Mach 3 stops, when I restart crazy things happen...

[lazorus]

Good Day. I am having a problem with random stoppages. When milling a large sign, I have had Mach 3 trigger ghost "limit switch" stoppages. Not all the time, but in a couple of larger jobs. The estop is triggered, I check to see if a yellow light is on for a limit switch (it never was), and when I go to resume the program with cycle start, the machine usually just draws a straight line through what I was machining. Thus ruining the job.

I built a JGRO router, have a Gecko G540 and steppers from Ahren. I am running the setup with a CF-28 Toughbook Touchscreen. I am getting low pulse counts with it. I have "trimmed the fat" as far as the programs that are running.

I have also disabled the limit switches, and use the soft limits now.

I am okay with the random stops, but would like to know how to resume the cutting after an estop triggers. I have also noticed that if you press feed hold the exact thing happens. So there must be a work around.

Thanks

[ger21]

First, the limit switch triggers are due to noise. Setting the debounce in general config to 2000-5000 should get rid of the problem.

Once a limit switch triggers, there's a good chance that your XY position will be off. So I'd rehome the machine before resuming cutting.

First thing to do is jog the tool up above the work. Then scroll down in the g-code window to right before where it stopped, and use "Run from Here".

[neilw20]

Most likely a wiring, earth, limit switch sense problem.
Opto isolated? Probably not.
A desktop PC? OK.
A laptop? No way, unless it is very old.
You must fix the ES problem.
Do you have watchdogs enabled, to or from the machine?
Disable ES from watchdogs, while trying to solve the problem.
PC and machine on same power circuit? I hope so.

If not opto isolated:
Isolate the PC earth, and earth directly to the machine earth, so currents can't flow through the PC cable ground.

Find the cause Fixit it!. Foremost, it is safety issue.

[lazorus]

Thanks Ger, that seems to have fixed it. I just finished cutting a big job and didnt have one stoppage.