How to for home and limit switches

[Hack]

Has anyone wrote a biasic how to article for hooking up home and limit switches? i see lots of bits of information, but nothing centralized. Us newbies could use something like that.

If this has not been done, are there any experienced people here who would be willing to post this information as kind of a "how to" type article?

Thanks

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by Hack Has anyone wrote a biasic how to article for hooking up home and limit switches? i see lots of bits of information, but nothing centralized. Us newbies could use something like that. If this has not been done, are there any experienced people here who would be willing to post this information as kind of a "how to" type article? Thanks

It depends to some degree on what controller card you are using as well as the control software. Some have the ability to have both home and limit switches while others are limited to one or the other (or even none at all). It also depends on whether you are using mechanical or optical switches.

It's not a simple case of 'one size fits all' unfortunately.

Can you give us some info on your particular card/software set up and then maybe someone can come up with a circuit that would work in your case.

HTH,

Larry

[Hack]

I personally am using a xylotex board with TurboCNC. There is alot of infomation about this combo, but I have not found any step by step directions so to speak. I know this is a combination that a lot of people here are using. I can find schematics of what to do, but I am electronically challenged and they really do not walk you through it in any way.

[The Wizard]

Originally Posted by Hack I personally am using a xylotex board with TurboCNC. There is alot of infomation about this combo, but I have not found any step by step directions so to speak. I know this is a combination that a lot of people here are using.

OK ...this sounds like a similar set up to the one I am currently building over here....... http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6244 ... with the exception that I am using a 'Stepperworld' board.

I did a quick search of the Xylotex site and as you did not say which board you have I can only assume that it is a XS-3525/8S-3 board. Is this correct?

I looked at the PDF datasheet for the above board and it would appear that the parallel port lines associated with limit and home switches are just brought onto the board for easy access. 'Normal' practice in this case would imply that you would need to wire a 'pull up' resistor in the limit switch circuit in order to provide a full 5V 'swing' on the line when the switches are activated. The 'Stepperworld' board has 'onboard' 'pull up' resistors so I didn't have to worry about that in my system.

Originally Posted by Hack I can find schematics of what to do, but I am electronically challenged and they really do not walk you through it in any way.

Are these schematics available online so that people on here can look at them to try and help you understand what you need to do?

There has been a lot of discussion on the TurboCNC Yahoo group recently regarding limit/home switches too. Which brings up another question....... are your running V3 or V4 of TCNC? The newish V4 has the ability to use home switches as limit switches whereas V3 could not.

Lots of questions I am afraid but if you can provide some more details hopefully the members on here can help you find a solution.

Larry

[ger21]

Also, if you have the older 3 axis Xylotex board, which doesn't have the screw terminals, you'll have to get access from the pins through the molex connector(s).

[Hack]

I am using the XS-3525/8S-3 board from xylotex and V4 of TurboCNC. The schematics that I am referring to are on xylotex website and are for home switches.

http://www.xylotex.com/PDFS.htm

You will find a link for both series and parallel wiring.

I have not found a whole lot regarding the limit switches.

I will also spend some time on the turbocnc yahoo group doing some research.

Thanks

Dan