Confusing documentation and response.

[bayouburner]

Using an older Probotix PBX-2 BOB.
Setting up the E-Stop.
Silkscreen has E-stop screw terminal identified. Doc shows its pin 10 on the pinout table, actual schematic shows the circuit to pin 15. Had to use Mach3 assistant to identify pin 13 as the real pin associated with the Estop silkscreen.
Sent Probotix a message regarding how I use American stuff to avoid just this type of documentation aggravation and was told the doc is just a "suggestion" and to buy assembled systems if I can't deal with the stress of using generic products.


I'm confused, as the estop screw terminal on the BOB is hardwired to a specific pin on the BOB . How is this then just a "suggestion". I know I can configure pins and inputs in Mach3 anyway I want them, but I still think the doc and the silkscreen should match and be correct for a default setup using it.

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[ger21]

The labels on the board don't list the pin #'s?
I see how the docs are wrong, but I couldn't find a good pic of the board.
If you don't like the vendor, spend your money elsewhere.

[bayouburner]

The silkscreen has the screw terminals labeled EStop, A-Imt, z-lmt, x-lmt, y-lmt and GND.


I actually did like the vendor. They have a good reputation, I was trying to help.
The response really ticked me off so i wanted to know if I could be mistaken somehow about the doc and was being unreasonable.
How would this response make you feel ?

"
Thanks for scolding us. These are generic breakout boards and there is no correct pinout. We put a silk screen on the PCB for one possible way of wiring it. Whoever wrote the manual (probably me) described a different but also correct way of wiring it.
The user who you bought your used machine from obviously wired it different from that, because we have never used pin 13 for e-stop (although that would be yet another correct way to wire it). The software is smart enough to allow you to configure it however you want or need. Perhaps you should talk to the software guys instead. Maybe they shouldn't build such flexibility into their software.
We sell fully assembled calibrated and tested machines for those who cannot handles such stress.
Lighten up man. ;-)"

Here is the doc, and the Estop was not set up when I bought the CNC.

[john-100]

In an ideal world any thing you buy should come with a manual that's error free

its very often the case that the documentation has some errors
and it does not matter if you have just bought a £10 BOB for a diy CNC machine or bought a £11,500 Sony HXC-D70H HD studio camera

with the PBX-2


the document could of been written to accompany the original schematic
but not correctly updated after changes made to make the PCB design easier
never the less a few quick tests will reveal which printer port pin is connected to each terminal

In other documents you can find errors due to changes to correct design errors , changes due to component availability being missed after pages are re edited
cut & past editing in desk top publishing makes it easy to make simple errors as you very often see in news papers and magazines

John

PS
just seen your last post

it confirms what I thought that the text and the schematic don't match
not a problem if you have the experiance to know what it should be !!
but makes it harder work than it should be for a novice

PPS
the silk screen lable is another variable

[bayouburner]

See my reply.
The vendor is saying the doc is correct, and I'm wrong.

[john-100]

from post 4
"the document could of been written to accompany the original schematic
but not correctly updated after changes made to make the PCB design easier "

so yes I agree with you

for the E-stop
the pinout and the schematic don't agree



just make printer port pin 15 the E-stop in your control software
then the terminal labled E-stop will be the E-stop


John

[bayouburner]

"just make printer port pin 15 the E-stop in your control software
then the terminal labeled E-stop will be the E-stop"


Actually it turned out to be pin 13. A pin the manufacture says has never been used. I used Mach3 to "automatically detect" the switch. Still, it's the response that's driving this rant. would you be OK with a response like that ? And to be fair, is there any way my XML could be causing this ? I started with a default profile, never fussed with any pin configuration other than e-stop to pin 10, then pin 15, then using the auto detect to get to pin 13.

[john-100]

"Actually it turned out to be pin 13 "
so the manual was totally wrong !

but the response is the real problem

I know from one of my day jobs , when I have worked in a maintenance work shop
you have to re create the conditions to solve some faults and don't jump to conclusions

some times what the "customer" says does not add up with what I know should happen
but instead of dismissing them you have to dig deeper to solve the problem
( some times its nice to leave the workshop to visit the film crew )

John

[ger21]

The way I read the vendors response is that the silkscreen only identifies one way to wire the inputs, and they don't match the documentation.
They'd have been much better off to silkscreen the pin numbers on the board, and get rid of all the documentation.