Wiring chaos! (mostly a rant!)

[the.sniper]

All,
For what its worth.
My setup Taig 4 axis, 230 steppers, Xylotex Controller with Relays for
Spindle, and flood control as well as a DC variable motor setup.
All running Mach 3.

All this was and has been running for some 2-3 years now.
I decided to build a new cabinet. but avoid the rewiring for some later time.
well as it turns out I get to the wiring part and decide what the heck I should just deal with most of it now. So I proceed to replace most of the cabling. Some of it just gets shortened. but most replaced.

I finish up the job. and and proceed to complete most of the cabinet.
a few days later. I fire up the mill to test everything. and drill down my check list in Mach. every thing seems ok till my X Axis won't home properly.

I get the warning that my axis's are not happy. So i check in the Diagnostics section. Every thing look good. But I decide to Ref all the Axis's
Z and Y work flawlessly. But X sometimes say the Limit switch has been activated!? wtf!? So I replace it... Same test... Same bad results.

So I go thru Mach resetting everything. Same results.
Then I swap Parallel inputs on my controller thinking it could be the port...
Same bad results...
Then I thought hey maybe its the resistor fried... replace it ...
Nope same bad results.
Im pretty fried by this time as my time is limited and up till now I have about
6-7 hours in this.
So in a bold move I remove the entire X limit switch and its wiring and test it
on the bench.... Hmm seems ok...
I put it back on. and Same bad results... Then I I thought perhaps its getting some weird grounding issue. So, I isolate the entire switch and roller with some tape.
Same results. The I decide to replace most of the wiring associated with the switch.... and? Same bad results. Im thinking WTF? how can this be happening?
Now Im starting to think Perhaps is something in Mach and am starting to compose an email to Art... After composing an elaborate and lengthy email.
I sat on it. Because in the past I usually see the light right when I reach out and ask for help but not a second earlier.

Thinking back on all they I changed and considered. I in a last ditch effort changed out the last 24" section of wire thinking. It could be this but prob won't be. But I want to be thorough. and....
Yes! Success. it was that last 24" section of wire. That had me thinking. "there is no way the problem is in this section."
By now I was in the second day. of this mess!

What did I learn?
3 things.
1:Never to old to learn the same lesson
and
2: dont panic and start fixing things that are not broken!

and lastly. Read all you can in the z0ne.
-Sam

[The Blight]

Judging by your name, I would have though you hit the problem right on the head ;-)

Sniping with a shotgun!

Sorry, but your post made me laugh.

Good thing you figured it out in the end. It's like that most of the time. Had a similar problem with the spindle encoder on my lathe. Tried everything until I found out the board that was controlling the spindle didn't get enough power. Took me weeks to figure that one out as the problem I was having was random.

[Fixittt]

Sam, i too am guilty of this type of thing as well.

Lesson I learned, was to NOT tackle it all at once.
Do one thing at a time. Test, verify, then move to the next. If you end up re-wiring a whole system, then your introducing to many variables and you cant think straight. You end up chasing your tail most of the time.

Its kind of like the "Finger in the light socket"..... you can tell someone NOT to do something, but until they do it for themselves, they dont understand exactly "WHY" not to do it. Its a learning thing!