I’m to the point of installing the limit switches in my new machine.

What is the consensus regarding the Home switch for each axis. Do you need them or the MACH3 can do this and remember it once it’s set?

Hey Nick

while Mach3 has the ability to set "soft" limits and home positions, for safety purposes, it is better to wire in physical switches. You can use 2 switches per axis, one acts as the home/limit while the other is just a limit.

Here is an example that uses 2 limit switches and a home (zero) switch for each axis, but I found it to be a fair example of how to wire the limit and home switches.

http://www.asocoamusement.net/articles/cnc_mill/images/schematic.gif

Are you still in design mode or are you actually building?

Dave

I have only limit switches.

Z axis - one switch for both + and -
Y axis - one switch for + and one for - wired in series
X axis - one switch for + and one for - wired in series

Mach3 nicely uses the limit switches for both home and limits. Works very well.

Yes mach3 will remember once home is set. You can press "ref all home" anytime you want and in will reset the location. Very easy to do.

I only use one switch per axis for Home. Most software when it knows home can have a virtual set of limits. For steppers that is all that is needed. Servo's need limit switches. Home is more important to real work than limits. Some software can also use that one switch as both a home an limit switch.