Need Help!- E-Stop Rockcliff Board w Mach3

[dragonstone@sym]

I have read the manual for the Rockcliff driver board and still not sure about E-Stop.
The diagram shows a NO E-stop,
The paragraph (Axis Enable / Disable) mentions a NC E-stop and removing the jumpers. Is one way better than the other?
My thinking is not using A so remove this jumper and then wire a NO e-stop as in the diagram.
Then the software (Mach3) also goes into stop mode when pressed??
Mechanical E-Stop pulled out to enable and also need to reset software E-stop to be able to restart

I was just thinking as a NC E-Stop being hard wired to enable if a wire breaks it would go into stop???? Maybe that would be better?
Would remove the enable jumpers on the board for this.
Maybe I am just confusing myself.

Any suggestions are appreciated as the E-Stop should work properly and I don't want to screw it up

[jalessi]

Dragonstone@sym

You can use a NC E-Stop connected to pin 10 input and ground.

Then configure Mach3 E-Stop to pin 10.

When the E-Stop is triggered, Mach3 will pause and the stepper driver will also pause until the E-Stop switch is reset.

If you use the method suggested in the Rockcliff manual Mach3 will lose it's position after a E-Stop because it is no longer synchronized with the stepper motors.

Mach3 would continue to run the g-code because it would not have sensed a E-Stop condition.

Jeff...

[lmlamb]

Jeff,

Have a question for you. I want to use one of the outputs to turn on/off the stitch controller on the quilting machine, so that I can control it from within a Gcode file.

Any thoughts?

Larry

[jalessi]

Larry,

Use a solid state relay and either the M7 or M8 command to enable and M9 command to turn it off.

They are the mist on (M7) and flood coolant on (M8) commands however you are not using a coolant pump.

A solid state relay like the one below works well.

http://tinyurl.com/yzzvpwb

Jeff...

[lmlamb]

Jeff,

You are the man. Thanks for all your help. Just to let you know I've made great progress on the project. I have it at a point that it will now sew perfect circles and measurable, repeatable lines and boxes. It will also sew a pattern modified from a downloaded artwork that I found on a quilting site. However, my biggest issue at this time is the way the artwork is made. Most of the artwork has numerous lead-in and lead-out lines that interfere with the constant movement of the system. I am trying to set up a package now that will consist of a pattern made of a single continuous line with only one lead-in and out. I should have pictures and a small video of the whole thing in action later this week or early next week. I'll keep you posted.


Larry

[jalessi]

Larry,

Please keep me posted, I am very interested in seeing your project running.

Jeff...

[lmlamb]

Jeff,

I think I am being a complete idiot. Could you send me the ports and pins for the rockcliff board? Also, I have been trying to configure the SSR to work the switch on the stitch regulator, but I am getting nowhere very fast. Plus the Estop isn't working with the switch that I bought. I must be doing something wrong here. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jalessi]

Larry,

No worries, see attached images for E-Stop and ports & pins.

Jeff...

[jalessi]

Larry,

See attached images for SSR "solid state relay" configuration.

A small 5 volt d.c. power supply is required.

Jeff...

[lmlamb]

Jeff,

Thanks again for the help. Now, I have a curious situation. The motors now appear to running very rough and jerky, and that causes the stitch control to function erratically as it is based on the motion of the optical encoders on both axis wheels. When it jerks, the stitch is made too long. Is there a way to smooth out the motion of the axis?

[lmlamb]

Jeff, BTW the info you provided is perfect. The E-stop is working great and so is the SSR. I think I will need to write a macro to insure that the SSR is turned off at the startup of Mach3, it wants to run a lazy up and down stroke until I hit the mist toggle to turn it off.

[jalessi]

Larry,

Have you set the drives to 1/8 step?

Running 1/8 step should be very smooth.

Some drivers run rough if the step pulses are inverted, see attached image.

Jeff...