are using Mach software you will be running the limit switches to the computer. This means through your breakout board. I believe the Xylotex board has terminals for you to use for inputs. So in that case you would run them to the Xylotex board. There documentation should describe this. You also need to keep in mind how many pins you are going to use up in your limit switch method. If you loop the (+) and (-) switches together then you will only use up 3 input pins for your six limiti switches. But if you want to have independant + and - inputs into mach then you need 6 available input pins into the computer. THis may mean a 2nd parallel port card in your pc. This is the method I am most likely going with due to other inputs I will be using.
I attached my wiring diagram that I am going to use for my new limit switches once I get the new mounts made. I ran it past the electronics guru that is helping me on this project and he said it looked like it should work good. It uses a continuous +5v signal through the switches. That way if a switch gets tripped or wire gets cut the machine will stop. If you use a +5v when the switch is activated then you run the risk of a wire being cut and you not know it and the machine runs through the limit and crashes. ...That would be bad!
Last night I got the power supply mounted back into the controller cabnet and I preped for mounting the drivers. I just need to go pick up some standoff material and I will have the drivers mounted and set to go.
Hopefully I will get this done tonight.
AC |