Xy-plotter zero position problem

#1

Hi,
I bought two if you plotters in Paris France while in Paris I assembled the first one which is working fine. I live in Paris and also Beijing China and just returned here I assembled the 2nd one all the hardware works and upgraded the firmware. The problem is that no matter what I try the plotter will not go to home O it goes to the opposite side in the middle. Sometime the other machine has trouble finding home but is easily resolved but not with this new one. I do not know if it is a software problem or a problem with the mainboard. I checked the forum and found nothing, please help.

best regards tony

#2

“Upgraded the firmware”. Does that mean the firmware on the Paris plotter is different to the firmware on the Beijing plotter? Could that be the problem?

#3

same firmware for both plotters…everything is the same for both plotters other than one works and the other cannot find zero both machines were bought in Paris

#4

If it is going in the opposite direction to that you expected it suggests the motor rotation needs to be reversed. If you are using mDraw this is done by going into the setup program and reversing the direction of the appropriate motor.

If you have for some reason assembled one of the plotters with the Y-axis belt anchor point differently to the other machine then the motor direction for the Y-axis will need to be reversed.

#5

thanks Adrian know this setting but is not going in the reverse position, it is going the middle edge of the plotter reversing the motor setting did not help even tried reversing the wiring to double check did not work…

#6

What happens if you position the plotter in the centre of the frame, power on, and then try to move it a small amount in different directions? Do both stepper motors work?

#7

yes both motors work, did click on plotter position and they both worked…if start from this position it jams because it is not in zero home position…think is a mainboard problem wrote makeblock but no response so far thanks again

#8

H thanks again for the feedback so I took the mainboard of the plotter that was not working and tried it on the other plotter I have that works. Strange it worked so not a mainboard problem…not sure what to do next no response from customer support ;-( as yet

#9

Do the same, one at a time, for the two stepper controller boards. Don’t forget to mark each board so you know which came from which plotter.

Also, double-check your wiring to each of the stepper motors. As well as making sure the order of the coloured wires is the same, slacken each wire in turn and make sure the stripped end is unbroken before re-tightening it.

#10

Hi installed a new mainboard plus two stepper drivers plus checked the black cables using the ones from my other plotter. Checked the stepper wire connection seemed correct,and I either rebooted or hard booted each time I tested. When pressing screen move, the movement was inconsistent as was the speed and it did not respect the micro switches. When pressing home the stepper did not move and a high pitch sound came from the mainboard. I please help!!!

#11

Yes steppers work but the direction and speed are not normal sometimes going all the way to the opposite side with just a small increment given on the screen. On power on motors are in hold position and can not be moved so stepper and drivers are working. As I said when trying to go home either will do nothingI or move to middle of the plotter on zero side or make a. loud pitched humming sound from the main board.

#12

Silly question, but this happened to me: Are the green connectors from the drivers to the motors completely and firmly plugged in?

#13

Yes they have been unplugged and plugged in again many times verified firmly connected…thanjs

#14

Adrian, Tried again what you suggested with a bit more patients this time. Steppers are working in all directions but it seems to see a phantom boarder that does not correspond to the one on the screen. Only allowing movement for about 30 percent in either direction…because I think it is seeing a phantom home.When I press home depending on the plotter head position it moves very little but the mainboard is not making a humming noise…any idea thanks again

#15

I also exchanged the two stepper drivers that bought…steppers worked but went very fast and the noise was not the same similair boarder problem but with these sttepoer drivers when I press home no movement and loud humming noise from mainboard…so wierd…could it be wiring problem or software…but the other plotter works fine using the same computer and software…oh yes when I installed the new stepper drivers did a firmware upgrade

#16

Another silly question: Are the 3 DIP switches on the drivers all in the correct position?

#17

I did a post on debouncing the limit switches that might help earlier in the forum

The other thought is that you have a different belt tension between the two plotters?

#18

Thanks yes all the same direction

#19

Yes saw that was very good but will try it. In fact the, pushedand plotter bar and the steppers kicked in but still did not go to zero…adjusted the belts but did not resolve the problem maybe one of the steppers is faulty…

#20

Hi last night Kevin from Makerblock contacted me, we found the problem, one of the micro switches was defective and one of the stepper motors wiring was made backwards. So now both plotters are working.